Take a little water in your palms and sprinkle over it. It's not mandatory, just a custom," our friend who hails from Kochi tells us as we listen intently, running our palms over a green banana leaf. We are inside a shack-like space, dotted with brown chairs that look like they were drawn up by the designer for Nilkamal furniture after they visited the Fab India Experience Centre.

The space inside Nambiar's Kerala Kitchen, which opened a week ago, is much like a large circular balcony, and a sheath of plastic ivy running around its circumference serves as the wall. Even on a hot summer afternoon, it is surprisingly cool inside. And though the interiors aren't exactly an architect's dream, the ambiance is pleasant.