Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters, Novotel, New Town, Kolkata

Restaurant Name: Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters, Novotel, Kolkata
Phone: +918584077048
Address: Novotel, CF 11, Action Area, 1C, New Town, Kolkata, West Bengal 700029 India
Time: 08:00 AM – 10:30 PM
Meals for two: Rs. 800
Cuisines: Chinese, Cafe, Beverages, Fast Food
Facilities: Breakfast, Home Delivery, Indoor Seating, Desserts and Bakes

There are countless ways of taking your coffee up a notch.Whether you take yours black or with creme, connoisseur or not, you’re probably committed to getting it just right. And with an increasing number of coffee drinkers taking over the Asian tea countries, there are more coffee growers and experts coming forth, leading the way to consistently come up with the most effective brew.

With a spurt of serious cafes in town even in the pandemic era, we head to the secluded Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters conceived within the safety bubble of Novotel Hotel & Residences, Kolkata. It’s a perfect evening hideaway beating the lockdown status, into a demarcated section of the sprawling lobby with a lone barista, Jenga and Scrabble for company, if you please. The teal blue bucket seats are intimate and inviting, but feel free to choose the running bar counter with high stools at the far end to ensure social distancing. The edgy glass and metal work station poses as the live coffee lab with grinders, V60, Chemex, French Press et al. Did you know that a good cup of coffee is all about the grinder? You are supposed to wait until the last possible moment to grind your coffee before the brewing process begins, to prevent exposing the beans to increased rate of oxidation, resulting in muted flavors and subdued aromatics.

Blue Tokai Coffee Roasters, Novotel, Kolkata: Food

Blue Tokai, the coffee growers, has pledged for “sensory” experiential hand-crafted artisanal coffees from across gardens of south India, but this newest outlet seems to be featuring only one medium roast blended Arabica beans as of now, the Silver Oak Café, with tasting notes of hazelnut, honey and grapes. It’s the fun treatments that make all the difference, with an icing of signature hot/cold coffee tasting menus, crazy coffee cocktails and more. The anytime menu complements the rolling hours of the day from breakfast eggs to healthy seasonal bowls to fusion crepes, in addition to the coffee staples snacks, sandwiches and desserts.

We go with the flow to pick the hot coffee tasting menu (₹300) and a coffee tonic (₹270) to accompany the egg Florentine on croissant (₹299), crunchy calamari rings (₹499), shawarma marinated roast chicken strips, pita pockets (₹499) and shrimp pepper fry neer dosa crepe (₹399). Oh and couldn’t resist an espresso single shot (₹180) for a perfect nightcap.

Plus & Minus:

The hot tasting menu is an elegant tray in sight, with rituals in tow…First, literally smell the coffee in a branded jar, then the array of quick-shot Americano, a cutesy piccolo latte and a connoisseur’s slow-dripped pour over, with in-between splashes of chilled, flavored sparkling and basil water. The pour over hits the right chords adding dimension to the freshly ground beans, amping up the rich smoothness. The lightly toasted croissant, with warm poached eggs, spinach, indulgence of the hollandaise sauce and colored peppers salad clicks seamlessly.The pole dancing set of golden-crumb fried rings of calamari tubes are perky and chewy with the thrill of the chilli tamarind dip. Next, the grilled shawarma chicken filled pita pockets, crunchy veggies drizzled in bold and creamy garlic sauce, hummus and smoky tomatosesame dip pairs comfortably between dashes of the classy coffee and tonic water cold brew.And things heat up with the robust shrimp pepper fry wrapped in a crispy dosa wrap (which the menu describes as neer dosa crepe!). To close we choose the beautiful dark chocolate orange marmalade, rosemary tian (₹199), a playful tribute to love of dark chocolate, sticky marmalade and hint of rosemary in contrast to the last bitter shot of espresso.