Toddy, Touchings, And Tradition: Inside Chef Regi Mathew’s Chatti In New York

Earlier this month, amidst a whirlwind tour of New York, there was one unofficial yet unmissable stop on my agenda—Chatti by Regi Mathew. The latest Indian restaurant making waves in the city, Chatti, brings the bold, evocative flavours of Kerala to the heart of New York City. Located just a few blocks away from the iconic Times Square, on the 37W Street, it is a fitting stage for chef Regi’s international debut, where his extraordinary culinary skills do justice to Kerala’s rich gastronomic landscape.

For most, chef Regi is the genius behind the award-winning restaurants, Kappa Chakka Kandhari (KCK)in Chennai, Bengaluru, and Paradise Island at Taj Westend, Bengaluru.

As the founder, partner of Chatti, he elevates the rustic yet revered toddy shop cuisine of Kerala, presenting it on one of the most prestigious culinary stages in the world—New York City. Why Chatti? I ask him. Chatti refers to the traditional clay pot central to Kerala’s toddy shops as well as cooking at homes. For chef Regi, it’s a humble way to revolutionise the perception of Kerala cuisine, making it a celebrated culinary tradition worldwide. Just like the humble toddy shop cuisine represents a unique aspect of life in Kerala centered around community, warmth, and joy, Chatti wants to spread the same love now to the world.

Among Kerala’s many food traditions, the toddy shop cuisine stands out. Spread across the state, from the coast to the high ranges, toddy shops offer an array of dishes made from the region’s seafood, shellfish, meats, and natural produce.

Two central themes around the toddy shop cuisine are ‘toddy’—a naturally fermented beverage from coconut or palm sap—and ‘touchings’—small, tapas-style plates crafted to pair perfectly with a drink.

Slow-cooked and always served fresh, these dishes are traditionally accompanied by toddy. Toddy shops in Kerala are recognised as great social equalisers. In a state that values equity, debate, and free expression, these establishments create space for people from all walks of life to come together, share a table, and engage in conversation over toddy and touchings.

To introduce me to this extraordinary culinary spread, chef Regi curated a menu for me that allowed me to sample both the flavours and the stories that define Kerala’s toddy shop traditions. We started with an array of touchings: Malabar Mutton, Prawn Parcels delicately steamed in banana leaves, Calicut Mussels, Toddy Shop Beef Fry and a Pomfret Gooseberry Masala. I paired this with their signature cocktail, Kandhari, that literally opens your taste buds with the infused bird’s eye chilli mixed with tequila. Trust me; you wouldn’t want to miss the combination of delectable small plates complemented by the perfect cocktail. A special mention for Chatti’s cocktail programme, a thoughtfully curated selection by mixologist Saikiran Chinchankar, whose expertise in some of New York’s top bars finds synergy with his deep-rooted appreciation for Kerala’s flavours.

The main course started with a fragrant duck curry simmered in coconut milk, the Duck Mappas with Vattayappam—Kerala’s signature soft bread. By this time, I had abandoned all fancy cutlery, and found myself reveling in the tactile joy of eating with my hands in true Indian style. Next, I sipped on Kathakali, another signature cocktail, a full-bodied Old Monk based drink infused with kokum, blackberry and home-made orange cordial. Thereafter came a delicate cup of Mutton Biryani, crowned with a petite quail egg, as if designed to fit the size of the cup. Looking at my bewilderment, chef chipped in to explain that the use of quail eggs was considered to go better with the concept of smaller dishes.

Despite being indulgently full, I couldn’t resist a spoonful each of the Cloud Pudding and Filter Coffee Pudding—both light yet deeply satisfying—to end the remarkable meal.

As I left, I reflected on how Chatti’s toddy shop-inspired cuisine is neither overwhelmingly spicy nor pungent; rather, it is an elegant symphony of aromas and textures of Kerala on your plate.

