Service is polite and attentive, despite the seemingly endless waves of food photographers and selfies | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Predictably, the influencers came first. As with all new spaces boasting flattering lighting and Insta-pretty interiors, the Entrance Café was covered in an avalanche of smiley faces, tousled hair and hashtags all over social media for weeks after its launch. Because #FoodieGoalz obviously. And don’t forget to #TagYourSquad.
I leave my team behind to sneak off and assess the menu in cynical silence. Two girls are busy getting perfect profile pictures on the front door, a project that apparently requires six iterations and multiple reapplying of lipstick. When I’m finally inside, I’m pleasantly surprised by how welcoming the space is: more than 5,000 square feet, divided into indoor and outdoor dining, with a relaxed balcony and smaller upstairs rooms filled with palm trees, orchids, and that comfortingly happy smell after freshly brewed coffee.
But is the food #DroolWorthy as they say on the gram? I order pumpkin gnocchi and coleslaw from a cheery waitress who takes my order after running up the stairs and balancing an impressive variety of glasses with athletic ease. The menu is thoughtfully designed and offers interesting spins on comfort food and global cafe fare: pan-seared baos stuffed with banana blossoms and mushrooms, pickled prawn tortellini and chicken tandoori ‘naanzas’.
The menu is thoughtfully designed and offers interesting spins on comfort food and global cafe dishes | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The gnocchi features sweet and spicy pumpkin in a sumptuous sauce infused with chives. Pairs well with kale, massaged into soft curls, topped with sliced dates and shiitake mushrooms. The espresso that follows is dark but fruity, proving that careful planning has gone on behind the scenes – the coffee constantly poses challenges, from sourcing and roasting to the demanding process of making a suitably creamy espresso. I combine it with palm trees, crunchy with caramelized sugar.
Service is polite and attentive, despite the seemingly endless waves of food photographers and selfie takers. As it turns out, this isn’t just another Instagram cafe. And chef Mrinmoy Acharyya – who divides his time between cycling around Goa and cooking in Chennai – is determined to create and maintain a menu that is more than just photogenic.
When we meet in a cafe later in the week, he describes his food philosophy as “a simple menu, beautifully put together.” Expressing his confidence in the consistency of the food, he says his kitchen team, many of whom are from Mumbai, is made up of friends he has worked with over the years. “We have a great connection besides work. And they have a sense of ownership, so it’s more of a team menu than a chef-driven one.”
Saying they try to source good ingredients from across the country – their flour is from Madhya Pradesh, their lamb from Rajasthan and their chorizo from Goa – Mrinmoy says the menu has been designed to offer options for everyone, regardless of whether you are vegetarian, vegan or gluten-free.
Next up is a bakery called Yeast Grove, which will feature chicken tikka croissants, red spinach and mushroom quiche and pepper chicken puffs. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The weekend breakfast menu is in the works and should be launched in a few weeks. “We’re trying to make it different, so there will be some Asian food as well,” he says, such as okonomiyaki or Japanese savory pancakes. All with their signature ‘Entrance Blend’ coffee sourced and roasted by Marc Tormo, Auroville’s popular coffee specialist.
Next up is a bakery called Yeast Grove, which Mrinmoy promises will feature some “fun things like chicken tikka croissants, red spinach and mushroom quiche, and pepper chicken puffs.” Declaring that “things will be familiar but thoughtful,” he says the takeaway-focused space to open in Adyar will also bake celebratory cakes.
Meanwhile, the chefs at the Entrance Café are busy preparing for Christmas. The cafe promises a picturesque month: order the mince pies and don’t get stuck with the influencer.
The Entrance Café is at 4, 63, Taylors Road, Kilpauk. A meal for two is approx ₹ 1500. Call 063747 12648 for reservations.