Check out this newly opened coffee universe in Durgam Cheruvu that highlights java from all over India

Think light filtering through the glass panes as you grab a cup of coffee and a meal that fixes your day. Beige and brown interiors greeted us as we entered the newly opened Naad Coffee, not in a way that gives a minimalist city café, but in a way where it feels like a rustic sanctuary. Coffee bags stacked across the space, a bakery counter that displays the fresh bakes of the day and housemade pickles, a retail section, and a brewing station that celebrates beans from around India.

Step into Naad Coffee at Durgam Cheruvu, a rustic two-storey sanctuary where Indian beans, fresh bakes, and a dedicated coffee academy brew a true java universe

The second floor is a library for a workday out, a nook that overlooks the hustle and bustle of the place and the only area in the café that provides wi-fi and charging ports. Opposite it is a coffee academy — for all budding coffee enthusiasts to dive deep into the coffee universe, with guidance from Marc Tormo, a Q grader and co-founder.

One detail that brings it all together is the café staff dressed in Ikat uniforms, courtesy of the brand Translate — Handwoven Ikat, the fashion venture by co-founders Vikaas Passary and Vinita Passary.

We took our seats and started our day with the BYOB — build your own breakfast menu, offering a range of breads, eggs, seasonal fruits and veggies, spreads, meats, and cheeses to curate on your plates. We chose poached eggs, roasted beetroots and carrots, cheddar, bacon, and the softest shokupan. Delicate runny eggs with tender root vegetables provided a contrast to the sharp zing of the cheese and the crisp, greasy bacon, and the bread was a perfect carrier for early morning goodness.

What’s a café review without a pour-over? Explaining our tastes to the barista, we were recommended a Ratnagiri blend, a light and fruity brew poured over ice as a respite from the Hyderabadi heat. Next, we tried the Fig burrata salad, roasted figs paired with fresh creamy burrata, nutty candied pecans, and a blue cheese vinaigrette. Each ingredient touches base with different flavour profiles, making it a fresh, milky, and sharp experience. From small plates, we tried the Corn fritter, inspired by a street snack from Lonavala; it taps into the ‘chatpata’ side of the menu. Corn fritters, with corn foam, parmesan, green and tamarind chutney, and chilli oil, its elevated, yet feels familiar in the best ways.

The sandwich section can be quite enticing when you can see the fresh loaves right over the counter, and believe us, we were enticed. The Kimchi grilled cheese caught our eye, and we had to try it. House-made kimchi with a mix of cheese, it’s pungent (the best indicator of how good a kimchi is) and spicy, mellowed out by the cheese, served with makhana and house pickles. We also tried the Black remedy, their in-house brew inspired by the Kyoto cold drip towers, a brew that stayed in our hearts.

Wrapping up, from the bakery we had the pleasure of trying the Apple turnover, which usually flies off the counters as soon as it’s out of the oven. The bake celebrates the apple in all its glory — gooey with pastry cream and perfectly soft apples. The BBC (brown butter cookie) came with a cold glass of milk; one bite and it’s like the scene from Ratatouille — food so good you get transported to your warmest memory.

Meal for two: Rs 1,600++,

7 am - 9 pm.

At Drugam Cheruvu.

Mail ID: anshula.u@newindianexpress.com

Twitter: @indulgexpress

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