It’s cafe weather in Bengaluru and you cannot deny it. Well you can, but you’re the one losing out on the perfect combination of this rainy, muggy and downcast skies that can find true elevation only in piping hot cups of coffee, baked goodies and warm, toasty indulgences. This is indeed the perfect time to try out a place we’ve been hearing about for several days now — Perch at Phoenix Mall of Asia.
We decided to arrive at the beautiful all-day restaurant that already boasts of a huge fan following in Delhi and Mumbai. With interiors that are as warm and cute as the menu, we wasted no time in settling down with our first few plates — Tofu Akuri and Goat Cheese Mousse on Toast. Now the akuri is a tribute to the classic Parsi mainstay with just the twist of a multigrain toast, but serves all the familiar flavours that we’d expect from the dish. The goat cheese toast on the other hand is elevated with poached pear and beet reduction and is decadent while also being simple and clean with its flavours. We paired both with a Vietnamese Iced Coffee, but you can choose a hot variant if you prefer. This was a match made in heaven and we were now ready for our next set of plates.
Hoping to check out other facets of their menu, we decided to go with a Sesame Crusted Vietnamese Rice Rolls, an Avocado Tartare on Melba and a Black Rice and Mushroom Risotto. The rice rolls with a ginger miso dip was right what our palates were craving for and believe us we could have polished off a few plates of this if we weren’t here to review and thus were bound to taste other things too. The tartare was equally good and was enhanced by flavours of smoked edamame that added to the delicate flavours of the pretty dish. The risotto was also as delicious as we’d hoped it would be with its textures invigorated by the black rice and its flavours intensified by parmesan and truffle. This is a dish we would go back to anytime we’re looking for gourmet gratification. We paired these elegant dishes with a Coffee Sangria and will mince no words when we say, this was a match made in heaven!
We wrapped up our meal with a slice of Almond and Orange Tea Cake and paired it with a Vegan Iced Chocolate, in what seemed like the perfect combo that doubled up as dessert and indulged in some green tea, before we finally felt like we could call it a day, satiated and wonderfully satisfied. Do check out their wine list too, if you are so inclined.
Meal for two: INR 1,200 onwards. At Hebbal.
Email: romal@newindianexpress.com
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