Full of beans

Coffee Break, Breach Candy's newest coffee shop might answer to the prayers of the area's hangout-starved residents, particularly the youngster brigade

Coffee Break, Breach Candy's newest coffee shop might answer to the prayers of the area's hangout-starved residents, particularly the youngster brigade

Located outside Tata Gardens, one of the few green patches that young lovers and soul-searchers can take advantage of in this city, the brand new haunt, Coffee Break holds promise but then, so did the numerous other ventures that preceded it.

Over the years, the spot has hosted a diverse range of food stalls includingu00a0 Wraps & Rolls, a doughnut place, a kiosk that served Indian-street-style-Chinese and even something called La Brownie, A Rising Temptation, a title many may well have confused for that of a B-Grade Hindi flick. Whether this one's here to stay is anybody's guess, but we believe it has potential and here's why.

The very first thing that strikes us at Breach Candy's Mafco Farm Fair is the new, elevated level of hygiene here. It's not exactly The Hilton, but those who remember the old place would testify that anything would have been an improvement here, and so it is ufffd a remarkable improvement.

Wobbling plastic seats and sticky, patchy tables have been replaced by spanking new wooden furniture. A green canopy cuts off the chaos on the streets so you won't be bothered by street urchins, flower-girls pushing posies or nosy neighbourhood aunties who've got your relatives on speed-dial.

Wrought iron street lamps, evocative of yesteryear, introduce a rustic vibe and ceiling fans mounted on bars overhead boost the comfort factor in the outdoor area.

Of the food we sampled, the Vegetarian Jungli Sandwich (Rs 65) and the BBQ Chicken Sandwich (Rs 75) were too sweet for our liking, but the Chicken Tikka Sandwich was delightful while the Chicken Quiche (Rs 45), erroneously labelled, 'Creamed Mushroom Quiche', (vegetarians, be warned) was adequate. The most expensive item on our bill, the Vanilla Milkshake (Rs 100) was light, frothy and succinctly sweet and worth every penny.

There was nothing remotely Irish about the coffee (Rs 75) that was tagged with the Republic's name, though it was a good enough cup of sweetish latte. Not much differentiated the Oreo Cookie Cake (Rs 65) from the Black Forest (Rs 65), save for a slight moistness in the sponge of the latter, but both were palatable. And attendants at the counter, we found, are eager, even helpful, if you opt to speak in Hindi.u00a0

At Next to the IOC Petrol Station at Breach Candy, near Mafco
Farm Fair, Warden Road; Call 9323586667 Coffee Break didn't know we were there. The Guideu00a0reviews anonymously and pays for reviews