When I first came here, I had thought that I would only be writing about the Mutton Briyani.
But as it stands, I have come back here a couple more times and so now, not only do I have a Mutton Briyani to write about, I also have a bowl of soup, two Murtabaks and a special dessert in a very small, cute bowl.
It is a blessing.
It is a blessing that I have this place not too far from where I am that I can have a meal so substantial, and so filling.
It is also a blessing that the food here is cheerful, bright, full of flavor, and cheers me up almost instantly every time it arrives at the table.
The first dish here that made me smile was the Mutton Briyani.
It wasn't because I hadn't had it before.
But because I like my basmati rice to be more on the dry side and this one plate here definitely met the mark.
I liked the portion.
I also liked that the grains didn't look like they had been soaked in oil.
How the rice is made here I don't know.
Different places do it differently, but briyani rice in general requires spices like cloves, cardamom, star anise, cinnamon and bay leaf. Some places put onions or garam masala or ginger-garlic paste.
I can't tell what it is that goes into this plate but there's definitely a bay leaf- I found it at the side of the plate- there're definitely onions- they were in the achar- and maybe there're cloves hidden amongst the rice grains as well.
But it wasn't just that the rice that I liked.
There was also the sour pickled vegetables achar that served as a palate opener. This one had cucumbers, carrots and onions, all of which gave a special crunch and a sour, tangy taste that made the briyani rice taste lovelier.
Of course there was also the chunk of mutton.
There have been place where there's more bone than meat.
Not this one.
This one not only had more meat than bone; the meat was also tender enough that it fell off the bone when I cut it through with my fork and spoon.
My meal this afternoon came with a special surprise- a bowl of complimentary dessert that the staff gave to me.
Maybe I looked like I needed the sugar.
But it was good, and I loved it.
Problem is, I don't know for sure it is.
I asked, but didn't quite get the word.
So I've Googled, and the Internet tells me that the closest description might be a pudding made from semolina called Rava Kesari. A South Indian dessert often eaten at breakfast, it is made from semolina, ghee, saffron, nuts and sugar.
This one had the sticky texture of semolina, the sweetness of sugar, the color of saffron, and both raisins and nuts stirred into the mix.
It might be it.
Perhaps one day I might work up the courage to ask the staff again just what this was.
Perhaps my poor ear too might be more inclined to get the word correct at that time.
Thing is, I have been looking out for this dessert the last couple of times I were back at the coffee shop, but I haven't seen it.
I haven't ordered the briyani either.
Instead we've gone for the Murtabak.
Two times.
First time we wanted mutton but they had run out of mutton so we agreed on the chicken.
Second time we wanted mutton and got the mutton.
Does it make a difference?
Technically, no, but the mutton is nicer than the chicken.
Softer, with more flavor, and more appetizing than some places that I have been to.
What I like about the Murtabak here is the portion, the way it's done, and the crepe itself.
Yes, they do take a bit longer to make it as compared to prata, but it is one very big a** rectangular piece, the filling inside every square is chock full of meat bits, and every bite I take has more taste of meat than that of crepe.
I certainly don't mind.
It's kind of interesting that they don't serve the Murtabak with chili sauce or mayonnaise or any other condiments.
What they do bring you is a dish of fish curry and a dish of mutton curry.
My friend prefers the mutton.
I prefer the fish.
The slightly sour, slightly spicy taste of the curry goes well with the crepe and the mutton bits inside.
I am always left feeling very full every time I finish a Murtabak.
Not just on the palate, but also the tummy, and the heart.
I'd like to try their dessert pratas next time I go there.
Dessert pratas are a charm of coffee shops like these, especially in the late evening hour when the body feels it is the right time to have something sweet. They've got banana, strawberry, chocolate, and the regular condensed milk.
I might have the banana and the regular condensed milk.
But I don't know if it's smarter to make it a meal, or a post-meal.
If I make it a post-meal, then the meal will have to be light.
For that, their sup kambing is good.
It has the signature bright orange color that seems to define much of this meal.
Sure, it does make you feel like you're sipping on a curry soup, but it has a thickness, and the richness of taste that can only come with the effort of boiling the meat of goat inside a pot together with a bunch of spices that altogether work well to make the soup aromatic.