Address: 23/13, Khader Nawaz Khan Rd, Srirampuram, Thousand Lights West, Thousand Lights, Chennai, Tamil Nadu 600006 India
Time: 12 Noon to 11 PM
Meals for two: Rs. 500
Cuisines: Cafe, Fusion
Facilities: Breakfast, Home Delivery, Vegetarian Only, No Alcohol Available, Valet Parking Available
Deconstructed Cafe, Nungambakkam, Chennai: Decor
This is my first visit to the space that once housed Park Pod. A lot has changed, I think, as I climb to the first floor of Deconstructed Cafe. One look at the furniture in the well-lit restaurant makes me wonder if deconstructed also means tilted? Brown furniture on a wooden floor… till I notice the chairs look tilted, reminding me of the Crooked House nursery rhyme. Half expecting to slide off my perch, I gingerly sit on a long brown sofa, lined up against one wall, and, thankfully, stay put.
Deconstructed Cafe, Nungambakkam, Chennai: Food
A take on the channa samosa with a blend of Burmese soup, the reddish, rasamlike channa patty soup has well-cooked, whole chickpeas and is as piping hot as it is pungent. But the samosa that sits in the middle, like an island, decides to remain tough and unbreakable. Once I manage to get through, the filling merges nicely with the soup, and the outcome is nice enough.
To cool down a bit, I decide on the sinful red velvet cupcake freakshake. It actually has a cupcake suspended on top of the jar and chocolate dribbles all over the sides. Quite a sweet, sinful meal all by itself, if that is all you want.
Since I am already on sin road, and those peri peri fries look well-dusted and inviting, I munch on a handful of the delicious stuff. Hot, fresh and comfortably predictable, they have the welcome hint of garlic.
Mozzarella spinach bites are quite good by themselves, with mozzarella cheese adding stringiness to the otherwise crisp and textured spinach. What captures my interest is the King-size masaledaar. Bitesize discs hold the most flavourfilled channa masala, topped with hung curd that holds a tang and carries the garlic flavor quite proudly.
The classic d’lite pizza has me taking a closer look, un-twirling the layers, just to see if the filling has gone all the way or will I have to contend with lumps of the base with no taste. It has, and I find every bite quite a delight, with jalapeno, corn, bell pepper slivers enhancing the homemade sauce.
Dessert (yes, another one) is called deconstructed blueberry cheesecake. The cream cheese comes in the middle, with one row of digestive biscuit crumble and another of blueberry compote on either side. As pretty as a picture, but that row of blueberry compote is totally unnecessary, too sweet and I wish they’d done something better than crumbling up digestive biscuits.
Deconstructed Cafe, Nungambakkam, Chennai: Plus And Minus
Young and enthusiastic, the team of partners is quite open to suggestions and take feedback in the right spirit — positively.