BENGALURU: Hanging teapots, the iconic red telephone booth inside an artsy cafe like Bloomsbury’s, Whitefield, will make you believe that you are in London’s Oxford Street, happily enjoying all the pleasures in the world. Yes, once you walk inside this cafe, feel the brick walls and ponder upon the London skyline painted on one of them, whilst wishing you were actually there!
After getting comfortable, we were served with a bowl of Leeks and mushroom soup, which felt soothing even on a sultry afternoon. Lady in Purple and Minty King were our mocktail companions for my dining companion and me. While the latter is based on the seasonal mango fruit with hints of mint flavour, Lady in Purple is a one-of-a-kind drink, where java plum is fizzed in a tangy flavour. Both of them are a great way to beat the heat.
The appetisers – Spiced Yogurt Ping Pong, Crispy Stuffed Shells, Anglo Indian Lamb Cutlet, Vegetables Quesadilla – happily teased our taste buds and also served as a teaser for what’s coming next. The Ping Pong was similar to that of a panipuri but with modern-day toppings that added new flavours to it. The stuffed shells, again, is a variation of the pani puri, but with vegetarian and non-vegetarian stuffing. The lamb cutlet was not too spicy, and had the perfect combination of minced meat and potato, combined with Kasundi mustard sauce. The Quesadilla was a healthy mixture of mushroom, bell-pepper, sweet corn, kidney beans, Cajun spice and tomato beans salsa and we loved this in the current weather conditions.
Next, the main course started off with Fettucini con fungi, which is chef-made creamy cheese sauce, mushroom, thyme, parsley and in-house made garlic bread. The gooey cheese and mushroom works for an arousing twist in the world of food. The spaghetti smoked chicken again was somewhat familiar, with the cheesy stuffing and flavourful garnishing lifting up the taste of the fine, soft meat.
We also got the taste of Thailand, with small portions of Nasi Goreng and Kung Pao Chicken. However, the rice had a strong smell of shrimp as it is cooked in shrimp sauce, just how it is done in the traditional Thai way, so not many people can bear the taste and smell of it. It is advisable to speak to the chef and customise the dish before placing your order. The Kung Pao chicken is served with noodles and is a complete, lip-smacking dish in itself.
We had small portions of Arabic Spiced Chicken Pizza, Southern Spiced Cottage Cheese Pizza and Meat Lovers Pizza, and we found the chunks to be really juicy and scrumptious.
What we liked about all these dishes was the supreme level of decoration in serving food, and like any upscale cafe, Bloomsbury’s topped the chart with the interior beauty and also with their quality of serving food as well.
Finally, we ended the luncheon with Russian Honey Crunch, Velvety Chocolate, Rose Petal Pistachio, out of their wide variety of cakes and pastries available. The chef recommended the first one and true to his words, we were left craving for more.
Travelling from HSR Layout to Whitefield under the sun did not seem to feel tedious anymore as we promised to come back and visit a part of London again, soon.
Cost for two: Rs 1,500 approx