Whenever we have travelled around Kerala in a car or on a two-wheeler, there was always the need for a place to have tea at regular intervals, and there was surely the need to have food. We couldn’t have food from here and there, because nobody can say for sure how good it is, especially by the quality. You might see the best looking restaurants, but there no guarantee about the quality, especially when wandering through those areas were there are no friends to recommend the best places.
The oldest memory that I ever had of a restaurant which still exists, goes back to the Indian Coffee House, even though that branch at Perumbavoor no longer exists, with another branch opening about eight kilometres from there instead. At that time, I used to say that I wanted to visit an Indian Coffee House, and any of those branches would do, because they were all the same, and there was quality. I had already visited every branch in Ernakulam district long before I was a teenager.
Indian Coffee House is spread all over Kerala, as it has the largest number of branches in the state. It has evolved into being the best choice of the Malayalis all around. It is fully owned by the employees of the restaurant chain as a co-operative society, with a committee elected for management. The biggest encouragement for starting this chain of restaurant goes to the popular communist leader of Kerala, A.K. Gopalan who was a leading social activist in the state. You can see his portrait at every branch of ICH.
With its fifty year anniversary celebrated in 2008, this group of restaurants having its headquarters at Thrissur has its most number of branches there itself, along with the same number at the capital city of Trivandrum. Considering the branches from Thrissur to Trivandrum, they have the same price everywhere. The northern version of Indian Coffee House from Palakkad to Kasargode is kind of different, even with the structure remaining the same. You can notice the difference on the logo itself.
Even though the Indian Coffee House from Central Kerala to the South which covers eight of the fourteen districts has been more of the thing of concern for me, I have found the quality very good in both cases, as I have tried both. The Thrissur based ICH does have the Poori Masala factor available at all times, which was replaced by Idli, and that too only in the morning for the Northern based ICH. The choices were less in the latter case. For the former though, most of the things shown on the menu are available throughout the day.
Lets get back to the Thrissur based ICH completely which deals with the Travancore-Cochin area, and you can actually check the rates from their website itself. After it opened a branch at Aluva, it had become our regular place to have some tea. I was highly disappointed when the branch at Muvattupuzha was closed, and it is quite an addition to the earlier shock given by the closing of their restaurant at Perumbavoor. Well, now Perumbavoor surely needs one, but not at that earlier location which is too crowded.
I would say that the best branch opened is at the Angamaly Bus Station, which is a very nice choice of location, as the town now got three of them. I have the opinion that each and every bus station, railway station, theatre and mall should have one Indian Coffee House near enough. Also imagine having one near those pilgrim centres. They have the best people serving food in their trademark clothing, and having the fine quality food. With the low costs and tasting nice and exactly the same in each branch, ICH always scores.
***The images used in this blog post were taken during some of my visits to ICH.
With love for the ICH tea
TeNy
Sounds like a pretty famous chain for tea-lovers.
What is their price btw?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Here is the full list 🙂
http://indiancoffeehouse.com/menu.php?menuid=4&%20name=Caterings
LikeLiked by 1 person
Quite reasonable these days…
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, especially considering the power of that brand name they have popularized 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I want more snaps. I want more snaps. 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
What kind of snap will you need? Of the food, people who serve or the place? 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Evreything 😀 Closer perspective.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I will take more photos during the next tea party 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
DO that 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Will do do 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂 Thanks in very advance!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Are you into green tea? Just wondering.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Nope, I usually like to have my tea with milk 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Haahahah! The normalcy of things. I am glad you do 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Well, we have to give tribute to the “Milky Way” 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Of course. Then there is the Masala Milky Way, of Gujarat. Spicy tea!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Finds the masala ones on some lucky days 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
That is great 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Still, can drink in case of the absence of other tea 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Iced tea?
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, in that case, very cold 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yeay!! 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Whoa!! It is sloppy and slanty inside 😉 But I cherish the cutlet, chicken dishes, dahi vada and many more in there 🙂 Thanks a lot for directing me here Teny
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, it is a long way up, and there is a chance of slipping; it was also crowded – but as a kid, I used to love the “variety restaurant” different from other ICHs there 😀
I haven’t posted it on IB yet, which is why you didn’t see it 🙂
LikeLike
i’ve heard of this one Tenssss… 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
I am glad to hear that you have heard 🙂
LikeLike
ICH is a name that rings a bell..just can’t recall where.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Did you have the best Dosa from there? 😀
I believe a separate, different version of ICH is there at Mumbai too 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not in Mumbai. Somewhere else.
LikeLiked by 1 person
The full name or the shortened version only? 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
ICH of course it is Indian Coffee House..
Yes it was in Delhi CP. 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
Oh! I should have visited the place during my last journey there to check for the differences 🙂
LikeLiked by 1 person
How about a tree-house coffee then? 😉
LikeLiked by 1 person
Tea at the tree-house; that sounds better na? 🙂
LikeLike
It seems a famous place right ! And the prices are SO LESS !! Thanks Alok for asking 😀
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, you can keep it in mind for the next Kerala visit 🙂
LikeLike
Pingback: For the Restaurants | The Tea Cerebrations
Pingback: Seven Faces of Beauty | The Tea Cerebrations
Pingback: The Liebster Returns | The Tea Cerebrations
Pingback: When Darkness Calls | The Tea Cerebrations
Pingback: Discover the Liebster | The Tea Cerebrations
Pingback: District 13: Kannur Shores | The Tea Cerebrations