When Chef Regi Mathew decided to bring Kerala’s toddy shop culture to New York, he wasn’t just opening a restaurant, he was creating an experience. His latest venture, Chatti, is a tribute to the regional micro-cuisine of Kerala, where bold flavours on small plates, colloquially known as touchings, are served with drinks and conversation.
Chef Regi — one of those rare chefs whose humility matches his culinary skills — chats with My Kolkata from his six-week-old restaurant, located in the heart of Manhattan, just a five-minute walk from Times Square. Many know him as the man behind Kappa Chakka Kandhari in Chennai and Bengaluru, where the food is rooted in the nostalgia of a mother’s home-cooked meal — a venture he started after almost two decades with the Taj group. In fact, KCK has recently bagged many awards, including four stars in Culinary Culture’s Ultimate Restaurant Ratings 2025. Chef Regi takes us through the inspiration behind Chatti, classic dishes like Toddy Shop Beef Fry and Calicut mussels and why Kerala’s culinary heritage deserves the world’s attention.
Edited excerpts follow…
‘People come to enjoy our food as it is made traditionally, so we have not tapered down the spice levels. Our food is spicy by flavour, but not by pungency,’ says chef Regi Mathew. In picture (right): The bar area at Chatti
My Kolkata: Many congratulations, chef! You’re someone who pours your heart into your work. On an emotional level, what did it take for you to open Chatti in New York?
Chef Regi Mathew: For me, this isn’t just about opening a restaurant… It’s about sharing a legacy. We travelled through Kerala over the course of three years, ate at over 265 homes and 70 toddy shops, tasting and collecting an overwhelming 800 plus recipes and mastering unusual techniques. Each recipe was sourced from a network of home-cooks and toddy shop chefs, who have remained the faithful guardians of these recipes, preserving the traditional tastes and flavours of Kerala. I see it as a responsibility to showcase this hidden treasure to the world because food is a reflection of our culture. I wanted, in a humble way, to show the world how blessed we are — the incredible food we have, the unique ingredients we use and our rich culture. So when I wanted to present it to a global audience, I asked myself, why not go to one of the best food cities in the world — New York? That’s how I made the decision to come here. I can’t explain the force and energy that drove me but I believe it’s the support from everybody. People are beginning to realise that Indian cuisine has so much more to offer beyond what they’ve traditionally known, and that appreciation means everything to me.
What does Chatti mean?
Chatti is basically the clay pots used for cooking fish and other dishes in Kerala, especially in toddy shops. When my partner and I were brainstorming names for the restaurant, we wanted something simple, easy to pronounce, and connected to Kerala’s food heritage.
The name ‘Chatti’ (pronounced chuht-tee) is a tribute to the humble clay pot, an essential part of Kerala’s toddy shop kitchens, where slow-cooked dishes are crafted
It’s been six weeks since opening day. What seems to be working well?
People are eager to try the food. The general perception about Indian food, especially from Kerala, is that it’s spicy but I always tell them that my definition of spiciness is flavour. It’s not about heat or pungency, it’s about the flavour through the judicious use of spices and the techniques we’ve perfected over generations, from home kitchens to toddy shops. That depth of flavour is something guests are really appreciating.
Everyone’s talking about the ‘toddy shop cuisine’ that you’ve brought to NYC. Can you tell us more about why you chose this concept?
When I was framing the idea, I wanted to use a frame that would resonate with a global audience. Toddy shop culture is all about good food, good drinks, and a lot of conversation. It’s a space where people come together to share a meal and have a good time. What happens in Kerala toddy shops is that people order some six-eight touchings and then just keep nibbling. Because in a toddy shop, the toddy itself is the constant, but what sets each place apart is the food. By bringing that experience to New York, I felt we could do justice to the incredible micro-cuisines of Kerala. And so far, people are really embracing it!
Touchings are the Toddy Shop-inspired small plates packed with bold flavours. Colloquially called touchings because they are meant to be eaten with your hands, these dishes are deeply rooted in Kerala’s unique Toddy Shop dining culture. In picture: Toddy shop Beef Fry and (right) Chilli Roasted Calamari
What are some signature toddy shop dishes you’ve introduced at Chatti?
