THE Steamin’Cup stands out for its cosy homely environment. Started by Sudeshna Dasgupta and her husband eight months ago, the modest café that can accommodate around 17 people, was born out of the passion to bring back the culture of adda sessions. “With everyone busy with their lives, the concept of bonding over tea or coffee or some telebhaja (fritters) is gone. People don’t have time for each other. So we came up with this space to rekindle those moments,” explains Dasgupta, who does not believe in commercialising the space and has kept food app aggregators away. She says, “Opting for the food app would mean compromising on the customers sitting with us, and hindering the original purpose of the café — which is, to spend quality time with each other.” The select additions to the menu will give a whole new reason for more adda.
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Feels like home
We loved the décor of the café that lent the impression of a living room. The modest cane chairs with coffee tables, a plain lampshade in one corner, Dokra artefacts in another, and a bookshelf made us feel like we were at home. The ceiling lamps and flower vases too were very homely. The café opens at 3.30 pm when the sun retires, and sets the mood for engrossing sessions of debates and discussions over cold and hot drinks, sandwiches, Maggi, salads and fritters. The cold coffee is a hit, we are informed. What’s the magical ingredient? “We make it with a lot of love,” quips Dasgupta, pausing in between the story of Fultushi, their cat. We opted for another popular beverage, the First Flush Darjeeling, which arrived in a transparent cup with two cubes of sugar. Its yellow sapphire hue gave it a royal look, and we sipped on the warm drink listening to many stories that Dasgupta had to share. The weekend special includes Mutton chops, Mutton ghoogni and Egg chops. The café makes the experience interesting by hosting events such as a poetry adda and folk music meet-ups.
The Tuna Fish Sandwich, among the chicken, mushroom and corn selections, was a welcome interruption to our discussion on Rabindranath Tagore songs. The freshly made sandwich, with a creamy layer of mayonnaise and cheese enveloping the fish nuggets, tasted heavenly. Their fish fingers too are quite a deal, and the most important point is that the fish doesn’t smell. The pocket-friendly menu also makes this a den for youngsters who swear by The Steamin’ Cup’s.