The entirety of Katha Specialty Coffee House feels like a tribute to the analog era. From a listening room that features a vinyl player with records, photograph negatives used as art to beautiful Rattan furniture that has made a grand comeback. The space feels like a fitting blend of the old world charm, reimagined.
We stepped into the fully packed café on a cold monsoon evening to check out their latest menu — Project Baarish featuring innovative beverages and dishes that inspire nostalgia of monsoons gone by. First, we had the Corn Angara Grilled Cheese Sando which came in a grilled country style Sourdough. The aroma instantly transported us to after-school bakery outings filled with cheesy treats like burgers and sandwiches.
The dish had a detectable smoky flavour, rendered by the smoked corn paté combined with sundried tomatoes. We paired the Sando with a Bournvita Latté. Without being overly sweet or overpowering, the beverage kept the top notes of a strong espresso, with hidden notes of chocolate and caramel. It’s what we’d imagine an adult’s version of the old childhood beverage to be.
Next came a host of desserts from the Project Baarish menu. We tried the Peach Cobbler French Toast first served with confit peaches and cream atop brioche bread. We dug in to find the brioche stuffed with peach jam in the middle. While the toast looked decadent, it was surprisingly light, combined with a creamy peach cream topping and a cobbler crumble that added a mild crunch to the bite. With mildly sweetened ingredients on pillow soft brioche, the Peach Cobbler French Toast quickly made it to our list of must-try dishes at Katha. “Dishes on the Project Baarish menu consist of both nostalgic favourites and seasonal ingredients. For example, the Peach Cobbler Toast is made from fresh peaches that make an appearance during this time of the year,” says Vikash Vumudi, executive chef at Katha.
We also tried the cup of the decadent, creamy and comforting cup of Hot Chocolate served with a supremely flaky croissant that was just what the weather called for. The monsoon special menu featured a Masala Chai Cruffin that was unavailable at the time of our visit. Instead, we got to try the Hazelnut Cruffin, made with a flaky croissant pastry in the shape of a muffin, stuffed with oozing Hazelnut cream that was supremely decadent. We ended the meal with one of their bestsellers — a Korean Cream Cheese Bun which lived up to its reputation owing to a creamy centre and flavourful bread.
Rs 2,200 for two. At Banjara Hills
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