Mad Hatter from Alice in Wonderland aptly said “It’s always tea time” and for many, a day without a good cup of tea is a day wasted. Moreover, with a dip in the temperature, it calls for a steaming cuppa and this is exactly why Café 4/1 has come up with the idea of a season-long festival exclusively dedicated to tea. The café with a warm, contemporary décor located within the hustle and bustle of Camac Street, is known for serving all kinds of food ranging from Indian thalis to pizzas and pastas. Now, the café has laid down a special menu alongside the original just for this occasion and it includes a variety of teas from all around the country and fusion delicacies that add to your experience.
To name a few, Kawah is the perfect brew that represents the complex yet royal heritage of the Kashmiri cuisine. The slice of paradise served with crushed dry fruits and saffron in elegant, clear tea-ware is an excellent blend of convention and modernity. The hazel coloured beverage, is bound to soothe your soul with its aroma and taste.
Raise a toast
The Tandoor has always been an essential part of the Indian fare, and now it has made its way to the world of tea brewing. This blend is a smokey affair served in kulhars (small, earthen pots) which have been roasted in the tandoor. The tea, when poured into the smoked kulhars, froth over and give it a distinct mild burnt flavour and an earthy fragrance.
Next served was the Malai Toast- a crispy, crunchy toast base that comes with creamy, melt-in-mouth malai. One can choose to top it either with sugar or crushed almonds. This evenly coated toast is the perfect accompaniment for your evening cup.
Cuisine no Bhar
To add to the experience, one can also try the Tea Cake or the Chilli Cheese Khari. “The Chilli Cheese Khari is a personal take on the the traditional puffed, flaky tea-time snack and everything on the platter is made in- house”, says Bhavika Surana Bhuwalka, the owner of the café.
To wrap up the chaai- special menu, Café 4/1 has come up with a fusion dessert called ‘Chai Panacotta’. The texture is extremely light and gelatinous, with a really mild flavour. This, indeed is a very out-of-the-box take on the Italian dessert as it comes with a masala crisp in Bhars- the iconic clay tea-cups typical to the City of Joy, topped with a clove and a green cardamom.
“With growing number of cafes all around, people are gaining a preference towards coffee and for this reason we thought of reviving the tea culture through a month long festival”, added Bhuwalka.
Located at Camac Street the #chillwithchaai festival is on at Cafe 4/1 till the 10th of January. Cost for two- Rs 400-plus.