We woke up late at our stay in Ernakulam, popularly known as Kochi. We were starving and, thankfully, we knew exactly where to go to satisfy our hunger cravings.

After freshening up, we locked our room and walked down from the second floor, where we had been staying. With a little confusion about the directions to a budget-friendly restaurant recommended by our stay owner, we strolled around for a while. Then, we finally spotted the restaurant's flex board displaying unbelievably low prices. Seeing that one appam cost just ₹5, we were convinced we had found the right place and quickly went inside.

The prices looked almost too good to be true. We even wondered whether the board was old and the management had simply forgotten to update it. Otherwise, how could they possibly sustain a business with prices this low? To clear our doubts, we asked the manager himself whether the prices on the board were still valid.

And they were.

Not a marketing gimmick. Not an outdated menu.

Now, what happened next? You should have seen how much food we ate that day.

Even then, a small doubt lingered in the back of my mind. There had to be some catch. Otherwise, the business simply couldn't survive.

Anyway, I had four cups of sambar with my idli and vada. Then I helped myself to two generous spoonfuls of curry for my two small parottas. We absolutely feasted, especially because the food was genuinely delicious.

And one more thing...

Vivek was back.

Yes, we had our differences. So what? He's still our buddy.

After filling our tummies and washing our hands, I walked to the billing counter to pay what we believed would be a tiny bill. We had already done the math ourselves, and it came to around ₹150 for all of us. I had even scanned the QR code and entered the amount. Still, just as a formality, I asked the manager,

"How much is our bill?"

After finishing packing a takeaway order, he walked over, picked up a calculator, and started punching in the numbers.

He checked everything once more before announcing the final amount.

The moment I heard it, my lingering doubt disappeared.

There was indeed a catch.

The appams, dosas, idlis, vadas, and other main dishes were exactly as cheap as advertised. However, the side servings—extra sambar and curries—were charged separately.

Even after adding those extra charges, the meal was still very affordable. It would have remained a truly pocket-friendly breakfast... if we hadn't treated the sambar and curries like an unlimited buffet.

Laughing at ourselves and promising never to repeat the same mistake, we left the restaurant a little wiser. From there, we booked an auto to the High Court Water Metro Station.

Lastly, I'm genuinely grateful to our stay owner for recommending that restaurant. Despite our little billing surprise, the food was delicious, affordable, and absolutely worth visiting.

Okay then, till next time.

Take care, be happy, and goodbye.

P.S.

MORAL OF THE STORY:

Always ask about all the prices clearly beforehand. Otherwise, be prepared to pay for your assumptions.