While the US-India bilateral trade relations have hit rough terrains in recent times, a love story that blossomed between USA and India in 2005 is shining bright at Thattu, an award-winning restaurant catering coastal south Indian food to American taste buds. The Malabar cuisine of India sailed on a boat of love from the backwaters of Kerala to the Chicago River in the Midwest US, undermining sporadic visa and immigration curbs. All thanks to a Korean American and a Keralite Indian whose labor of love is Thattu Chicago.
A landmark for authentic flavors of Kerala, including Onam Sadhya in Chicago, Thattu was born out of the love marriage of Vinod Kalathil from Kozhikode and Margaret Pak from California. Be it spongy soft Appam, Kothu Parotta, Malabar Chicken Biryani, Meen Pollichathu (a flavorful dish of fish roasted in banana leaves), Avial (a thick stew of vegetables), or Jackfruit Cake, the Indo-American couple has been serving with love since 2018 when Thattu started just as a pop-up stall.
Vinod and Margaret fell in love at first sight in Los Angeles in 2002. After dating for 3 years, Vinod left for his native place in Kerala. Smitten by love bug, Margaret booked her travel on flights to India from USA and followed him to Kozhikode, where they tied the knot. The post-wedding ceremonies, including a grand family feast, introduced Margaret to Malabar cuisine, of which Onam Sadhya is a quintessential part.
Being a food connoisseur herself, she took it as an opportunity to learn the cultural nuances of cooking Malabar dishes during her month-long stay at the in-laws’. She inherited a number of unique recipes from her mother-in-law; some dating back to 1970. This heirloom not only strengthened her alliance with the coastal Malabar cuisine but also urged her to popularize the cultural significance of Onam Sadhya far away from God’s Own Country. It went on to serve as foundation for their dream project – Thattu in the Midwest region of USA.
Located in Avondale, a chic neighborhood in Chicago, Thattu serves Filter Kaapi, Lime Tea, and Malabar Ginger Cooler with Malasa Biscuit, a popular snack in Kerala other than banana chips. Margaret took fancy to it and added it to her anytime favourites during her stay in Kozhikode, as her father-in-law used to bring Masala Biscuit from a popular local bakery. Made from as many as 20 ingredients with balanced sweet, spicy, and salty flavors, the Masala Biscuit sells like a hotcake at Thattu.
Opening a restaurant to serve authentic Kerala food to different South Asian communities and Americans was easier said than done. One fine day in 2017, she decided to set herself free from the corporate grind after 12 years of marriage, as her strenuous corporate job became a deterrent to her dreams. She took up jobs as an entry-level chef at some local restaurants to learn the fundamentals of a commercial kitchen and how to run it with passion and precision. At the same time, she dabbled as a home chef to perfect her hands in cooking the cuisine of Kerala.
Vinod Kalathil, co-owner of Thattu in Chicago, quit his job in 2019 and joined his better half in the new pursuit – to make the Midwest fall in love with the Indian state of backwaters and its culinary platter. In a very short time, Thattu became a small outlet from a food stall under the care of the couple and entered the semifinals for the James Beard Award, equivalent to the Oscars in the world of food.
In mid-2020, the COVID-19 pandemic cut the lifespan of Thattu short by pulling down the shutters. But the Indo-American couple planned reopening, bigger and better, believing, “Every dark cloud has a silver lining.” In April 2023, Thattu reopened as a full-blown restaurant with 50 seats in Avondale and started receiving guests from far and wide. Soon, it became one of the best Indian restaurants in Chicago and went on to feature on The New York Times’ list of ‘America’s Best 50 Restaurants’.
Thattu owes a great fan following to its role in broadening the definition of Indian food to Americans beyond chicken tikka masala, butter paneer, and naan. The menu at Thattu celebrates South Indian cuisine beyond the quintessential dosa, idli, and sambar. Vinod and Margaret chose to walk the road less traveled by most Indian restaurateurs in the US by excluding those common dishes from the menu.
The USP of Thattu Chicago is hosting an Onam food festival every year and serving Onam Sadhya (Kerala’s festive meal of 18 to 24 dishes) on fresh banana leaves. The guests, a majority being Americans, are offered illustrative menu cards with the etiquette of enjoying the Onam feast. At their restaurants, Vinod and Margaret promote the Indian culture of eating with hands, especially during Onam celebrations, and educate the guests on science behind this.
This exclusive story is part of the series, Indian Life in America, by Indian Eagle, the most trusted travel-booking partner of Americans and Indian Expats in the US. Subscribe to Travel Beats, a thriving community portal by Indian Eagle, for Indian Diaspora stories, US-India travel news, visa and immigration updates.
