The butter beer, we mean. Bored of the anonymous fare dished out at coffee chains in the neighbourhood? Stop by for good food and even better dessert
The evening that we stopped by this split-level coffee shop we imagined ourselves in the Manolos of one of our favourite TV characters: Carrie Bradshaw from Sex and the City. Could it be — we imagined ourselves furiously typing into our PowerBook G3s — that men (audible gasp!) can’t help, but lie? We prodded for an answer that we couldn’t find on our plates; an answer that the four lovely young women, sitting on the table adjacent to us, had answered in the affirmative.
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No, the Butter Beer does not have any alcohol in it, and gets its flavour, and possibly even part of its name, from the ‘butter’scotch extract that’s used in this refreshing drink. Pics/ Nimesh Dave
‘Yes!’ they commiserated with each other, as they sipped on butter beers and pink bubblegum Snow Frappés, pausing only to exclaim how much they enjoyed the former and found the latter to be “too sweet”. ‘All men lie’, ‘Even my mother says so’ and ‘You just have to accept it’ were among the more memorable exchanges.u00a0If nothing else, they were right about the Butter Beer (Rs 130). It’s a welcome change from the frappés that the coffee chains to the right of and above this place have been, and will soon be peddling.
Cuppa Joe is a tiny split-level caféu00a0that serves coffees, salads, sandwiches and all-day breakfast
Fried and tasted
Aside from coffees (yes, they do frappés too!) and teas, Cuppa Joe does paninis, sandwiches, salads, wraps, pastas and desserts. Their all-day breakfast menu includes eggs-to-order, as well as the surprising, but welcome addition of fries and chicken nuggets. For an additional charge of Rs 30 (each), you can choose from ‘Add-ons’ like mushrooms, chicken ham and bacon.
The Falafel Wrap (Rs 100) was a light snack of those Lebanese cutlets made with chickpeas, with pickled beetroot, carrot and zucchini batons lightly robed in mayo. We like. The Tomato and Mozzarella sandwich (Rs 115) was better than average, though — and this might be the first time we’ve actually had to say this — it could have done with less butter. The butter robbed the tomato and mozzarella of some of their flavours.
Experience has taught us to be wary of hyperbole, particularly in the names of dishes, so it was with some caution that we sampled the Ultimate Red Velvet Cake (Rs 150). Thankfully, we could throw caution to the winds, because this cake is good. It might not be the ‘ultimate’ (we live in endless hope), but it’s pretty darn good.
Cash is good
They don’t accept cards yet; so make sure to carry some cash along. Having said that, there are two ATMs on this stretch, so you could always dash out for a quick card swipe. u00a0We hope that at Cuppa Joe they continue to pay attention to the details, including packing paper napkins and cutlery. u00a0And to those four young women, whose conversation we shamefully eavesdropped on, we’d just like to say, ‘Don’t waste your time trying to read a man. Read a book instead; they’re far more complex.’
Cuppa Joe
Food: good
Service: helpful
Ambience: pleasant
At: Gagangiri Apartments, Carter Road, Khar (W).
Call: 26494040
Cuppa Joe didn’t know we were there. The Guide reviews anonymously and pays for meals.u00a0
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