This Teynampet café pairs experimental gelato flavours with contemporary comfort food

Ciacco in Teynampet feels like stepping into a playful, contemporary cave, with sculpted ceilings that seem to flow like molten gelato. Terracotta walls and seating, blue accents and a recurring blue mascot bring colour to the space, while doodles and a picture-book menu add to its whimsical character.

Find unusual gelato flavours and indulgent desserts at this Teynampet cafe

While waiting for our food, we gravitated towards the gelato counter, sampling flavours one spoonful at a time with reusable steel spoons. The aptly named Ma chérie 2.0 was the darling of our tasting spree, pairing dark chocolate gelato with brownie bits and cherry confiture. The rich chocolate was balanced by the tart cherries, making for a deeply indulgent combination. Another interesting pick was the Maangai oorugai, which brought together white chocolate and vanilla gelato with fresh mango gelato, layered with spicy mango pickle, sweet mango coulis and a fiery mango seasoning of salt and chilli. The Coconut pandan 2.0 was another intriguing combination, bringing fragrant pandan and creamy coconut together with kaya jam and toasted coconut. Having worked our way through the counter, one spoonful at a time, we settled in to get started on the savoury dishes.

We began with the Golden halloumi wrap. Crisp, golden halloumi and the tangy kick of kimchi made the first few bites genuinely enjoyable. The trouble came halfway through. As the kimchi ran out, the balance shifted towards the fried wrap and cheese, leaving us with an increasingly oily mouthful. By the final bites, the greasiness had become overwhelming enough to leave us feeling heavy and uneasy.

That prompted us to order the Avocado sourdough toast, along with the Crimson cooler. The toast was a welcome change, with creamy avocado against the crunch of sourdough, sharp pickled onions and fresh herbs. The seasonal salad, lightly dressed with olive oil, brought a fresh, slightly peppery contrast to the plate, while the sweet, smoky pears were a welcome palate freshener. The cooler, combining cranberry, orange, mint and lemon, was overly sweet on the first sip. A good stir helped distribute the flavours, allowing the citrus and mint to come through and making the drink more refreshing.

The gelato tasting brought a more adventurous set of flavours. The new Navratri kaju katli was a ten out of ten, with a creamy base and actual pieces of kaju katli folded through it. The cashew sweetness and little chunks of the familiar Indian confection made each spoonful satisfying. The Cookd Dindigul biryani flavour was a much harder sell. Mildly sweet and bewildering at first, it was an unusual experiment that took some processing. The soy 65, fried onions and rice were the most enjoyable elements, adding savoury, familiar notes to an otherwise confusing scoop.

We ended with the Sticky date pudding paired with Dante’s Special Dulce de Leche gelato. The warm pudding brought together dates and pecans with buttery toffee, cinnamon crème anglaise and toasted malt crumbs. Beside it, the gelato combined caramelised milk-toffee flavours with waffle-cone crunch and dulce de leche fudge. The contrast of warm, sticky pudding and cold, creamy gelato, punctuated by crunchy textures, made for a dream ending.

Meal for two: INR 800. 12pm to 1am (Mon-Fri), 10am to 2am (Sat-Sun). At Ciacco, Anna Salai. 

Email: anoushkakundu@newindianexpress.com

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