A couple of months ago, my husband and I was in Vegas for work and if there's something we learned about Vegas on our previous trip is that "NEVER TO EAT AT THE STRIP" if you want most bang for your buck ...look for options outside the strip and so I happen to come across Toddy Shop as one of the recommendations on Facebook . Our past experiences has taught us that sometimes the best places to eat is where comfort food is served with passion .We decided after a long day of work and about the town ..we worked up an appetite to try this place .
We ordered my personal fav (anytime of the year) something I crave the moment we land in Kerala.... which is a Spice Rubbed, Flash Fried fish marinated in a Onion-Tomato Masala Wrapped & Steamed in a Banana Leaf... the real treat is to able to smell the warm aromatic yet comforting spice mix across the kitchen while cooking ...and even better when able to recreate the Kerala flavors within the first bite ....it takes us back to our vacation days with our granny .This is a stellar dish that you can't miss.
My husband ordered which is an all time Kerala favorite Kappa &Konj which is a Turmeric Mashed Tapioca with Shrimp Masala tempered Mustard Seeds, Curry Leaf, red chilli.. This is a typical comfort food for any Keralite especially when you had a long day of work... nothing is more scrumptious than having to fill up on the spicy flavours of the shrimp accompanied with steamed turmeric flavored tapioca. This by far one of the best dishes we've had in a while ..
During our meal, we meet Hemant (chef) for a quick chat. We were applauded by the humility and passion he has for south indian cooking with a twist ..which often many people do not realise Indian cooking (is not all about naan and butter chicken people!!!!)... we do have regional oriented cooking like south indian cooking and Hemant has mastered the art of whipping up classic dishes !!! :)
To seal the deal right before we left the place... we noticed Hemant and his crew was whipping up what we would call the holy grail of desserts -the jackfruit jam... now any one from Kerala would know the jackfruit jam is any day better than all the twinkes , smores ,churros and sweet crepes you can have...and yet again Hemant was able to recreate the flavors of home... The sweet gooeyness , and the savory of the jackfruit with spices can make any one smile. The prefect way to end the meal .
All in all I would say we would definitely come back to this place when we are in town as we love the food experience and the friendly crew out there!!!