C you in SoBo: This Fort eatery serves up comfort and old-world charm with food

C is for community with a generous dollop of comfort at KMC the newest addition to Fortrsquos foodscape where this writer found herself on a drizzly evening Itrsquos where classic French windows double up as cosy nooks we could curl up here with a Christmasinabowl cocktail quietly watching the city go by Where a tall library corner mdash packed with works by JK Rowling Enid Blyton WB Yeats and RK Narayan mdash offers the promise of book exchanges and readings punctuated by steaming cups of Americano And where you might step in to power through a work lunch but end up turning back time with a typewriter maybe even type that longoverdue letter to your best friendQuiche x cheesecakeThe allday eatery which opens its doors tomorrow is led by chef Niyati Rao and Sagar Neve who wowed gourmands with their finedine Ekaa in December 2021 Like the neon asterisk signs that lead you up the winding wooden staircase of Kitab Mahal KM which houses KMC the duo shuns definitions reiterating that itrsquos not a cafeacute ldquoThe C is dynamic it can stand for club or culture for you a cafeacute for someone elserdquo points out Rao But community is at the heart of the space shares Neve ldquoBack in the day we had community spaces like baugs libraries or even Irani cafeacutes where people would not just eat but meet talk and even start movements Today therersquos a scarcity of such spacesrdquo he laments With a library corner booked with titles sourced from Horniman Circle a projectorprinter setup for working professionals a merchandise section of locally made journals macrameacute keychains quirky postcards and posters and of course a bar and kitchen that caters to all kinds of tastes they hope to draw Mumbaikars to a communityfirst eateryChocolate chip cookie with vanillabasil icecream right Poached pearThe food like at the nextdoor Ekaa is interpretive and packed with surprises but comes at friendlier price points Comfort and sometimes nostalgia spills into almost every dish created by Rao and chef patron Dhriti Mankame Take for instance brioche and podi Rs 300 a gourmet take on the classic bun maska with the cottonsoft buns dunked in chive butter and topped generously with a nutty podi masala Raorsquos craving for fresh seafood that she grew up eating at Madh Island inspires the musttry shrimp beignets and floss Rs 450 that combine the worlds of seafood and deepfried pastry The umami shrimp stuffing cooked with their secret spices melts into the sweetish dough that is topped with a fingerlickinggood prawn floss The veggie bowl of coffeeglazed and baked beetroots carrots Bhavnagri chillies and purple yams Rs 400 also impresses with a chatpata dressing and a light labnehSagar Neve Niyati Rao and Dhriti MankameWe make space for some dairy indulgence next as we taste the quiche x cheesecake Rs 500 Creamy but light the savoury take on cheesecake is addictive dig in all the way to get a load of that quiche crust and the hotandsweet red bell pepper jam The kurkure fried chicken Rs 500 pales in comparison for us but is elevated by a faintly sweet honey soy dressing and a spicy dip thatrsquos almost entirely butter We wash these down with a soothing Earl Grey and clarified guavainfused cocktail not so tanny Rs 935 that comes with a side of wiggly guava gelThe 70seater space also boasts of a mezzanine floor PicsAshish RajeThe streak of savoury experiments with sweet dishes also flavours banana bread with a tahini caramel drizzle and a salty miso icecream Rs 360 Likewise a herby aromatic vanillabasil icecream lifts a skillethot gooey chocolate chip cookie Rs 360 But if yoursquore that person who indulges in sappy Christmas movies all year round like yours truly pause eating to slurp the genius combination of winepoached pear Rs 975 and eggnog a cocktail that is served in a bowl Priced steeply but deeply satiating itrsquos the perfect pickmeup without having to unpack onersquos Christmas home deacutecor Maybe wersquoll come back for it and call dibs on the window seatThe library stocks poetry volumes travel and food reads and titles like Enid Blyton novels and the Harry Potter series among other booksKMCAt Kitab Mahal 1st floor shop no 2 Azad Maidan FortFrom Tomorrow 9 am to 12 amCall 9987653397