 | |
| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Restaurant and Catering |
| Genre | Casual Dining |
| Founded | Calicut, Kerala (1939) |
| Founder | Govindan Panchkail |
| Headquarters | , India. |
Area served | India, UAE |
Key people | Sumesh Govind (Chairman, President and CEO) |
| Services | Asian Cuisine |
| Website | paragonrestaurant |
Calicut Paragon (founded 1939), is an Indian restaurant known for the variety of ‘Malabar’ cuisines and enjoys cult status in Calicut, a city in the state of Kerala[1] and Dubai. It has been ranked as one of India's best restaurants for coastal cuisine by Times Now Foodie Awards and consistently ranked among Dubai's best restaurants by Time Out Awards and Ahlan Masala Awards.[1]
History
In 1939, under the patronage of Govindan Panhikeyil, Paragon Restaurant was established. His son, P M Valsan eventually succeeded him as the restaurant's manager. A third generation of management, via Valsan's son Sumesh Govind soon came to the fore.[2] In the initial years, the restaurant offered authentic Moplah and Kerala cuisines which are an integral part of Malabar cuisine. Its success soon led to the creation of two new restaurants namely Salkara, M-Grill, and one bakery, namely Brown Town, all situated in Calicut, India. Its exalted status in India led to its launch in Dubai, United Arab Emirates in 2005. In 2013, a second branch was opened up in another area of Dubai. Salkara was introduced in the Persian Gulf region in 2008. In 2014 Paragon Restaurant opened their new outlet at Lulu International Shopping Mall Cochin, 2nd outlet in Cochin was opened at Aster Medicity Hospital Complex in the year of 2017. In April 2018, Paragon anchored at Thiruvananthapuram Kerala. This includes Paragon in the 3 major cities in Kerala [Kozhikode, Ernakulam (Cochin) & Thiruvananthapuram]. Their catering division is one of the top-rated catering in the hospitality industry.
Cuisine
Besides Malabar cuisine, Paragon also specializes in Thai cuisine, Continental cuisine, Traditional Arabic cuisine and Chinese cuisines. The restaurant is popular for their selection of non-vegetarian dishes as well as their vegetarian selection.
Recognitions
Calicut Paragon was awarded the Best Budget Time Out Award 2012 and the Best Coastal Food Award at the Foodie Awards 2013 which was sponsored by Times Now. The restaurant garnered further acclaim with top celebrity chefs such as Silvena Rowe and Vineet Bhatia recommending the restaurant.[3][4] While popular icons such as Rahul Gandhi, Shyam Benegal, and Meera Nair have also mentioned their fondness for the Paragon's cuisine. A 'Food Safety Awareness' certificate was awarded to Calicut Paragon and Salkara by the Dubai Municipality, United Arab Emirates. Paragon restaurant has been chosen as one of the most legendary restaurants in the world by Taste Atlas, a Croatia-based online food guide. In fact, the restaurant is ranked 11th among the 150 most legendary restaurants in the world, while biryani has been listed as its iconic dish.
See also
References
- ↑ Nikita, Jui (27 August 2021). "Kerala Parotha, Beef Ularthiyathu, Mutton VarattiyathuKarama- This Karama Restaurant Nails Malabar Cuisine". Curly Tales. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ↑ Rodrigues, Janice (19 May 2020). "Calicut Paragon owner shares tips on what he thinks restaurants need to do to survive the pandemic". The National. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ↑ Shekar, Mrinal (14 August 2013). "Chef Silvena Rowe in the city". Gulf News. Retrieved 7 March 2023.
- ↑ Monteath, Nicola (9 February 2014). "Flying high". BBC Good Food Middle East. Retrieved 7 March 2023.