Coffee and Apple: 2014

We had gone for a book fair at Pragati Maidan a few months ago. It was my first time in a book fair of that magnitude. No surprises there, I was super happy. The heat and the crowd were unbearable though. But with hands overflowing with books, it was a good day. To top that day with a cherry, we went to Café LOTA. Now when I look back to that day, I feel a quiet glowing contentment. It was not a perfect day, there was stress hovering in my head, but in that moment I was fine. That is what I remember Café LOTA for. It was peaceful.

They serve Indian food – I liked how they seemed to have specialties from all parts of the country. Reading the menu itself was ‘refreshing’. They had a tempting range of teas and coffees. I was with two other friends. Together we ordered one of the coffees – I think it was Vienna roast but I am not sure, Parsi Salli Boti, Konkan Fish Curry and Goan Galinha Cafreal (me) for main course, followed by Apple cinnamon Jalebi with coconut rabdi for dessert.

The food was very good though the Jalebi was a tiny bit disappointing (too sweet, too crispy). I want to try their Bhapa Doi cheesecake next time. The ambience of the place was very relaxing. We were sitting outside, I am not sure if they have indoor seating as well. We reached there a little late and couldn’t visit the museum. O I didn’t tell you that? Yes, this café is located in the premises of Crafts Museum. Needless to say the décor was very arty.

If it was not so far from my place, I would have certainly gone there again already. You must visit.

Here are some pictures

Goan Galinha Cafreal

Parsi Salli Boti and Konkan Fish Curry

Apple cinnamon Jalebi with coconut rabdi

I have shifted to Delhi from Bangalore. So no more food reviews of places in Bangalore. But Delhi has never disappointed food lovers, so here I am with a new post. Let me start with the home ground, Gurgaon. I have been living here for almost two years now. Updating this blog is way over due :)

Shifting to Gurgaon from Bangalore was a great shock. First thing the Weather. Secondly, the people. It took me a while to adjust. I am not happy, but I am surviving. I still go through bouts of oh-I-miss-Bangalore-so-much. This blog may get a chance to see some of those rants.

The place I am going to write about today is called Soda Bottle Openerwala. No prizes for guessing – it is a Parsi restaurant. The last Parsi restaurant I had been to was Daddy’s Deli in Indiranagar, Bangalore. Soda Bottle Openerwala, I must say, is much better in terms of ambience. Food, I am not sure, I enjoyed eating at both the places.

Soda Bottle has a very interesting décor. It is at the recently bubbling with excitement area, Cyberhub. I went there for dinner on a Sunday. It was crowded, with families and expats, but we easily got a place. Our order was small – Chicken Berry Pulao, Bacon Keema Macaroni, Cold coffee and Parsi Choy. The beverages were ok, but the food was AWESOME. The place is expensive, but then any nice place in Delhi NCR is expensive. Whenever I go out, I spend close to INR 1000 at least. If I am drinking, then more. In a place like Soda Bottle Openerwala, I had a tough time telling myself that a Kheema Pav was worth INR 325! I remembered the Good luck café in Pune and heaved a big sigh.

What made me really happy there was the ambience. Apart from how they had decorated the walls, the seats, the bar. . .the exciting thing was a mini train below the ceiling which was going around the whole restaurant. It is not something that many people will notice. My friend who I had gone with, and who had been to the restaurant several times before, had never noticed the mini train. Small details like that make me really happy.

I must devote an entire separate paragraph to the absolutely delicious Bacon Keema Macaroni. Have you ever heard of such a thing? It tasted heavenly. They had me at Bacon. And then there was Keema and Macaroni. What is not to love? It is the kind of thing which you eat and your eyes automatically close on a reflex. And your tongue wants to feel every bit of what is in your mouth. Orgasmic, almost there actually. And the food portions are good. We had to doggy-bag it coz we could not finish all of it.