Right from the koi pond to the elegant décor, the all-new Entrance Café has riveting elements to grab our undivided attention. In fact, we braved heavy rains to catch a dinner at the 75-seater on Taylors Road that feels sprawling and airy from the moment you step in. We are warmly greeted by Immrran Raja known in the city for his background in the food business (and who runs this 5,000 sq ft space) who soon finds us a cosy nook with a view.
Just as we take in the gorgeous décor of artisanal urns, eclectic crockery and curious lights, adding to the quirk is consultant chef Mrinmoy Acharyya, who also happens to be a biker, and has his kitchen team geared up in funky colour-popping Royal Enfield biker’s head scarves. Based in Goa and hailing from Mumbai, Mrinmoy has curated a fascinating menu that goes beyond café staples and offers eclectic dishes that focus on quality ingredients like flour all the way from Madhya Pradesh or lamb from Rajasthan. “The banana blossom bao is completely inspired by Chennai,” avers chef Mrinmoy.
Taste explosion
With managing director Raj Ramakrishnan at the helm, Entrance Café is already the talk of the town for the food, the vibe and the aesthetics. Once you bite into the Spice Rubbed Corn Ribs you will get the drift. Spicy and lemony, the corn on cob smacks of the familiar street food but the finesse of flavours takes it up a few notches to make it a gourmet experience. “The secret is pure hardwork. We opened the kitchen early and had enough trials and experiments to prove that all it takes is practice and effort,” says the chef who believes that tedious processes are worth the while, when the end result is delicious.
We sip on a refreshing watermelon juice and nibble on some Peri Peri Fries, before the boneless chicken wings arrive. Shaped as cuboids — a dab of the kara chutney and the flavours hitting your palate promise to be addictive. The Lamb Skewers are galouti-meets-satay and surprise with the meat shining with minimal spices but max flavour.
Sea diary
While seafood lovers should definitely try the extra juicy Miso Prawns, we also suggest you try the surf-turf combo that seems to be catching on in the city. Moist chicken cooked just right and the flavours of the prawn stuffing are surprisingly exquisite, making Prawn-stuffed Chicken with Chimichurri a repeat order. However, our favourite main is the Pan Seared John Dory in coconut cream sauce with soba noodles. Every mouthful is an explosion of flavour and deeply satiating, with the flaky ocean catch ensuring you write home about this one.
Almond advantage
Fulfilling our sweet craving, the vegan Creme Brûlée is a delight with a delicate glassy film of caramelised sugar that breaks on a gentle tap with a satisfying crunch. The panna cotta looks deceptively ordinary till you scoop up the tarty fruit syrup at the base that redefines the dessert. The Cloud Cold Coffee is a great ‘meal ender’ if you can resist the aforementioned offerings. The almond milk-based drink is retrained on the sweetness but ample with coffee — just the way we like it! Meanwhile, if their Basque Cheesecake from the baked items counter is anything to go by, their soon to be launched bakery has our vote!
Meal for two INR 1,200.