I had already read a lot about this place and seen some pictures of their food on their facebook page, but I went there unbiased. Honestly, I had no idea about the area but Maneesh said, there is quite a lot of young crowd and lot of surrounding residential areas would love having a good Italian/Mexican joint which otherwise seemed like a dull-dry Mall.
When we entered, the café décor and the bakery comes in as a great warm feeling to the otherwise street-food loving area. One, who loves to sit back and enjoy their cup of coffee with some fresh cookies, would surely love this place. They had some awesome display of different types of fresh bread for sale along with some snacks for take-away and of course the eye-appealing pastries and cakes. We were guided to the first floor and were surprised to see the place full with ladies having a gala time over mocktails and pasta at their kitty party! We definitely didn’t like the artificial plants on the tables which they said would be removed in a week. The pillars too gave a closed-look to the seating, but we got the best seat by the window throwing natural light giving a bright feeling.
Prashant who himself has worked as a Chef at various food joints in Mumbai and Delhi, looks into each detailing and tastes every food that has got bad reviews. An innate desire to be the best, and serve the best, he is open to ideas and experimenting. Admitting that the food they serve is not authentic, and well to adapt to the taste of the people they serve around, what came on the table was delicious. They don’t serve alcohol, so we had a very refreshing Virgin Mojito and Watermelon cooler to start with. Both the drinks definitely did beat the summer heat, but the one that rocked the afternoon was the Spicy Tamarind Cooler. As Prashant told us, it didn’t go well with the people in the area and they were thinking of removing it from the menu, but I would say, for people who like spicy mocktails, this one’s best of the lot with fresh tamarind pulp and green chillies.
To go along, Bruschetta Chicken Arabiatta and Bruschetta con funghi was ordered. The Con Funghi was loaded with cheese and we felt the bread was a bit chewy than crispy. Maneesh liked the Chicken Arabiatta but he savoured more on the Crispy Fish with Tartar Sauce and Marina Sauce. Having a huge spread of menu, they do have a lot of delicacies for vegetarians too. The Cinque Formaggi Salad which claims to have 5 types of cheese was a treasure hunt. We couldn’t see the different types, all the bites tasted similar. But I would give points to it for the freshness of the apples and red grapes added which enhanced the salad.
The Grilled Veg Enchiladas was served with kidney beans, salad, sauce, sour cream and rice. Well, it was pretty decent indianised version of Enchiladas but what clicked with us was the Grilled Quesadillas ( both vegetarian and chicken ). This was grilled to perfection, the presentation apt and perfect filling served inside, this satisfied our taste buds. A letdown was the Porcini Risotto. It was too creamy, overcooked and flavourless. Prashant called in the Chef right away and asked to make another one for us. As for the cooked rice, we were told the pasta is served cooked too as people in the area don’t accept the “Al dente” and return the dish complaining it’s undercooked. The one that was brought fresh was a better version but still lacked the hint of garlic.
They have a huge variety of Pizzas both thin crust and pan, and the Indiana versions looked interesting. But because we were almost-to-full, we asked for lighter toppings, and a half-half portion of vegetarian and chicken. The vegetarian Garden pizza had mixed chopped veggies topped with mozzarella cheese, and the other was with chicken sausages, capsicum, jalapenos and cheese. The pizza base was freshly baked and El Posto got it bang on with the toppings and the thin crust. I would definitely go back to try different versions of their Pizza.
I was almost full and wanted to save some space for desserts. Maneesh was served the Fusilli Contadina with Chicken Tikka. The look on his face said that he was full too and hence was not able to do justice to the Pasta, but whatever bite he tasted, he liked it. As said before, it was customised according to the food palate of the people in the area who don’t appreciate the authentic versions, this Pasta had a unique taste and is the most-served dish in the restaurant.
And then came what I was waiting for: The Red Velvet cake and the Mango Delight made entry like a showstopper. Mango Delight is a nice flavour-of-the-month topped with fresh mango and someone who’s a fan of seasonal fruits should definitely have this nice spongy fresh pastry. But the Red Velvet Cake did all the flavor bursting in our mouths. Super smooth bites, presented layer after layer it had the perfect frosting and the “make you fall in love” red color which they admitted coming from the edible color and beetroot both. Only if I was not full, I would have loved to finish it all off alone. I would go to the extent of saying this was one of the best red velvet cake I have had in ages.
When we were about to bid goodbye, the owner wanted us to taste the “Banoffie pie”. We would have wanted to do a run and come back and eat considering the amount we had eaten already, but a look at this pie tempted us to try a bite and we didn’t regret it. This pie literally melted in my mouth and I wished this was the 1st thing I tried when I reached. Nevertheless, it gives me a reason to go back again :)
Their bakery menu is scrumptious. With a huge variety of Patty’s, Croissants, pastries and even Panini sandwiches, it would make a perfect place to catch up with your friends or even host a party. And the hardworking owners being a very sweet couple would go to great extent to make it all comfortable and friendly for you, as “Customer satisfaction” and “Happy smiling faces” is the mantra they believe in.