What tops the priority list when you enter a new café or restaurant? Is it the well-done interiors with Insta-worthy walls and well-presented, fancy food? Or simple interiors with delectable food? For us, it’s definitely the latter and our recent visit to P4 Expresss ticked all the right boxes.
Nestled in the bylanes of Phoolbagan, P4 Expresss, in which P4 stands for the four Ps- pizza, pasta, panini and pita, their specialities, has a minimalistic white-themed décor, inspired by the small Italian town and commune, Alberobello. The cosy corners with white walls and seating next to large windows let in lots of natural light, letting you soak in the soft winter sun.
As we sat down to detoxify ourselves with a glass of ABC juice, we spoke to owner Gaurav Sureka about the concept of his café. He said, “ In an industry which keeps on changing and evolving, it is extremely essential to stay ahead of the curve and give patrons something exciting each time they choose to dine at restaurants. We opened this café with one simple commitment and that is to serve good food. We believe that good food has the power to bring people together, create memories, and warm the heart.”
And yes, P4 Expresss café kept its promise. The food was simple, nothing experimental, yet every dish was worth trying. So, here’s what we tried. We started the meal by dunking the softest slices of pita bread into a bowl of hummus, and trust me it was the best that we tried in recent times. Though not a huge fan of falafel, the ones served in their Mezze platter tasted good. Crunchy on the outside and soft, well seasoned on the inside, these made a healthy and tasty snack. We next tried the Shakshouka and it tasted so good with the crispy toasted slices of bread. The flavourful rich gravy of tomatoes, onions and peppers tasted best with steaming hot poached eggs.
For the mains, we settled for a Spaghetti Arrabbiata in which the tomato sauce wasn’t overpowering and neither was it extremely saucy. It was rightly seasoned and would be a great choice for pasta lovers. From the host of pizzas, we chose a staple, a chicken pepperoni pizza. The thin-crust pizza was cheesy and had ample pepperoni slices to be enjoyed in every bite. A classic choice, this was our favourite and we managed to wipe off the whole thing.
Every meal calls for a dessert, and this was no different. From the menu, we chose another classic favourite, a warm Apple pie topped with a dollop of ice cream. The caramel wasn’t overly sweet, and the tartness of the apples made each bite a flavour bomb!
Meal for two: Rs 800+
Pictures by Anindya Saha