Kokum Indian Cuisine

Pathetic service. The main manager or main attendant is a jerk. He was so rude and acts like he is doing you favor. Complete asshole. The food is good, but if you are treated like shit — there’s no point. Authorities please take note of this– fire the idiot!!!

Really wanted to love this place but my experience here was very so-​so. We came around 5:30pm on a weeknight so the restaurant was empty save for 2 – 3 other tables.
Menu is REALLY extensive (as in flip-​through-​three-​pages extensive). We very excitedly ordered a lamb dish and pepper chicken dish. Lamb dish was good, chicken dish was so-​so. Full disclaimer: I am South Indian so maybe I grade a little harder when it comes to taste? But it certainly didn’t taste like the exact same dish my mom makes at home which I know is authentic. The lahsuni gobi was delicious but overpriced as were many of the appetizers on the list. I couldn’t really understand the pricing structure… some huge dishes like dosas were priced the same as smaller appetizers? It made no sense to me.
Also, I have to agree with another reviewer that the papad they served at the beginning tasted strange, like it was old papad or not «cooked» correctly (for anyone curious, papads are usually stored dry as a flat wafer-​like thing and literally heated up in a microwave where they start expanding to get that papad shape and crispy consistency).
Service was also slow which is a pity considering there were three people working there and yet only one (the older gentleman) seemed to be attending to anyone’s table. There was a young guy who sat behind the bar and gawked at patrons eating food without actually lifting a finger. Very bizarre. The fact one guy was doing nothing and a second was merely seating people left the third gentleman to do 90% of the heavy lifting and he found it hard to juggle everything, even with only 3 – 4 tables total.
In summary… not my favorite Indian restaurant thanks to hit-​or-​miss food and slow service and I wouldn’t return here unless I want a dosa, which looked amazing.

Quite special I think… not your typical NYC Indian fare.
The two of us had so many dishes it would be embarrassing to list them all. What actually stood out for us were the Kori Gassi (Manglorean-​style chicken curry) and the Goat Kolambhu, though I suspect we could have ordered one of the other hundred dishes on the menu and been equally satisfied.
That said, I have to say I didn’t enjoy as much the tandoori chicken for which I had high expectations.
Service was good, though a bit informal which was fine for us.
We also had lots of dosas and small plates that I won’t bore you with. Just go and try it– you’ll like it.

We went to Kokum after we read a positive review. The restaurant was overall, just «OK».
The papad that they put on the table seemed old and we sent it back. I noticed that another table sent theirs back as well, so it wasn’t just us being picky. The vada in the rasam and thair vada was hard.
Their Kochi Fish Fry was pretty good. The dosa was good too. The chicken chettinad was fine, but didn’t have the black pepper that I’d expect in that dish — it had more of a tomato base. The Kerala paratha was good.
It was on our list to try, but I won’t go back. I think they should reduce their menu and focus their efforts on a specific region.

Went there with party of 10. It did not reflect true South Indian flavors. Being a South Indian, we expected with the competition around the food will be awesome. Appams were almost like masala Dosa: stew was made with packet frozen peas, carrots and beans. The malai kofta could have passed for a dessert. While we were a large party, we got commanded to order the food slowly. Lassi ordered for the kids never made to the table. Masala dosa was barely cooked and the batter sour. Dahi vada was nothing but hot vada in yogurt… Not for a South Indian. To top it off… liquor was absent from the cocktails.
The only good thing was that they had not charged the tip automatically for the large party.
We plan not to go back!

I was craving for south Indian food and this place had many tempting options! It was difficult to choose but I had never seen idiyapam outside India and ordered some. They were delicious though there is only a veggie option. Go for it! Kokum should even start proposing idiyapam with coconut milk! We also enjoyed the egg kothu paratha even if it wasn’t served with onion raita and some curry sauce as we used to have it. The chicken 65 was good too. Drinks were correct.
I definitely recommend the place for a good south Indian dinner!

Amazing place! Brings me memories of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu ! Love this place!
The Allepey fish curry, chicken Kosari and okra thair pachadi are delicious!

