Dec 22, 2006 01:41 PM
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(Updated Dec 22, 2006 01:42 PM)
Hot and steaming or cold and frothy? A quickie or a long winding pleasure trip? Strong or mild? Makes you “rise” up or get fresh? Shakes you up or leaves you feeling comfortably warm? You prefer it in the morning or at night? Does it make you go Aahaa! Or Aaaahh?!
Now all you dirty minds (et tu Shyam?), I am just talking about Coffee! Well my daily cuppa does all this and more to me. I don’t know where my love for it started. As kids we used to have Bournvita everyday and Sunday mornings, along with Mickey Mouse and Rangoli on Doordarshan, we could have tea. *Then that someday it became coffee and I never really went back to tea ever again.
Now mornings start with a hot cup of coffee made by hubby (I make BAD coffee) and the day I don’t get daily dose of caffeine is not a very good day for me! Even a not so good cup of coffee can get me all upset (so I avoid making it as far as possible!)
In Mumbai, till we were in college, you very rarely had coffee outside. If you went to an Udipi, you would wash down your dosa with it. Most places served Nescafe in cream coloured cups and that’s it. A very typical cold coffee which you had when you were especially rich or had extra pocket money (it cost like 20bucks plus!).
Then somewhere around this time came in Barista, a cool and hep coffee place where you could hang out with buddies, go on a date to impress and generally be seen at. So what if the coffee cost 50rs at least?! I did go there a coupla times, but just didn’t like their coffee enough to spend 75rs for a glass.
Then came along Café Coffee Day. Saw the now familiar Pink- Purple boards springing up in quite a few places and socha lets try it once. Went in not expecting too much, but came back pleasantly surprised. Their coffees were tad more affordable and absolutely YUMMY! My pal used to love some of their joints because they had a jukebox and I was at times less important than that machine. Mayunk and I used to like going there because dates weren’t so expensive and they didn’t come n keep the bill on your table with saunf as soon as they served coffee! That’s what I meant by long winding pleasure trip that a cup of this beverage be. Conversation, sillies!
They have around 15 types of coffees (chaud et froid)) and then some new additions smoothies and granitas which least I am not a big fan of. The hot coffees start at around Rs.25 for your basic cappuccino to Rs.52 for their new addition Orange Mocha which is absolutely fantalicious if you are a fan of bitter sweet orange flavour. They are a bit kanjoos in adding the syrup, so feel free to ask for more. I love the regular Café Mocha, a strong coffee with dash of chocolate flavour. The cold coffees start at around 40bucks and my personal favourite is Devil’s Own a sinful preparation that sets you back by almost 80bucks, but you don’t mind the occasional indulgence. Another interesting thing they have is Chocochino, which is your hot n strong coffee with a scoop of chocolate ice creamand the warm n chilled taste is just awesome. Mayunk rarely orders anything but this on our visits to the café.
They have options of adding ice cream or flavoured sauces, ofcos, for an additional cost if it interests you, though I rarely ever bother.
They also serve a bit of chow and some great desserts, if you would like a snack along with your drink. New kid on the block is Mixed Grain sub kinda thing, which in its chicken form is super! Other stuff is usually pretty decent and most importantly fresh, though you don’t want to pay 25 hard earned rupees for firangi tasting samosas.
The ambience is cool and casual meant for their target group of youth. Sink in sofas to cane chairs, they invite you to just relax and chill. It doesn’t make sense to wait at a coffee day if it’s full ‘coz no one is in a rush to leave. If they were, they would have it at another local joint.
The service usually is quick and enthusiastic and at times they try to sell some merchandise, cookies etc. Yes, they do have T shirts, coffee mugs, coffee powder and cookies to sell also if you like em or want some souvenirs.
I have spent quite a good time in many of their joints. We still go there after tiring day, just to unwind a little bit and go back refreshed to cooking n cleaning! : )
So whether you are in a mood to get a caffeine kick or in so cheesed off that you feel like kicking some btt, just walk into the café and relaxxxxx.
The number of X’s are just co-incidental and have nothing to do with my title or doesn’t make any claims about aphrodisiacal quality of café coffee day’s beverage! Ask THE Doc!
