Juhu's latest all-day cafe, Grain & Bagel, is a quiet, sunny corner smelling of freshly baked bread, says Phorum Dalal
Walk in as group, or all by yourself clutching a book into Grain & Bagel, which has relocated from Malad to Juhu last month, for a heartening meal.
Hummus Pickled Cucumber and Carrot Tahini in grilled Bagel.
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I walk in with my sister, making a mental note to keep this place in mind when I crave some me-time, as we settle into a comfortable corner table, with the water fans working hard. With three tables for four and a long bench for six, the place is cosy and bright. A white board flaunts comments by prior visitors; a chalk board on the adjacent wall reads: ‘No Wifi, talk to each other’. We like; can’t share (pun intended).
Mornay Maggi is a cheesy delight but we recommend that you share this dish. Pics/Atul Kamble
We order the soup of the day, Mirepoix (Rs 120), a French concoction of celery, garlic, mushroom cooked in loads of butter. We take the first sip, and it is too salty for us. But the good part is, when we bring it to the notice of our server, he readily agrees to ask the chef to alter it for us. When we take the second sip, it is perfect. Light and full of flavour, the soup unleashes a beautiful hunger in our tummies.
While my sister orders a Green Apple Vanilla soda (Rs 120), it doesn’t have a wow effect on us.
We move on to order Hummus Pickled Cucumber and Carrot Tahini in grilled Signature Bagel (Rs 150) and Fluffy Scrambled Eggs with Chicken and Cheddar in grilled Signature Bagel (Rs 190). This is a rare occasion when the veg tastes better than the non-veg dish. The hummus is tangy, thickly spread between the large bagel bread and the tahini is tangy and luscious. The chicken contender, which is a bit dry, has a subtle seasoning of salt and pepper. The chicken chunks and scrambled eggs make a good pairing in the whole wheat bread base. All we need here is a dip to moisten the bites. But the winner of this brunch is the Mornay Maggi (Rs 95), which is too cheesy to be devoured by one, but turns into a battle of the forks when shared. Feeling blue, need inspiration or facing a bad hair day, the solution is this Maggi at its cheesy best. We will revisit this place just for this one.
When a bakery doesn’t get its chocolate right, it needs serious attention. The Mini Orange Tart (Rs 45) was pleasantly sweet and tangy and the pie was a lovely, buttery crumble. However, the Sticky Caramel Brownie (Rs 99) didn’t live up to its mouth-watering sinful name. The Lemon Cheese Cake (Rs 99) was delicious and the hint of lemon was just enough to leave us with a sweet high. While the fruity desserts were impressive, we wish the chocolate had lived up to its name, what with reports of the world running out of cocoa by 2020.
Where: Grain and Bagel, 48, Tian, ground floor, next to Costa Coffee, Juhu
Food: Flavourful
Ambiance: Bright and happy Service: Friendly
Call: 65610291
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