I unfortunately can’t say anything about the food since we were rudely turned away at the door.
An older man (looked like a manager) came up to my husband and I when we entered. He didn’t say anything about wait time or getting a table. He simply looked us up and down (we are visibly muslim) and told us no tables were available.
He didn’t bother to offer a wait time or say anything else. When we asked he said «I don’t think there will be anything even after half an hour». Overall his demeanor was unwelcoming and rude from the get go. Whilst I do agree that the restaurant was busy, we saw tables moving and even a free table in the back.
We will not be going back here ever again. There are many lovely South Indian restaurants on this block. We ended up going to Pongal, few doors down. It was also quite busy there, but the staff was helpful and prompt and we were seated within 10 min.
Kokum staff could do with a lesson about racism and general politeness.

Kokum has the best mini ghee sambhar i have ever tasted in Manhattan or in London. It’s melt in your mouth awesomeness… The flavour of the ghee and the taste of the sambhar is just amazing.
To be honest I was not as impressed by the Kotu but it’s worth going just for the mini ghee idli.

The food was so good and the servers were so nice.
I recommend the lentil donut in yogurt as an appetizer.

Okay so I am not happy to write this review BUT I must! Décor and ambiance is above average. Service is sort of average. Now here is the problem. The food is very below average. I am Indian so take my word on it. The dosa was not up to the mark so don’t get your hopes up or better yet don’t even order it! The beers were not even ice cold for the $ 7 that they charge (the beer was some kind of room temperature)! The spice level was very weak for my okra dish. South Indian food is way better than this… please know that!

In the sea of restaurants in Curry Hill, it can be hard to decipher what is good, what is BAD and — the worst — what is mediocre. Kokum was a pleasant surprise on the good side. The dosa was paper thin and the sambar nice and flavorful. We demolished the lamb korma with a heaping of garlic naan. One star removed as I think the food could have been a bit spicier.

The service is abysmal. Today was the day after winter storm Jonas. Firstly they decided to close the buffet an hour early, without telling us on the phone (we called ahead) or even putting a sign outside. Secondly we got here right as they were wrapping the buffet up. Thirdly it’s my birthday, I am 8 months pregnant, we have a young baby with us. I asked for special consider for food. The server was not helpful, we asked for the manager and they sent someone that clearly wasn’t a manager. The guy was not helpful but extremely rude and insulting. We decided to walk out and he pushed me hard. My family was upset!
The name of the guy was Raj (I think). Management please note that he did nothing to diffuse the situation, instead made things much worse for us, embarrassed us, himself and the establishment. His picture is attached.
We ended up going to the establishment next door — Kukum. The place is Michelin recommended, had excellent service and authentic Chennai an Kerala food. They were to close at 3p but kindly accommodated us.
One star because the food is good.

I liked the colorful interior and décor of this place. Kokum had a nice ambiance.
I wasn’t so happy with the pricing, especially since the portion sizes were on the small side. I chose from the Non-​Veg starters and I was trying to decide between the fried fish or pepper fry and settled on the fish. I should have tried the lamb instead. The fish was tilapia pan fried in a red marinade, which was slightly spicy but I was able to handle that. The fried fish tasted okay, but was quite dry and I would have liked some sort of sauce to give it more flavor. Also, it only came with a little bit of raw onion, so would have been nice to have something else that came with it.
I ordered some garlic naan, but the naan came with cilantro which I hate the taste of so had to send it back. At least the restaurant didn’t charge me for it.
I also a had mango lassi which I enjoyed. It was cold (with ice), refreshing, sweet.
The service was pretty good though. The servers were nice and friendly. However, would not return and would stick to the more traditional well-​known Indian restaurants at Curry Hill.

This place was very disappointing. The portions are too small. The prices are too high for the portion.
Taste is good BUT I have had better. The service is also good .
BUT THE DISAPPOINTMENT IS THE PORTION SIZE. Being a foodie, I guess I wont be back there ever.

After a pleasant experience at Tiffin Wallah a couple days ago, I decided to satisfy yet another craving for South Indian cuisine at a competitor nearby — Kokum Indian Cuisine. The restaurant is very clean and the staff (although some of them don’t really speak English) is very friendly. Kokum has the typical Indian fares like spinach and chicken curry, as well as South Indian cuisines like dosas. I liked that Kokum has non-​vegetarian options for those craving meats, unlike Saravana Bhavan, which only serves vegetarian meals.
I had the Lamb Keema Egg Dosa ($ 13.95) — what a great decision! The dish included huge, triangular dosa stuffed with sauteed minced lamb and eggs. I was surprised by the amount of fillings! Usually dosas are filled with minimal toppings, but the lamb/​eggs were definitely the highlight of this meal. The dosa was also crispy and thin, although the part touching the stuffings were a bit soggy.
My boyfriend got the Kori Gassi, a Manglorean style red coconut chicken curry. I tried a bite, and wasn’t a huge fan. It was a bit too spicy for my liking and nothing too special about the flavors of the curry. I also disliked that they charge you extra for rice ($ 2.95). We also got a side of garlic naan ($ 3.50), which was thinner than most naan I’ve had. It had plenty of garlic flavors though.
I’d definitely suggest getting the dosa instead of curries when you are at Kokum — better taste and better value!

