Kochi college teacher's homely restaurant is a foodie's delight
Rooted in authentic Kerala cuisine, Jency's Good Food doesn't try to reinvent the wheel. Instead, it brings food that feels like home to the table.
'There's a market for everything unique, sure. But how long can someone keep eating unfamiliar dishes? For most Malayalis, the familiar taste of naadan cuisine is something they can have every day. That's the purpose of food, right? The idea was to serve something people can come back to daily,' says founder Jency Treesa.
A passionate home cook turned entrepreneur, Jency also serves as an assistant professor in commerce at St Teresa's College (Autonomous), Ernakulam, and is a research guide under MG University. Despite her academic commitments, she took the step toward fulfilling a long-held dream.
'Starting a restaurant was always in the back of my mind. Growing up with three brothers, we all used to cook when we wanted to recreate dishes we tasted outside. But with my teaching profession, I wasn't sure I could manage it all. Thankfully, my college management was very supportive, and finally, I made it happen.'
Before launching the restaurant, Jency had already dipped her toes into the food business with homemade syrups — like naruneendi, beetroot, and carrot — as well as meat masala and sambar powder, all made fresh at home.
The occasional catering gigs gave me the idea of serving larger groups and the confidence to scale up. The positive feedback I got during those times really gave me the push to start Good Food,' she adds.
As I stepped into the cosy, welcoming space she curated, it felt more like entering someone's home than a restaurant. That's exactly what Jency envisioned — 'like dining at your family table.'
The meal began with appam — light, fluffy in the centre with lacy edges so delicate, it's easy to lose count of how many you eat. Paired with it were two standout dishes, prawns in thick masala and Eri pollichathu. The Eri — slightly fried and coated in a spicy, tangy blend — was flaky and moist in just the right way. The prawns were generously sized, juicy, and bursting with flavour.
According to Jency, on her menu, the showstopper is the pork fry. 'I have repeat customers mainly for pork.'
Made with a base of onion, turmeric, and a ginger-garlic paste, what sets it apart is the dominant peppery note that elevates the dish. Fatty, flavorful, and crisp around the edges, it paired perfectly with the rice meals served.
To round off the meal, I tried the naruneendi juice. Its refreshing earthiness felt cleansing — a perfect finish to a hearty lunch. What stands out across all dishes is the careful use of ingredients, most of which are freshly ground by Jency herself. Nothing feels heavy or overdone.
The venture has live counters set outside, which start around 6.30pm. They also cater to customised orders, bringing a personalised experience to an event.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Hindu
4 days ago
- The Hindu
UNICO in Gurugram brings together clean design and plant-forward plates
In the heart of Gurugram's glass-and-steel sprawl, a new vegetarian Mediterranean-European restaurant on Golf Course Road offers something rare: a literal breath of fresh air. Unlike its flashier neighbours, UNICO speaks in scent and shadow; think fresh basil, filtered light and the slow swing of hand-woven lamps. Over 2,000 plants live here, on rotation: climbing up walls, tucked into corners or hanging overhead like a green canopy. Some end up on the plate; others are just here to breathe. 'It's not just décor,' says culinary director, UNICO, Richa Johri, who previously helmed the kitchens at Taj Mahal, New Delhi, and Taj President, Mumbai. 'We want people to breathe easy. To eat without feeling heavy and leave feeling lighter.' That philosophy is visible in the smallest details. Natural material like cotton, wood, cane and terracotta dot the 120-cover space. The air here is filtered and constantly monitored, with purifiers keeping the AQI below 60: often cleaner than most homes in Delhi-NCR. But none of this is shouted from the rooftops. Instead, sustainability is woven in quietly: in the way light filters through open spaces, and their minimal waste ethos. Small plates, big intent If the greenery sets the tone, the menu seals the mission. Portions are deliberately modest with no overflowing plates or unnecessary excess. Childhood habits shaped that stance, says Johri. 'My mother made us sit at the table until every grain of rice was gone. That ingrained respect for food has never left me.' That philosophy shapes not just portion sizes but also kitchen practices. Vegetables are sourced from local farms, oils are cold-pressed in-house, and even the flour for their pasta is milled in-house. 'Vegetable peels find new purpose in cocktails, either as vibrant garnishes or natural colourants and often return to the kitchen as stock or glaze for other dishes on the menu. Even spent coffee grounds are used as body scrubs, sometimes handed out as thoughtful takeaways for guests,' adds Johri. On the plate, the eco-conscious mindset shines. The seasonal mango-avocado salad featured lettuce grown in their in-house hydroponic garden. The beetroot aglio olio owes its jewel tone to beetroot; no artificial dyes in sight. At no point does one miss meat. The vegetarian menu is wide, with soups, salads, small plates, artisanal pastas, risottos, gnocchi, pizzas and pide (a savoury Turkish dish), and even a thoughtfully designed menu for children. A standout dish was the three bean and Gruyere crepes: ragi pancakes filled with edamame, fava and kidney beans, paired with ginger tea crème fraîche and homemade mulberry chips. And while churros are usually a sweet treat, UNICO flips the script. Their spicy yam churros, served with a truffle beurre blanc, delivered a bold savoury kick mellowed by the dip's creamy richness. The mushroom pâté, however, did not quite hit the mark. Flavoured with whisky, cream, and herbs, it leaned too heavily on richness, and despite the honey chilli jam adding a much-needed kick, the dish felt more style than substance. For those craving something more indulgent, there's the king trumpet mushroom steak with parmesan purée and smoked olive caramel, or a green pea and preserve lemon risotto elevated with mascarpone and parmesan. The dessert menu has a few classic options like salted caramel cheesecake and a Belgian chocolate mousse. If you are experimental, either go for the deconstructed knafeh or UNICO's orange basket. The latter is a playful ode to childhood memories, bringing together mandarin jelly-filled orange mousse, an orange posset cream horn, orange-cinnamon chocolate churros, orange-pistachio ice cream, and an orange coffee shot. It may sound like citrus overkill but the dish captured orange in all its forms without feeling repetitive. Innovative drinks That same spirit of innovation carries into the drinks menu. The gin-based White Basil, layered with elderflower and a hint of olive oil, tasted like spring in a glass. The Spice Drupe, a rum-based cocktail with house-made coconut water (infused sous-vide with toasted coconut) and citrus, gets its reddish hue from beetroot. For teetotallers, options like the Dunes of Tamar (dates, pomegranate, banana, mint and lemon) and a dessert-inspired tiramisu with espresso and mascarpone, hold their own. At UNICO, sustainability is not a performance — it is a practice.
