Seated on a cosy printed sofa with a cup of Hot Chocolate, humming to the contemporary pop music in the background on a rainy Monday almost feels like home. But we’re not the only ones. “Ever since we opened the café in June this year, we have a few regulars who come here at 9 am for their favourite breakfast combo and sit here all day, working on their laptops,” says Moxa Kothari, who co-owns The Big Cup Theory with Kunal Dutta. Located on the busy Madhapur Road, the 50-seater outlet has a vintage look with quirky interiors like swings instead of chairs, clock in a cycle’s wheel and posters of cult classics like Pulp Fiction and Gone With The Wind.
Although the 20-something-year-old owners are not from the hospitality background, Moxa tells us that both of them got some first-hand experience in coffee and tea, respectively. “I’m a coffee person and I spent about three months understanding the brew theory. We also handpick our beans from Coorg and get them roasted locally,” she adds. Our attention quickly shifts to the Zoozoo placed on the table. Yes, you heard it right! The Hibiscus Green Tea has a tiny Zoozoo (filled with decoction) placed in a cup of hot water and comes with an hourglass.
Moxa quickly informs, “You can make your tea as strong as you like it, with the help of the hourglass. If you like it strong, we suggest you wait for three rounds of it, while one round is enough for a light drink.” If you aren’t a fitness freak or if it’s your cheat day, we suggest you try their Hot Chocolate, topped with marshmallows. We take a quick glance through the elaborate food menu.
The highlight, however, is their breakfast section that covers cuisines from across the world — Israeli, English, Turkish and even Pakistani — served from 9 am to noon. As if on cue, the waiter brings us our first dish for the noon. We dig into a bowl of Haystack Salad — an assortment of fresh mixed greens with carrots, corn, Pico de Gallo and shredded cheese. The toppings of spiced walnut and crispy tortilla straws make the salad flavourful which even a junk food lover would enjoy.
Say, cheese!
After a generous dose of healthy food (with green tea and the salad), we crave for some cheese and calories! So for main course, we pick the Chicken Lasagne. Generously layered with minced chicken, cheese and topped with mozzarella, this dish is perfectly baked and makes for a satisfying meal. Vegetarians can opt for Pesto Panini.
Soon, the chef’s special Honey Mustard Grilled Chicken makes its way to the table. With a generous topping of sautéed mushrooms and mashed potatoes, this peppery entrée wins us over instantly. Although we loved the grilled chicken, we couldn’t help but pass it on, when we saw the much colourful Mini Very Berry Pancakes coming. A smaller portion of the usual pancakes, the blueberry dish, with a topping of chocolate sauce, is a comforting dessert to end your meal with.
Price for two: Rs.600.
Pics: R Satish Babu