b! Review: Kaapicheenu kiosk @Alwarpet

LINK: http://know.burrp.com/food-dining/b-review-kaapicheenu-kiosk-alwarpet/47380

The promise of filter kaapi is enough to lure you to KaapiCheenu, saysSandhya Ramachandran

Step into the Kaapi Cheenu kiosk and it almost feels like the South Indian house wakes up to greet you. Complete with a platform-column-flat roof, or thinnai-thoon-mittam, this traditional setting preps you for a steaming cup of filter coffee. Thankfully, we weren’t disappointed.

South Indians almost have a patented manner in which they consumer kaapi.Served up in the ever-friendly version of the cup and saucer – the tumbler-davara, the kaapi decoction is prepared in a decanter.

Just the aroma of coffee wafting through the place is enough to calm you and invigorate you all at the same time. Look around to see if the original Cheenu or Manu Srinivas is around. Owner of Kaapi Cheenu, he and his friends from Oho Productions, Sambamurthy and Annamalai, came up with the branding for KaapiCheenu to give Chennai its very own ‘filter kaapi on the go’.

A little boy with the tumbler and davara cap, smiling at his grandma brewing kaapi, inspires even Kaapi Cheenu’s logo. Manu Srinivas talks about the time he  was studying at MICA, Ahmedabad and a 100 people turned up for the filterkaapi launch at a small campus retail store. This was when he realized that filterkaapi has a huge fan following. After he completed his Masters programme, he decided to start this venture and try to make filter kaapi a lifestyle brand in India.

Annamalai elaborated that to attempt to raise kaapi to this altar demanded sound branding and since Manu Srinivas was nicknamed ‘cheenu’ at home, the name ‘Kaapi Cheenu’ came about. That it was also a clear dig at the ever-popular cappuccino was an added bonus. After creating the little boy logo, inspired by Srinivas’ nephew, the thinnai-thoon-mittam- of the kiosk pretty much fell into place as well.

However, there is more to this fun little brand besides the kaapi. The Rose milk (Rs 25) andmoru-moru vadais or crunchy lentil fritters make for fun accompaniments to the coffee. The Rose milk prepared with rose essence, milk and sugar is served like a cold frappe and is sure to leave you refreshed on a hot Chennai noon.

The best part about the coffee here is it can be personalized as per your taste. This means that, if you are diabetic, prefer coffee black or full of milk or even sugary sweet, all you need to do is ask.

We began with the kaapi, straight up and without chicory. What we tasted resulted in a multi-sensory appreciation. At Rs 15 per cup, this was excellent value for money as our mind transported us back to summer evenings in the village, grandma’s lullabies and raucous games with cousins.

The regular Ulundu Vadai or lentil fritters (Rs 25) and the Masala Vadai – its spicy sibling (Rs 25) were great to eat, although the same couldn’t be said about Corn chilli cheese masala vadai (Rs 40) and the Mixed veggie ulundu vadai (Rs 30). At Kaapi Cheenu, we recommend sticking to the traditional foods, but don’t even think of skipping the kaapi.

MUST TRY: Filter Kaapi, Rose Milk, and Masala Vadai.

Photographs: Shruti Caulagi 

b! Review: Coffeetales @ Shenoy Nagar

f you like your food with a twist and some splendid coffee to go with it, Coffeetales is the place to be declares Sandhya Ramachandran.

It is an undisputable fact that kids in college love their Maggi (as we have grown to call ready-made noodles in India). Whether it is the watery greasy bowlful they get in their canteens or the 2-minute variety they prepare on the all-nighters before semester exams and juries, Maggi has been a part of everyone’s growing up.

So when a little birdie told us that there was this place in Shenoy Nagar, just a few months old, that sells everything from Paneer Masala Maggi toPuliyodharai Maggi (or tamarind paste maggi), our eyes popped out and of course, mouths watered.

Coffeetales owner Manoj explains how he has always experimented with cooking through the many roles he has donned over the years – textile businessman, computer professional, event manager etc. Finally deciding to go with his passion, he started Coffeetales in March this year. The interiors have been done by Design Ink, a Chennai-based architecture and interior firm, who have created a simple relaxing atmosphere within. There is a Coffeetales comic painted on the ceiling and the theme is predominantly shades of brown tempting you even more to order the brown brew.