News18
6 days ago
- News18
Malayali Couple Missing After Rs 100 Crore Chit Fund Scam In Bengaluru, 265 Complaints Filed
The couple residing in Bengaluru has been untraceable since July 3. With 1,300 clients on record, most of them Malayalis, the scale of the chit fund fraud may rise further A Malayali couple has gone missing after allegedly orchestrating a massive chit fund scam worth nearly Rs 100 crore in Bengaluru. The duo, who had been operating under the guise of running a legitimate finance scheme, reportedly disappeared on July 3, triggering a police investigation. Tommy AV and Shiny Tommy, residents of Ramankary village in Alappuzha, absconded with the money of over a thousand people, predominantly Malayalis. The complaint indicates that the couple, proprietors of A&A Chit Funds in Ramamurthy Nagar, Bengaluru, orchestrated the massive fraud. They operated chit funds for two decades, primarily accepting investments from religious institutions and Malayali associations. So far, 265 individuals have lodged complaints against the chit fund company. The Ramamurthy Nagar police, who have registered a case, are investigating the possibility that the accused might have fled abroad. The couple has been untraceable since July 3, with their phones switched off. They went missing after selling their residential flat without informing the company's employees. With records showing around 1,300 clients, the extent of the fraud is expected to rise further. Hundreds of people who have lost their investments have been visiting the Ramamurthy Nagar police station to file complaints, most of whom are Malayalis from various parts of Bengaluru. Tommy and Shiny recruited investors through places of worship and residential associations. The company, operational since 2005, lured investors by offering higher interest rates than banks. Until July 3, no suspicions were raised as the couple had been consistently paying the promised interest. Their sudden disappearance, coupled with the sale of their flat, has left many investors in turmoil. First Published: July 07, 2025, 10:40 IST
The Hindu
6 days ago
- The Hindu
U.K. Royal Air Force team lands in Kerala to repair grounded F-35B
After weeks-long speculation and uncertainty, the Royal Air Force aircraft carrying an expert team of engineers from the U.K. touched down at the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport at 12.46 p.m. on Sunday (July 6, 2025) to repair the grounded F-35B of the Royal Air Force in Thiruvananthapuram. The combat jet of the U.K. remained grounded at the airport since June 14 after it made an emergency landing following technical glitches. According to the flight data details, the flight that left RAF Brize Norton, Oxfordshire, in the U.K., the largest RAF Station with approximately 5,800 service personnel, on Friday (July 4, 2025) reached the military base of RAF Akrotiri on the Mediterranean island of Cyprus on the same day. It later took off from Akrotiri on Saturday (July 5, 2025) and landed at Seeb International Airport on the same day. The aircraft then began its journey to Thiruvananthapuram International Airport from Muscat on Sunday morning and landed here at 12.46 p.m. According to sources, the team comprises around 17 engineers from the U.K. and the U.S. where the manufacturer Lockheed Martin is based. The Royal Air Force aircraft that brought the expert team to Kerala will return by evening. The team will stay here a few days exploring the possibility of repairing the grounded aircraft here. They will explore the possibility of fixing the engineering issues of the aircraft at the place where it is stationed now (bay number four of the domestic terminal of the Thiruvananthapuram International Airport). If it doesn't work, they would consider the aircraft being towed to the hangar facility of the airport. Dismantling the tail and wings of the aircraft and airlifting the aircraft back to the U.K. or to the U.S. would be considered only if the first two options do not work. The team will hold an inspection of the aircraft by Sunday (July 6, 2025). A final call on the options to be adopted will be taken only after this inspection, said the sources. The continued grounding of the aircraft has created a sensation in India with the aircraft inviting wide media attention and subsequent speculation on its future. The U.K. authorities had been maintaining that they were hopeful of the aircraft being taken to the active service of the Royal Air Force once the maintenance and repair of the aircraft is completed in Kerala, along with the mandatory safety checks. However, the delay in the arrival of the expert team led to speculation and a meme sensation on social media. The aircraft made an emergency landing following adverse weather conditions in the Indian Ocean. However, the aircraft had serious engineering issues that couldn't be fixed by the crew.
