With cafes launching innovative coffee options every other day, there's a mini coffee revolution taking place in Kolkata. To make things even more exciting, Potboiler Coffee House, which has gained quite a distinction among coffee connoisseurs of the city for its unique concoctions, has come up with a very appealing High Coffee menu. Sonali Lakhotia, the founder of Potboiler, thought of giving the popular British high tea a very coffee twist, and we are not complaining a bit.
“Kolkata as a city has accepted a new wave of cafe and coffee culture. One can now distinguish an Americano from a Pour-Over with gourmands looking for region-specific beans. So, we thought this would be the best time to elevate the coffee experience. We have paired familiar flavours and food items with different kinds of coffees, and aim at highlighting different aspects of coffees and how it works on our palate,” tells Sonali, the chief brewing officer at the outlet.
The elaborate late afternoon affair that usually comprises a platter of crisp wafer sandwiches, scones, tea cakes, crumpets and pastries, sees some delectable changes at Sonali's cafe. The inimitable chef has intelligently melded the flavours of the coffee with the ingredients of the delicacies served.
The savoury sandwiches, tarts, scones with berry compote and some in-house baked goodies arrived at our table in a three-tier stand and all of this was paired with tasting portions of different coffees, both black and milk-based. All the coffees were brewed using their signature house blend from Bloom Coffee Roasters.
Besides the exotic High Coffee menu, they have also revamped their regular menu to include the fresh winter offerings rustled up with seasonal local produce. "Our concept for winter includes warm refreshing bowls of celebratory colours, flavours that exude warmth. We have always believed in using seasonal, local produce and the winter menu reflects that too. During the festive season people like to be a little more indulgent and enjoy what they eat, so we have tried to incorporate flavours that are wholesome yet slightly indulgent," tells Sonali.
The noteworthy items in the fare include the very comforting Strawberry Crumble Pancakes, Savoury Pancakes, Broccoli and Almond Soup, Not a Thukpa Soup. We also loved their Grilled Chicken with Mushroom Sauce, which unlike in many diners, is not fibrous and hard to chew. We also loved every bit of the sweet pancake for its very authentic replication. From the dessert section, Nolen Gur and Roasted Nuts Cheesecake is a must-try toothsome dish for the crunchy, nutty feel to it that goes so well with the local jaggery.
The cafe's barista has also come up with several unusual options apart from the regular cuppas, like hazelnut crumble latte, and mixed chocolate mocha with marshmallows. But Mocha on the Shore was the one to literally take our hearts for its creamy texture and smooth flavour. Topped with toasted marshmallows and indulgent hot chocolate, every sip of this drink spells comfort.
Price for two, High Coffee: Rs 1,099, noon to 6 pm.