We began with the wraps – the Indian paneer(Rs. 65) and mushroom variety(Rs. 60) – the latter winning our hearts almost instantly. The paneer in the former was extremely well made, proudly holding its fort with a thin crust huddling a soft core. That the wraps were slightly high on oil was our only complaint.

Since we were smitten by the paneer, we ordered ourselves a Paneer masala Maggi(Rs. 75) which didn’t disappoint us either. But if you want to get a little more experimental, you have the Puliyodharai Maggi, Vathalkozhambu Maggi(a tangy tamarind and sun-dried sunberry paste Maggi) and Morkozhambu Maggi (buttermilk-based maggi)(each of the three special Maggis at Rs. 90) to try! Manoj explains that he gets these base pastes specially made before tossing them in to the Maggi and conjuring his specials.

We were then urged to try the Masala Burger(Rs. 80) – a non-snooty Hindustani cousin of the famed western burger – a variety that Manoj has carefully crafted. A thin patty made out of minced vegetables is tucked in between buns with a splatter of a masala paste and grilled. Easy to hold and bite into, the Masala Burger was a yummy filling eat. Parents, take note: this dish is good for the school lunch boxes.

We then ordered ourselves a Paneer-Maggi Sandwich(Rs. 225) (yes, we do have a diagnosed OCD for paneer), wanting to desperately find how the slimy sneaky noodles stay put in a sandwich! A delight to eat, the Maggi sandwich had Paneer, tomatoes, onions thrown in to a masaledaarMaggi preparation and then layered between the buns to give us the sandwich. Manoj generously adds a spoonful of the Maggi preparation on the side of our plates so that we could add more of the spicy filling if need be.

You also have an array of ice creams and mojitos to choose from and we went for a paan ice cream. An interesting innovation, which tasted like paan without all the chewing, stains and spitting!

If you swear by your Red Bulls, Coffeetales has an entire drinks menu of mocktails(at Rs.200 each) with the energy drink – Virgin Bulljito (mint based), Summer Fresh(orange, pineapple etc), Verve (peach and orange) and plenty more. But if you are like us and would rather live and breathe coffee-unto-death, do not hesitate to order theirs. The taste of the coffee(Rs.55) stayed with us for a long time even after we had gulped it all down. Excellent, is the word! There are even the chocochino, marochino(hazelnut flavour) and Irish coffee varieties to try from.

We suggest you gather a bunch of friends over the weekend and head straight to Coffeetales. We hope the weather is nice and cloudy and a drizzle follows. Plonk yourself on their couches or grab those ottomans. And over slurps of maggi, plates of fusion food and some excellent brew of coffee get your tales going.

Must try: Coffee, Mushroom Wrap, Masala Burger, any of the Maggi preparations for kicks!

Meal for two: Rs.350-Rs.400

b! Review: The Madaras Kafé @ Nungambakkam

LINK: http://know.burrp.com/food-dining/b-review-the-madaras-kafe-nungambakkam/44116

Want to sip on some good filter coffee, while snacking on some experimental south Indian recipes in the heart of Chennai? Toss the same-old-idli-dosa out and head to The Madaras Kafé for something new, says Sandhya Ramachandran.

There was something defiantly different about this restaurant, even before we landed there. It had refused to succumb to calling itself Chennai Café. And to top it all, it spelt itself as Madaras, the way most Tamilians especially the ones with the heavy accents pronounce it. Popular amongst the college crowd, The Madaras Kafé recently completed a year in the business. And as per our burrp! notes, that’s a good time to test the kaapi. After all, the teething troubles are a distant memory, the junta has given its verdict and most regulars (yes, by then a good restaurant should have a bunch of regulars) have their ‘usuals’ set in their minds.