Edited Excerpts

1. From being a Thai chef at the prestigious Paradise Island, Taj Westend to introducing the concept fine dining restaurant Kappa Chakka Kandhari in Chennai and Bengaluru and now starting Chatti at the heart of Manhattan, New York, you have come a long way. Describe your motivations and your decisions at these three stages of your career.

When starting my career as a Thai Chef, I was introduced to a new cuisine and food culture and working in an organisation like the Taj group of Hotels, gave me a strong foundation in the culinary world. I am a dreamer and I aspire to do things that have not was not been done before. In my career, my biggest strength has been my team who have tirelessly worked with me, supported my ideas and dreams by standing with me in all my endeavours. Most importantly, the support and encouragement given by my guests and diners has given me the courage to explore new avenues and strive to achieve what I set out to create. Kappa Chakka Kandhari was conceptualised as a tribute to our mothers: a way of showing our gratitude by recreating the food they cooked for us, and to present that in a restaurant format for the new generation of diners to experience and enjoy. With Chatti, I was keen to showcase Kerala’s unique food culture and its incredible range and repertoire to international diners, and the toddy shop food seemed the ideal way to showcase that.

2. You could have introduced the highly acclaimed KCK in New York. But you started with a fresh concept, Chatti. Why so?

Chatti was chosen as a means of showcasing the incredible depth and range of food available across Kerala through the right format; where food, drinks and conversation are equally important aspects. These are the very tenants and essence of a toddy shop’s culture and hence it seemed like a perfect fit to be able to showcase not only the food culture of Kerela, but in a format that would fit in with the city’s dining culture too.

3. Why did you choose NYC as your first international destination given that it is one of the toughest markets to crack?

Yes, no doubt that New York is a competitive market, but at the same time, it also encourages new concepts, Diners are ready to experiment here and try new cuisines and concepts and hence new and exciting dining formats and food offerings are launched here. It is the financial capital of the world and people here are well-travelled and seek new and exciting food experiences; even the tourists who come from different parts of the world come to New York to seek a new, and dynamic experience. If one can establish both value and relevance in New York’s competitive culinary landscape, they have already conquered half the journey of globalising a lesser-known regional cuisine.

4. How are you sourcing ingredients at Chatti?

We source some of the key ingredients and spices from India. And rest of the ingredients, which we identified by visiting various markets here, are sourced locally. New York is a place where you can get a wide variety of fresh ingredients so it’s not been a challenge for us.

5. What has been the feedback with Chatti so far?

We are currently open for dinner and are planning to open for lunch very soon. So far the response is encouraging and Indians are bringing New Yorkers and fellow Americans to dine at Chatti and experience our cuisine with lot of pride.

6. Your bar programme is an extension of the overall storytelling with Kerala as the underlying theme. How did you conceptualise and develop it?

Our bar programme is crafted with various flavours and spices from Kerala. It is important for us to resonate the same spirit, enthusiasm and finesse to our bar program that we follow with our food offering. Some cocktails are entirely unique, while others offer an artful reinterpretation of classic cocktails, reimagined through the lens of Kerala’s vibrant palate.

 

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7. Chatti focuses on small plates and paired cocktails. Any personal favourites that you want first timers to try?

All our cocktails are unique and pair well with our small plates and touchings. My personal favourites include the Toddy shop Beef Fry with Malayali old fashioned and Prawn pouches with Kandhari.

8. Running a regional Indian restaurant in New York, how closely have you adhered to the original recipes or have you tailored the recipes to suit the palate of the locals?

From the very beginning, we want to be original with our food. We didn’t want to localise the food because the customers come to Chatti to enjoy our ‘real food’. After our research on Kerala cuisine, my definition for spice is flavour and not pungency, which is achieved by following certain cooking techniques here too that are followed in Kerala. And more than that, we have documented more than 800 recipes during our research trips in Kerala and selected the right dishes to suit the market and to create the menu at Chatti.