When veteran Sunita Williams had a taste of Kozhikode's most popular 'Paragon' dishes

KOZHIKODE: Appam, mini paratha, Nei Payasam, fried chicken, prawns, and coconut stew made up the culinary list of Sunita Williams when she last visited the Popular Kerala-based hotel. Sunita arrived at the Kozhikode-based Paragon Group's Dubai Karama hotel in 2023.

Sumesh Govind, MD of Paragon Group Restaurants, shared the memory of serving Kozhikode dishes to Sunita.

"It was when Sunita Williams completed her second space mission. Sharjah Book Festival was happening too. Govind, the son of DC Books owner Ravi, brought Sunita to Paragon. The goal was to provide a unique experience of Kozhikode cuisine to the veteran astronaut. In addition to the special dishes, Sunita was also served with traditional Kozhikode dishes. She liked the beetroot halwa with ice cream the most. Sunita revealed that her favourite Indian food was samosa.” Said Sumesh Govind.

Before leaving the place after a splendid epicurean experience, Sunita promised Sumesh that she would walk into the Kozhikode outlet of the restaurant if she were to visit India again. She was supposed to arrive in Kozhikode last January to participate as a guest at the Literature Festival held in Kozhikode. But the plan got dashed after her latest mission got dragged to an uncertain nine months.

“I could easily discern that Sunita was a food enthusiast who appreciated cuisines from different parts of the world. She was endlessly talking about food that day. I am ready to serve her with traditional Kozhikode biriyani when she visits Kerala.” Said Sumesh.