Vazhuthacaud: Trivandrumites loved going to Cafe Magnet, located next to Kala Bhavan theatre here. They also loved going to Coffee Beanz that replaced Cafe Magnet. When Coffee Beanz was pulled down, many a youngster missed the orange and black restaurant that became their afternoon hangout over the years. Now in its place, another eat-out has come up, below the IDI Bank. Started by the Magnet Group, the restaurant is called 'Flavors'.

With green walls, red chairs and dim lights, Flavors creates a serene and peaceful ambience, the kind of place you could go to sip a coffee when you are stressed out for the day. Since the restaurant is located below ground level, it keeps out street noises.

Sanjay Thomas, owner of Flavors, says: “We have flavours from Europe and Asia. There are Italian cappuccino and passta, Chinese dishes and Indian specials. We also have oriental dishes like Hakka noodles and stir-fry dishes.”

“Our specialty is Malayali's own appam and stew," he adds, pointing to a corner where a man is busy making appams for the evening.

Sanjay adds: "There are salads and wraps for the health concerned. There are mocktails, ice tea, smoothies and shakes. We have named our biriyanis Kozhi (Chicken) Biriyani and Chemmeen (Prawn) Biriyani which makes it easier for Malayalis to identify with the dishes."

The desserts include homemade brownies. Breakfast is available in the form of dosas flavoured with mousse or cheese or keema.