The first thing to strike our minds whenever we drive past the year-old cafe Wisdom Tree, perched in a quaint corner of Dover Road, is how it sustains itself being a next-door neighbour to another much popular cafe chain. Our long-nurtured curiosity was eventually satisfied as we got to review the cafe’s new menu.
As we made ourselves comfortable in the café, it was great to notice that the eatery was run entirely by a team of young women, almost like a female brigade, headed by a resolute Sonali Sarkar. The 40-year-old, who was born and brought up in New York, was fascinated by the bustling roadside cafés on the streets of one of the busiest cities in the world and desired to open something similar when she grew up.
A graduate in filmmaking from FTII Pune, Sonali opened Wisdom Tree last year, aptly named after the iconic banyan tree in the famed film institute, known by the same name. The 500 sq ft, 20-seater cosy café, done up in wood and glass with travel pictures clicked by Sonali adorning the walls, can easily transport you to one of the many snug eateries that dot the hills of Bengal.
As the conversation proceeded further, we were greeted by the waitresses who brought an array of freshly made food from the new menu to our table for lunch. Sonali was quick to add that the USP of her café is that everything is served fresh, with even the vegetables being chopped after they receive an order. As we dug into the very inviting ham pasta, we had to believe what she claimed. The freshness of each ingredient was indeed very obvious, and the creamy consistency of the sauce had the right balance of spicy notes too.
We also sampled their newly added prawn wrap, which was the winner of the day. Replete with crunchy veggies and a generous amount of succulent prawns, this wrap definitely made a great choice for a quick grab during office hours.
Next came the prawn noodle samosa and our apprehensions about the odd combination were put to rest with a bite into the crispy deep-fried Indian savoury. The taste of the prawn noodle didn’t clash with the flour coating and went well with the accompanying salsa sauce — a perfect choice for a winter evening snack.
But the biggest surprise in the new menu was in the desserts section, where they have some unique fusion cupcakes. You can choose from the delectable Nolen Gurer cupcakes to the Mihidana ones, and also the very yummy Gulab Jamun cupcake. We devoured the Gulab Jamun cupcake that had little fried balls of cottage cheese doused in sugar syrup embedded in the vanilla-flavoured cake, lending it a unique punch.
For those who don’t want to mix up flavours, there are equally toothsome truffle and cappuccino chocolate cakes, and red velvet pastries.
Apart from a good collection of Single Estate first and second flush Darjeeling and Assam teas, there are several options for tea lovers including the popular Irani Chai, Chamomile, Moroccan Mint, Earl Grey, Rose and Masala teas.
Price for two: Rs 500 ++
sharmishtha.g @newindianexpress.com
@sharmidas