Hand your coffee to the dungeon master at this Chennai cafe and taste a little adventure

Almost all coffee shops come with an intriguing story. Not just beans and brews, but a person behind it who gambled a little, dreamed a little, and poured it all into a cup. Konkrete by Blue Bean, the new cafe in Anna Nagar, comes under that category.

Pour-over precision in Anna Nagar

The brainchild of Raghav Ethan, whose first endeavour was born the scrappy way, a swipe of a credit card. Raghav points out how difficult it is to find a consistent vendor in Chennai, with dark roasts one day and light the next. So for his second establishment, he sources straight from Chikmagalur.

At Konkrete, he wants every sip to feel familiar. The plan is to add flavours later, strawberry lattes and vanilla riffs might make their way to the menu, but for now, it’s pure and simple: coffee, honey, and brown, sugar.

Our evening started with a quirky line-up. The Dungeon Master, inspired by Raghav’s time in the US, is more than just the concoction he just whipped up. It borrows from a coffee culture trend where you hand the reins to the barista, much like the “Dungeon Master” in Dungeons & Dragons. They create something for you, and you pay as much as you feel it’s worth. Here, the name carries that same spirit of trust and surprise. Ours was a double espresso and condensed milk. The condensed milk smooths out the bite, coaxing us to reach for the next sip faster than usual.

The Egg coffee arrives as a visual spectacle, viscous, frothy, almost dark velvet in a cup. The flavour is divisive. Not bitter, not sweet, but carrying a distinct egg hit here and there that some will find bold, others off-putting. Then there’s the Spanish coffee, classic in spirit but served with oat milk (curse our lactose intolerance). The oat note takes over, leaving it balanced but subdued.

A quick detour into tea territory brings the Matcha latte. Scalding hot, it leaves a green trace on the rim with every sip. Lighter than expected, thin rather than creamy, sourced from the US. Add a swirl of honey if you prefer body.

The food here is all about comfort and convenience. Brownies, cookies, Korean cream cheese buns, even dollar pizzas, the menu shifts by the day and the price tag does too. We tried what’s on for the day, the Korean cream cheese bun. Simple, soft, no frills with that garlicy goodness.

We close with a pour-over, Pour over V60 to be precise, classic, precise, nothing more to ask for. Except maybe less jittery limbs, because by now the caffeine has taken full hold of us.

Meal for two: Rs 400+. From 2 pm to 10 pm. At Konkrete, Anna Nagar.

Email: shivani@newindianexpress.com
X: @ShivaniIllakiya

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