I have beef from strictly vegetarian restaurants. That they impose what should be a lifestyle choice feels unfair. All of us want to be able to walk into an eatery knowing we have a choice. So it was disappointing when we discovered that the newest cafe space in Kala Ghoda, Zen Cafe, only serves vegetarian fare. But we were too drawn by its quaint, bare look and bright, sunlit interiors to give it a miss.
The menu, thankfully, is lean and crisp, unlike the thick booklet cafes pass around in the name of a menu. We skimmed through the four pages, dominated by teas, coffees, and coolers. The two-page food menu offers pasta, pizzas, mains, starters, sushi, and salads.
Despite the laidback service on the upper story, we compelled ourselves to let the food talk. So we moved to the ground floor and placed our first order for the afternoon: Guacamole with chips (Rs 175). It’s tough to describe the two elements of the dish separately because they were nondescript independently. But together, they reminded us of Sookha Bhel. The chips were baked in-house, but perhaps the composition went wrong somewhere.
A dessert with hazelnut and chocolate flavor did not feel like the pastry chef had opted for the lazy route of using Nutella. By this point, the cafe had already scored three negative points, and we were close to giving up on the rest of our lunch when our next order of Roasted Pumpkin Ravioli (Rs 480) changed the course of the entire meal. The dish came without sauce except for a generous drizzle of olive oil and chili flakes, enhancing the delicate flavors of the pumpkin in the ravioli. While eating it slowly, savoring the flavors’ simplicity the server showed up with Barley Salad with Avocado and Pomegranate (Rs 400). The salad, too, was impressive. The mild citrus dressing added to the refreshing flavors of the fruits on a bed of textured grain.
Most of the dessert choices on the menu were unavailable, forcing us to order the Chocolate Hazelnut Ganache (Rs 250). But for once, a dessert with hazelnut and chocolate flavor did not feel like the pastry chef had opted for the lazy route of using Nutella. The ganache was textured, and the hazelnut flavor was mild against the high-quality dark chocolate.
We have two options to top up the meal: gourmet brew or an artisanal coffee. We went with the spirit of the afternoon. We chose the Ginger Turmeric Espresso Tonic (Rs 160) — an espresso shot served with ginger tonic and turmeric foam on the side so guests can mix the elements according to their preference. We went easy on the strong ginger tonic and liberally added the turmeric foam to have a caffeine kick , adigestif ,and a palate cleanser. If we had not eaten so much, we would have asked the server what was next on our plate.