Was introduced to Kokum, a south Indian restaurant, by colleagues. It is typical in size for the Curry Hill area. Food style is from Malabar region, southwest India. During the slow summer lunch time, did not have to wait.
From the Lunch menu, chose the Goat Biryani for $ 11 – it is basmati rice with goat served with 1 dosa bread. Also chose a Mango Lassi, a sweet drink for $ 5…always refreshing with Indian food. As other reviewers have noted, modest meal portions.
Note: Drink prices listed separately on the Drink (not main) menu.
Oddity: India’s Kingfisher Beer, on the Drink menu, is listed as brewed in Saratoga NY. I don’t think so :)
Next visit to Kokum will chose from the many Dosa dishes and their spicy Lamb Vindaloo… always a personal favorite though not native to Malabar.

Small restaurant, seats about 30. Arrived at 7pm, no wait but I did see them turn away a few customers 30 minutes later.
To share we ordered the onion rava dosa ($ 12) and allepy fish manga curry ($ 17.95). I was surprised the fish dish didn’t come with a side of rice so we ordered a bowl to share. The curry sauce was sour and the fish had a weird taste to it. You could tell it was frozen fish warmed up and thrown in the curry sauce. The dosa was interesting, good at first when it is crispy but if you don’t eat it fast enough it ends up soggy. While we were eating the lady at the register came over multiple times asking if we were done yet. I understand your restaurant is full but that doesn’t give you a reason to rush your current customers who are still eating.
I’ve had better at Dhaba next door. Better service and better food. Please go next door for better Indian food.

Let me begin by saying that I don’t know a thing about south Indian food, but we were really in the mood for Indian food and Kokum was on OpenTable and it had good reviews.
A friend of a friend recommended some «must-​have» dishes, most of which were vegetarian. They included:
–Ghee Pongal (rice/​lentails with cashews)
–Keerai Masiyal (spinach with coconut and lentils)
–Goat Chattinad (pepper goat)
Also had a few apps/​sides:
–Appam
–Onion Masala Dosa
–Samosas (vegetable)
The goat chattinad was probably my favorite (though mostly because it had meat). The keerai masiyal was good, and you could really taste the coconut. Wasn’t a fan of the ghee pongal though (the texture and consistency was like mashed potatoes, and the cashew flavor didn’t really come through).
The staff is also nice and helpful (but then again, I don’t think I can ever point to an Indian restuarant where everyone wasn’t super nice).
Would return to try their lunch specials.

I love Indian food. My body may not like Indian food but as long as I’m home in 2hrs I don’t care! I know. TMI.
We wanted to try a new Indian restaurant in Curry Hill from our usual spot. It is good to expand right? It was Valentine’s Day and what better way to get away from the lovely dovey couples all staring endless into each other’s eyes while eating pasta like Lady and the Tramp. You betcha. Indian cuisine. I can tell you no white girl is going to want Indian and if the bf who thought that. Well… dude.sorry.
This was the perfect choice for the perfect night. My friend and me set off. The restaurant was pretty busy with people, non-​couples with the same thought and enjoying it. The service was friendly and seating comfortable in is fairly small restaurant with the right amount of décor.
We started with the Samosas. It came out rather quick. It was crispy shell and the right about of spice level in the filling. Actually come to think about it … all our dishes came out fairly fast even the Tandoori Chicken which said it could be a 20min wait. The lemon rice was really good as it went well with the Okra fry and the Kori Gassi which was similar to Chicken Tikka too me. The flavors were all very good and we happily enjoyed the meal. The Tandoori chicken was moist and tender and fragrant.
On the whole, we really enjoyed the meal. Kokum is certainly another check on the list to go back to again for sure.
The funny part was the bill came with a rose which we thought was just for Valentine’s Day. I had forgotten my hat and returned to retrieve it. The host handed me the rose. I guess we were suppose to take it. I gave it to my friend. Happy Valentine’s Day!