Our sixth sense was well rewarded, when we landed there and realized that it was one innovative food hub alright! Barotizza, vadawich, grillwich – no no, these are not nonsensical words from any new Tamil item number. These are actually the food items on their menu!
So let us begin with the barotizza. Mr. Somasundaram, Managing Partner of The Madaras Kafé explains that it is their Indian spin on the pizza, with a barotta base. Fancy that! The vadawich is a burger and the grillwich is the grilled sandwich. The novelty doesn’t just stop with the nomenclature but extends to the food as well. Excited, we began to dig in!

We confess we have a weakness for the vada or our South Indian fried lentil fritters, and so we picked the Mini Tower Vada to start with. Either the vada was very tired waiting for us all day (we got there only in the evening), or their microwave refused to reheat it – but the vada tasted insipid and was obviously not fresh. Despite being served with a dollop of cheese on a bed of diced tomatoes and onions it still couldn’t impress us. If only it had been hot, it might have succeeded to entice, but now, we were left with our imagination to do the needful.

Off to a bad start, apprehensively we bit into the next thing on our card – the Spicy Vada Holes. Bits of bun dipped in flour batter, deep fried and then rolled around in masala, these spicy vadas were a sheer delight (and according to the owner the hottest sell). We took heart again and polished off half a basket of these yummeats (well, we can invent words too!), generously dipping them in the lip-smacking spicy green chilli chutney. Throughout the meal, Mr.Somasundaram kept us entertained with stories about how college girls finish plates of SpicyVada Holes every evening, and explained to us the recipe(apart from the etymology) of the wondrous sounding dishes.

Then came the Podi Friedly (fried+idli) which had mini idlis deep fried in oil and dunked in idli-dosamilagai podi (aka gun powder… umm not the arms kind, but the traditional spicy masala powder usually served with idlis and dosas in the South). As Madarasis would exclaim, “It was a killer!” You could gobble an entire mini idli in one mouthful and experience the textures of the dish – the crunchiness of themilagai podi, the softness of the idlis with the thin crust thanks to a quick round in the frying pan. A must-eat every time you visit The Madaras Kafé!

 The Kumman Kuththu Idli, supposed to mean an idli that has been punched and reduced to pulp, literally, came by next. Sadly, with idlis dunked in a gravy of tangy tomatoes, it did not live up to its violently-wicked name. It was quite an ordinary affair, almost as if the stunt man (read chef) who was supposed to thwack it got bored mid-way and hastily finished the kumman-kutthu (or punching) act.

The Cheese Vadawich had a soft bun you wanted your beds made from, with cheese filling its core and plenty of fried vegetables joining it in the middle. If only it did not have a sinful amount of cheese in its belly, you’d want this packed in your dabbas everyday.

Continuing on the innovation, theYennai Kathrikkai Dosa (dosa stuffed with an oily brinjal gravy) was an interesting eat. It fell somewhere between good and okay in its taste. It lived up to its name, the oil from the brinjal seeping on to the dosa, making us suddenly aware that every item on the menu was just the arch rival of our diet charts *sigh*.

With the Paneer barotizza I think we have truly found our first all-Indian-pizza. The taste of the barotta and the paneer merged so (ooo) well with the pizza sauces. But what caught our fancy was the Panjambridham grillwich. Skeptical when we ordered, we were instantly converted into silly fans on first bite. This, my dears, is our answer to the pancake. Slices of fruits and chunks of dates soaked in jaggery grilled between slices of bread with a swirl of honey on top, the Panjambridham grillwich is the perfect dessert to a South Indian meal.

But in case you are still on your “I want to taste everything that is new” mode, like we were (*grin*), you must allow yourself a Paneer Payasam. Little pieces of paneer soaked in kheer made from condensed milk, sugar, cardamom and cashews, the Paneer Payasam seemed rasmalai’s cousin in terms of taste.

Finally, we reserved the signature item on the menu for the last, the filter coffee. It was love at first sip. True to their claim, it was indeed one of the best in the city – the aroma steadied our breath, the taste soothed our tongues and its appearance made us want to ask for some more. Order we did, despite being over fed like poultry chickens. Good coffee cannot be denied its due!

In case you are in the mood for some scrumptious innovation The Madaras Kafé is just the right place to head to.