Con-fusion Food

A venture by actress Ayesha Takia and her restaurateur husband Farhan Azmi,this place is quite reminiscent of Cafe Basilico (same management) with its purple boundary walls,wooden doors at the entrance and brown wooden furniture. There’s an al fresco dining area with a tiny indoor portion,and the décor is top-notch. If they didn’t play the loud electro-dance music and opted for something more soothing,the ambience would be perfect.

Chai Coffi replaces the iconic Barista which used to be a regular hangout joint for college students,aspiring actors and casting agents. With a price hike one is not sure if the place will be as crowded as it used to be before,but the evening we visited it was filled with actors from the television fraternity.

While the menu selection at Chai Coffi has street food influences,it is balanced of it with a section on cold deli sandwiches,bagels,paninis,waffles,salads and pizza by the slice. The best part about these,they are all freshly made once you place your order. The eatery also has fusion food,like the couscous upma which is a mix of the Middle-Eastern couscous with the South Indian upma. Tea shop snacks such as laadi pav,naan khatai,milk rusk form the most impressive section on the menu. We chose the brun maska and butter khari — the khari was crisp,but the brun could have been a tad fresher. Munchies like Onion Bhajiya with the green chutney and Cheese Corn Balls are a must-try at Chai Coffi.

Considering its moniker,Chai Coffi’s tea and coffee selection isn’t extraordinary. From the list on the menu we picked the cutting chai and cafe latte. The latte was just right and most coffee shops in the vicinity could take a lesson or two from them. The cutting chai was served in a typical cutting glass,but for the tea in it we would rather head to our neighbourhood tea stall. On the other hand,the masala chai had that much-required punch which tea drinkers relish.

Although the menu clearly demarcates the breakfast items from the rest,you will be surprised to know that they are available all day long. We ordered a Kheema Pav (Rs 190) and a Philly Cheese Bagel (Rs 290). The Kheema Pav was highly disappointing with green peas and potatoes added to it. And more so because Mumbai has some of the best Irani cafes that serve delectable Kheema pav. The bagel was alright,but we’re not sure of spending Rs 290 on it. The pizza we ordered was the pick of the lot. It was reminiscent of those we have had at Cafe Basilico. It was only later that we discovered that the chef from Basilico had prepared it. We ended our evening with Phirni and Chocolate Truffle. While the Phirni was so chilled,that we bit into some pieces of ice,with chocolate not many can go wrong.

Given the lovely location,Chai Coffi could have been so much more than a confused cafe-pizzeria hybrid. If they only get rid of some of the items on the menu and focus their attention on a few,they could do a lot better.