10 February,2011 08:29 AM IST | | Dhvani Solani
The guys who gave us Basilico and Koyla are back with a new cafe format. Chai Coffi will nudge you to put up your legs, sip on steaming masala chai and have inane conversations against the trademark purple wall. The Guide gets an exclusive sneak peek of the cafe before it opens its doors on Valentine's Day
Ayesha Takia and Farhan Azmi might not be as different as chalk and cheese -- but they are definitely as different as chai and coffee.
One prefers cutting Masala Chai in a comforting earthen tumbler; another loves his Americano: a sharp, black coffee without sugar that can slap your senses awake. The actress and her restaurateur husband have come together to set up a cafe that can appease both parties: Chai Coffi, located where the popular Barista of Yari Road once stood. As you drive down theu00a0u00a0
winding road by the sea, you will spot the cafe well before you read its signboard, thanks to the bright, rugged purple wall -- a trademark of another of Farhan's ventures, Cafe Basilico -- that encloses it. Inside, a charming al fresco section looks over a live pizza bar. Further inside is a warm setting, marked by wooden tables sourced from Chor Bazaar, a counter displaying dessert and a wall stocked with varieties of breads.
We took our seat at one of the tables in the al fresco section, though the scorching sun urged us to move indoors, later. One of the chefs set to work on our pizza -- a Classic Margherita that Ayesha had specially recommended to us over the phone. "On my binge days, I only eat pizza," she admitted. It turned out to be deliciously thin and cheesy. They also offer a pizza-by-the-slice option.
Since yours truly is heavily biased towards coffees, we skipped the Masala Chai though it came in a cute-sy, handpainted earthen mug. Our Cafe Latte came lightly topped with foam -- it made us think that they should've used this to wake up Sid. Apart from a range of teas (Assam, Darjeeling, organic Nilgiri) and coffees (Espresso, Cappuccino, Mocha) that you would see in any other cafe, what we dug was the wide range of nibbles that found its way on to the menu. You'll see a Brun Muska and a Kheema Pav next to a Grilled Panini; Onion Bhajiyas beside French Fries; Gulab Jamun and Phirni sitting snug next to Western heavyweights like Philadelphia Cheese Cake and Nutella Crepes.
The Couscous Upma we ordered added a Moroccan spin to this humble breakfast item -- perfect for those days when you are washing off a hangover. The Mix Veg Salad came with a toss of iceberg lettuce, olives, peppers, broccoli and feta in lime and olive oil dressing, promising to contain that ever-expanding waistline. There is also comfort food like Dal Khichdi on the menu -- one spoonful and we were reminded of mamma's cooking that never goes out of style.
"Ayesha had started to feel like a second citizen in her own country because in every cafe, you just get coffee and not tea," says Farhan. "But we Indians are essentially tea drinkers. So, we wanted to give people tea options without burning a hole in their pocket."
At Chai Coffi, Beach Queen, 6, JP Road, Versova, Andheri (W).
Call 66714141, Chai Coffi opens on February 14.
