04 December,2015 08:15 AM IST | | Suprita Mitter
AKA, an all-day cafe replaces 212 in Worli, offering classic continental delights while balancing style and food effortlessly
AKA
AKA
Food: Very good
Service: Quick
Ambience: Chic
At 9.30 pm on a weekday, we happened to be the only guests at AKA, a newly opened all-day cafe near Worli's Nehru Centre that has replaced Two One Two: Bar & Grill. The large mirrors made the place look more spacious while the bright, geometric patterns on upholstery matched with the walls, giving the eatery an elegant vibe.
The Pan Seared Ahi Tuna Salad. Pics/ONKAR DEVLEKAR
The cafe is co-owned by Alok Agrawal, Aditya Agrawal and Jayesh Khatri, who also own the fashion brand LFI-Love From India (their neatly done store is beside the restaurant).
As we began to browse the menu, the staff informed us that these were temporary cards. The final version would look like a fashion magazine, and was still in the making. The menu largely included continental classics. Just like fusion food or regional specialties, classics can also be difficult to recreate. The test will be tough, we thought.
Panko Crusted Cajun Chicken Burger
The restaurant is yet to receive a liquor license; we were told that the bar would be operational in 10 days. Since we couldn't begin with a drink, we took the soup route and opted for the Cappuccino Of Wild Mushroom, Truffle Oil Soup (Rs 325). First impressions last long, and this one did set the tone. The creamy soup, with mildly flavoured garlic bread, was delicious. We wished this was served in a coffee cup, though. The Pan Seared Ahi Tuna Salad (Rs 490) with green beans, soft-boiled eggs and oven roasted tomatoes was even better. What made this dish stand out was the lemon dressing on the tuna, which brought out the flavours of the steamed fish. From the appetisers, Barbeque Spiced Chicken Wings with a Blue Cheese Dip (Rs 575) and the Panko Crusted Cajun Chicken Burger with Emmenthal Cheese and Romaine Lettuce (Rs 725) were good too. The sweet and sour chicken wings were so much better than the fried variety available at fast food joints.
Barbeque Spiced Chicken Wings
Salted Caramel Tart
The Pepperoni Pizza (Rs 825) with its perfect crust and the Lasagne Bolognaise (Rs 675), with its traditional homemade recipe would have made the Italians proud. Even though the food was great, we'll have to admit that their desserts remained the high point of our meal. The Salted Caramel Tart (Rs 395), with its hard exterior and delightfully warm, salted caramel filling, served with vanilla ice cream, had us sighing with the first bite. It disappeared from our plate within seconds. The thick, smooth homemade Dulce De Leche ice cream (Rs 195) didn't disappoint either. Just when we thought we would have to walk back home (an hour away), the restaurant threw in a complimentary Rose petal ice cream. The delicate rose flavour pushed us to spoon out this sweet dish till the dessert glass was wiped clean. Double thumbs up!
