The local toddy shops — small thatched bar-restaurants attached to the toddy tappers' cooperatives — are the most authentic places to eat in Kumarakom. The food is simple, the prices low, and the fish is local. The signature dish is karimeen pollichathu: pearl spot fish marinated in chilli, turmeric, and lime, wrapped in a banana leaf, and grilled over coals.
Order toddy — the fresh-tapped coconut palm wine, lightly sweet and slightly fizzy — in a small clay cup with the fish. The shops tend to be off the main road and close by 10 pm. Ask at your homestay for directions; the experience is rougher and more genuine than the resort meals.