Oxy Cafe claims to bring a breath of fresh air to the busy Senapati Bapat marg. With most things right, and some not, the week-old restaurant needs a few more days to get over its teething problems, and become a popular hangout
Oxy Cafe claims to bring a breath of fresh air to the busy Senapati Bapat marg. With most things right, and some not, the week-old restaurant needs a few more days to get over its teething problems, and become a popular hangout
You aren't quite sure what to expect when Oxy Cafe claims that 'it comes as a breath of fresh air', in its press note. On a sunny afternoon, as we headed right for the air-conditioned mezzanine section, our access to fresh air, so to say, was quite limited. But to give it some credit, the week-old cafe, right opposite Matunga Road railway station, has cheery indoors, with handpainted walls displaying cups and saucers. Nice.
Olive Jalapeno Mushroom Pizza. Pics/ Suresh KK
The extensive menu, in a desk calendar format, might seem tedious to flip through. After much contemplation, we decided we were in the mood for tried-and-tested nibbles. The Jalapeno Cheese Nuggets (Rs 75) we ordered had only teeny bits of jalapenos but the oozing cheese and the garlic mayo happily made up for the lack of spice, while the Chilly Cheese Toast (Rs 60) made us smile wider with each crunch.
The menu lists Chinese cuisine, some Indian dishes like parathas and Chole Bhature, and pizzas. A separate menu lists the beverages. Our Hazelnut Blast (Rs 120) came topped with yum bits of cookies (healthy, low-calorie cookies that have been concocted by the owners after much deliberation, as one of them informed us later) and the best whipped cream we have had in the longest time, though there was little Hazelnut flavour in the frappe.
Now a Mojito isn't a Mojito for us without the white rum, but the virgin version we chose ufffd Very Berry Mojito (Rs 75)u00a0-- had lost its mojo anyway, thanks to the high quantity of club soda. Sigh!
For the main course, we decided to cross continents and ask for one from each section, save Chinese. The Roast Bean Taco (Rs 120) came without the sour cream it promised and was a little sweeter than we would have liked (because of canned beans, perhaps?).
But it did have delightfully crisp tortillas. The Olive Jalapeno Mushroom Pizza (Rs 125) was quite like the desi pizza served at a fast food joint, though very flavourful.
The disappointment on the table was Mix Veg with Tawa Paratha (Rs 110) that the server promised would come with a vegetable on the side, but arrived only with a dry, tasteless paratha. The papad, like our veggie, pulled up a disappearing act, though the raita was the saving grace.
The cafe has muffins and pastries that you can pick up from its counter, and a live kitchen as opposed to cafes that simply reheat pre-cooked food before serving you. If you are driving past the graffiti-ed walls of this arterial road, do stop by.
At Oxy Cafe, 143, Krishna Kunj Apartments,
near Ruparel College, Senapati Bapat Marg,
Matunga (W). Call 24305506
Oxy Cafe didn't know we were there. THE GUIDE reviews anonymously and pays for meals.
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