We’ve brought in some classic dishes, like toddy shop beef fry, squid roast, and mussel roast. In traditional toddy shops, small plates are called touchings and they’re enjoyed alongside drinks, just like tapas. So, we decided to keep that essence and name our appetisers touchings as well. If we can call it tapas elsewhere, why not call it touchings here? I wanted to keep the portion sizes true to how they’re served in toddy shops — small and shareable. It is an opportunity for people to try multiple dishes.
The menu at Chatti is a celebration of the rich culinary heritage, from the seafood feasts of the backwaters of Alleppey to the robust meat preparations of Malabar and the High Ranges
Do you have any fond memories of visiting toddy shops?
During my college days, my friends and I would go to toddy shops — not to get drunk but to enjoy the food. That was always the focus. It’s not just about what’s on the plate; it’s about the atmosphere, the camaraderie. That experience — the combination of good food and chatting — is something special. It’s what makes toddy shop culture so unique, and it’s something that resonates beyond Kerala.
Your chain of Kappa Chakka Kandhari restaurants pay tribute to a mother’s cooking. With Chatti, you’ve played with nostalgia, but in a different way.
Yes, everything at Kappa Chakka Kandhari is rooted in nostalgia, particularly in the comfort of home cooked meals and a mother’s touch. But when it comes to the international market, nostalgia doesn’t hold the same weight — someone unfamiliar with Kerala won’t connect with my personal memories in the same way. That’s where Chatti takes a different approach. While the essence of home cooking remains, it’s framed through a new lens — drawing inspiration from the Kottayi shop style of food but presented differently in small portions or touchings. I’d say yes, the nostalgia is still there but it’s expressed in a way that resonates beyond familiarity.
How much of a challenge is sourcing ingredients in NYC? How did you put systems in place, and what are some key ingredients you still source from India?
We still get spices and some ingredients from India, including some seafood that’s not available here. Otherwise generally, when it comes to seafood, New York offers some of the best. As for meat, we had to do our homework by going to the right butchers, specifying exact cuts, and ensuring we got precisely what we needed. At the end of the day, we’re happy with what we’ve been able to source.
When you talk about homework, did you go home for research, or were you already familiar with that kind of cuisine?
See, the thing is like, I always believe that what I know is only the tip of the iceberg. Regional cuisine, be it Bengali or Keralan, has so much wealth, so much information. These flavours, techniques and traditions need to be explored, understood, and preserved so that these dishes will remain forever. So research and homework is an ongoing process…
L-R: Cochin Sour, Sam Bar and Kathakali — some of the cocktails on the menu
The Chatti menu also has dishes like Tender Jackfruit Cutlet, Filter Coffee Pudding and Coconut Clams, which sound so interesting…
All are native Kerala flavours. Some, like the Coconut Clams, are straight from the toddy shop culture, while others, like the Filter Coffee Pudding, were created specifically for our restaurant. Filter coffee is an integral part of south Indian food culture, so we wanted to translate that into a dessert. Similarly, coconut is a staple in Kerala cooking, so we’ve woven it into different elements of the menu.
Have fellow Indian chefs and restaurateurs in NYC like Chintan Pandya, Roni Mazumdar or Vikas Khanna, visited Chatti?
Yes, Chintan, Roni and Vijay Kumar… they all came for dinner. Even chef Sujan Sarkar was here and he came all the way from Chicago to New York to be with us. Chef Vikas called me and said he’ll visit the restaurant when he’s back from his travels. The Indian chef community in New York is very supportive.
Finally, do you have any personal favorites from the menu?
That’s the toughest question! Honestly, if a dish made it onto the menu, it’s because I love it. But if I look at it from the customer’s point of view,people are really liking the Prawn Pouch, Toddy Shop Beef Fry, BDF (Beef Dry Fry), and Malabar Mutton. The Tender Jackfruit Cutlet has also been a surprising hit. Our seafood grill is another big crowd-pleaser. We offer seafood with three masalas — Gooseberry Masala, Toddy Shop Masala, and Coconut Masala — and it’s something I’m really proud of.