Homely, rustic food shines at Itihaas restaurant in Thiruvananthapuram

The Hindu

28-05-2025

Itihaas restaurant located by Muttada Road at Paruthipara, opposite Thomsun Bakers in Thiruvananthapuram, resembles a traditional naalukettu (a house with an open central courtyard) in Kerala. An intricately designed white balcony railing stands behind the big bold red letters announcing the eatery's name. The brick-tiled roof, slightly discoloured from age, shelters the building supported by concrete and wooden pillars. A glass shelf with snacks jostling for space and a steaming tea container welcomes the hungry customers outside the building.
Inside the restaurant, the wooden stairs and flooring add to the place's rustic feel. Apart from wooden tables and chairs, Itihaas also has majlis-style seating arrangement and can seat around 100 people at a time.
After being seated, I was attracted by the snacks and aroma of the chai I saw upon my arrival. I asked for a plate of chicken samosas and tea, despite my (unwavering) loyalty to coffee. Two samosas were served on a sheet of tissue paper on a steel plate accompanied by milk tea served in a glass. Traces of oil left on the tissue paper as I grabbed one of the samosas left no doubts about whether the snack was healthy at all. But did I care one bit? Absolutely not!
The crispy and flaky samosa enveloped the shredded chicken flavoured with masalas that co-owner and chef Shafna Shifas, calls her own. The onions add a subtle sweetness, complimenting the rest of the filling. The pulverised meat has a bite to it, not getting overpowered by the rest of ingredients.
The tea was mild, milky and moderately sweet. Its taste reminded me of an Irani chai boiled to perfection in fragrance and flavour. Snacks start from ₹10, which include varieties of Malabar bites and even Mangalore bun, the puri-like deep-fried bun, originally from Karnataka.
This is the fourth restaurant owned by Shafna and her husband Shifas Sait. The other three are in Bengaluru and were started by the couple in 2016. 'The main reason why we came to Thiruvananthapuram, is because I am passionate about this place,' says Shafna, originally from Peyad, on the outskirts of the city.
Shafna says, 'My parents are great cooks, and my father used to cook Chinese food at home when I was a child. I have never had Chinese food tastier than that. Now my three brothers together run a restaurant at my native place.'
Itihaas offers a wide menu featuring dishes from Kerala, Chinese, and Arabic cuisines among others. The non-vegetarian options include protein-rich varieties such as chicken, mutton, beef and sea food — from 'Alleppey' chicken curry to prawns in black pepper sauce.
Their specials include dishes such as Kasaragod beef palli curry, mutton cheriyulli cheena chattiyilitt vattichathu (mutton cooked down in a wok with shallots) and cheriyulli kozhi (shallot chicken), among others.
The cheriyulli kozhi and mutton cheriyulli cheenachattiyilitt vattichathu have a similar preparation — cooking the meat with caramelised shallots in a spicy, secret masala. Tomato, ginger, and garlic are added to it as well. It is cooked till the gravy thickens. The dish is served in a small hot cast iron wok or cheenachatti at the table. The sizzling chicken with the red masala is served on a bed of cabbage leaves.
The cheriyulli kozhi works well with rice dishes. The succulent chicken covered in the spicy gravy with the flavour of shallots complements the tang from the tomato. However, garlic slightly overpowers the dish with its pungent nature.
This dish costs ₹349 plus taxes and mutton cheriyulli cheenachattiyilitt vattichathu costs ₹499 plus taxes.
Malabar chicken biryani is another dish to look out for. One portion comes with two dum-cooked pieces of chicken and a boiled egg, served with raita, beetroot pickle and pappadam. The chicken was cooked to perfection with a subtle flavour. The rice was fragrant from the aromatics and enhances the masala with onions and powdered spices. The tangy beetroot pickle and raita cut through the richness of the biryani as well. The Malabar chicken biryani costs ₹249 for a plate and is also available in egg, mutton, beef, fish and prawns. Hyderabadi biriyani varieties are also available, starting from ₹100 for vegetable biriyani.
Itihaas offers a vegetarian breakfast buffet for ₹49 with idiyappam, idli, dosa puri upma, kesari and so on. Accompaniments include kadala curry, sambar, vegetable stew and so on. A non-vegetarian breakfast buffet includes chicken stew, beef curry and egg masala at ₹249. The breakfast service begins at 7am and goes on till 11.15 am. On Sundays, they serve pidiyum kozhiyum, a traditional dish with boiled rice powder balls served with chicken curry at ₹299 plus taxes.