Flavours from Down Under

The menu too caught our fancy. “It is a fine balance of global award winning blends of coffees and teas besides coolers juxtaposed with a gourmet selection of breakfast dishes,quick bites,bruschettas,pastas and pizzas. We are attempting to mine through menu engineering techniques to observe taste preferences and revamp the menu each year,thereby giving vent to creative freedom amongst the chefs.”

The coffees range from the classic Cappuccino (Rs 79) to exotic ones like the Vanilla Fudge Latte (Rs 109). The Flat White coffee (Rs 79) did not justify the price tag,as it was but plain coffee,but the Monk’s Blend tea (Rs 79) was well worth its price. Made from an exotic blend of Monk’s essence (which is a mixture of carefully concocted herbs) and with Marigold flowers,the tea was spot on,and the best thing to have on a cold rainy afternoon.

At the dining section,the Masala Omlette (Rs 115) that was a combination of eggs along with onions and tomatoes and Indian spices was good,given the fact that there were slices of toasted bread and a generous helping of butter thrown in along with it. The Chicken Peri Peri (Rs 155) was not as spicy as it was made out to be. The spicy Peri Peri sauce did not blend with the meat,and it felt as though the two were combined in a haphazard manner. However,the Cottage Cheese Satay (Rs 125) served with barbeque sauce was so good that it made up for the blandness of the chicken. The Egyptian Keftas (Rs 155) were served with a generous dollop of hummus sauce,laced liberally with olive oil and an accompaniment of Pita bread. While the sauce itself was very good,the Keftas again came across as hard and unrelenting,and not the regular melt-in-the-mouth fare that one would associate with Middle Eastern dishes.

For the main course,the menu offers an exciting array of pastas,pizzas,salads and sandwiches. The Sicilian Risotto (Rs 195) had Arborio rice,cooked along with tomato sauce,chilli flakes,peppers and olives,which was very well-made indeed. The various spices had blended well,and the dish didn’t come across as jarringly heavy or a hurriedly tossed one. In the non-vegetarian section,the Chicken Lasagne (Rs 225) served with a sheet of pasta and a filling of chicken,spinach,onion,garlic and herbs was a dish that deserves special mention. Of all the dishes that we tried,this one was simply outstanding. Right from the texture of the pasta to the melt-in-your-mouth cheese,the dish was perfect and,as we would like to term it,value for money.

As far as the dessert options are concerned,the Chocolate Mud Cake did very well to complement the meal. On the whole,a good place to eat at if you don’t mind shelling out money over slightly overpriced dishes.