Visiting restaurants in Jubilee Hills often flashes vignettes of congested roads and packed eateries in our memory. But serene ambience and gourmet food have a new address now at the newly-opened Lis Blanc café. The casual dine-coffee-shop is tucked away from the urban cacophony in the lush boulevards of road number 71 that render it the charm of an open-air brasserie, the French call it!
Connect with nature
We entered the villa-turned-café on a balmy spring afternoon for lunch and were pleasantly amazed by the biophilic design structure that kept the setting as green as possible. From the lotus pond in the centre studded with aquatic pebbles and bamboo caned walls to the foliage of palm leaves on the boundary of the premises, the lush setting made the 84-seater outdoor eatery apt to recoil in an idyllic setting. Plus, you can walk your pets here and say hello to the owners' adorable ChowChows, Laila and Moti. Soon, we lolled on the al fresco dining space and met Pooja Krishna, one of the owners. She swells with pride to say that the idea of opening this quiet gourmet paradise was my friend Ilahi’s idea. “He is a fashion photographer.
Together, we have a photography company and thought to venture into the F&B industry along with two of our close friends. He designed and envisioned to serve the best in hospitality,” she begins as a plate of amuse bouche Harrisa Walnut Mushroom arrives on our table. It had a woody and meaty flavour of the soft button mushroom filled with herb-roasted walnut topping and parmesan cheese. Without a doubt, it would leave anyone wanting for more.
Scrumptious signatures
Next came their signature and what we recommend as a must have, Shrimp Dynamite. The Japaneseinspired tempura fried shrimp tossed with spicy orange mayo had a melt-in-mouth flavour. They were unlike those stir-fry shrimps that often give a plastic aftertaste if not cooked well. Surely, the sous chef, who hails from West Bengal, is a connoisseur in seafood as he knows overheating any marine staple can prove to be their nemesis in cooking. As we relished the creamy shrimp delicacy, we were served Cranberry Chicken.
The smoked chicken patty pieces sautéed in herbs and tossed in house special chilli cranberry sauce was a wholesome treat, slightly on a piquant sweet side. The pink of the cranberry sauce and garnishing of red oak lettuce and green micro mustard assured us we have many colours on our plate in chewy, syrupy and meaty bites. On cue came their Strawberry Spring Salad. Like a healthy crunch, it had the fruity flavour of fresh strawberries and cranberry dressing blended with a nutty taste lent by roasted sunflower seeds. Adding on some feta cheese topping becomes a gourmand’s delight.
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Infused rices
If you like your rice as shiny as white, Lis Blanc will change that notion by giving a wide array of colourful rice platters. We had a generous serving of their Lemon Butter Fish with green-tinged Cilantro Rice and appreciated the juicy pan-seared fish in tangy lemon caper sauce. The side-ons were pickled lentils, beans and carrot sticks that added to a juicy chomp. For those who like to have more Indianised dishes, their Cottage Cheese Makhani Sauce with Saffron Pulao will introduce you to a royal taste.
We felt that the orange Makhani gravy could have been creamier as it borrows from the traditional Dal Makhani of North India. However, we liked the overall dish. A bon vivier like us would’ve slurped some of their beverages like Raspberry Coconut Spritzer, or hot Rose Petal Vanilla Tea, but we were already satiated. Next time, we hope to taste some of their lattes and frappes and play a little more with the furry friends there! The café is soon going to roll out its dessert menu too.
Rs. 1,000 for two. At Jubilee Hills.
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