Cucumber in a cold brew? We weren’t sure what to expect until we took a sip of this brand new summer cooler at Kup (pronounced cup) Coffee Roasters, in Nungambakkam. A few slurps in, and we can safely say that the Curious Cucumber (an apt name) was refreshing — both to our palate and our now broadened horizons of what you can put in your coffee. For something sweeter, you might want to give their ‘Bar-berry-ian’ a try, made with blueberries, tonic water and a drizzle of peach syrup. Hibiscus and mango experiments, we are told, are coming up next.
Once upon a Negroni
This artisanal coffee bar with Japanese-inspired minimalist décor tucked into the quiet Pycroft Garden Road in Nungambakkam started earlier this year with 12 single origin coffees sourced from South America, Chikmagalur and Yercaud. The star of the show, and with good reason is the house special, Negroni, brewed for 18 hours with Valencia oranges and house fermented bitters. Talk about depth of flavour.
Raise a toast
However, the purpose of our stopover today as we sit across the table from owner Jivesh Goenka is to taste their new additions to the food menu. First comes an exquisite Cacio e Pepe al Tartufo, tagliatelle swirled in an emulsion of parmesan, stock and pepper. Truffle shavings and bits of bacon up the ante even further. We dig into more Italian flavours with a Spaghetti a la Puttanesca finished with confit cherry tomatoes served and a decadent, albeit reimagined, Tiramisu. But it is the Brioche French Toast that really brings it home for us. Served with lemon curd and berry compote, expect a spectrum of sweet and tart notes, while the warm toast paired with a honey crunch ice cream serves up a play of hot and cold.
Also worthy of a special mention is their popular Croissant Pudding, which Jivesh says "was invented by accident" when a batch of croissants that were not flakey enough were repurposed. Hoping to wasting them, the chef shredded the croissants and baked them in a pudding of chocolate, caramel and espresso. "It was just supposed to be for one day but they were a hit, so continue to bake them," Jivesh says. We recommend you pair it with the Dominican Hot Chocolate with a kiss of smoked volcanic salt - to die for.
INR 220 to INR 400 for a coffee. Meal for two INR 2,000 including beverages.