FOOD&nbsp;Scrumptious
SERVICE&nbsp;Attentive
AMBIENCE&nbsp;Breezy
COST&nbsp;Moderate
VERDICT&nbsp;Good
THERE&rsquo;S something about the idea of a members-only private club that gets our goat. Maybe, it&rsquo;s the imagery of a stuffy place where snooty people get together, inhaling their exclusive brand of rarefied air that has stoked our prejudices.
And so, we were pleasantly surprised to hear that the recently-launched Caf&eacute; Reed is nothing like that at all. As part of The Quorum that bills itself as &ldquo;the country&rsquo;s first home-grown private club&rdquo;, this all-day dining caf&eacute; &mdash; that&rsquo;s open to walk-ins and non-members as well &mdash; is like a refreshing gust of breeze.
Sitting eight floors above terra firma, ensconced within panels of glass, this airy caf&eacute; has a botanical motif running through its interiors that is referenced by potted plants, chintzy wallpaper and lotus pad-shaped mesh pendant lighting. While one section of the caf&eacute; features a shelf of coffee table books under the CMYK imprint that are on sale, an entire wall functions as a mini gallery. Black and white prints by contemporary photographer Rohit Chawla are also on sale, in collaboration with art advisory firm, Artery India.
But it&rsquo;s art of the edible kind that caught our fancy. Caf&eacute; Reed&rsquo;s menu that primarily features European classics along with a few Indian and Pan Asian options &mdash; as well as a range of breakfast dishes &mdash; is a straightforward one devoid of frou-frou and drama that we&rsquo;ve been seeing a lot of at most new restaurants that we&rsquo;ve visited.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2021/dec/French Onion Soup 1_e.png" alt="" width="1280" height="720" />
French Onion Soup
The French onion soup (Rs 450) is a superb example of a classic done right. The intense, savoury flavour of the caramelised onions in a rich brown broth served as the perfect foil to the creaminess of the cro&ucirc;te sitting atop the bowl. It featured Gruy&egrave;re cheese melted over a disc of toasted bread.
Next, we took a short detour to Japan with our choice of drink. The yuzu mint sour (Rs 275) was a zesty, non-alcoholic drink headlined by the Japanese citrus fruit, lime, mint and demerara sugar. It was topped off with a splash of ginger ale for a spicy finish.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2021/dec/Untitled design_e.png" alt="" />
Oven Roasted Spring chicken; Yuzu Mint Sour (right)
For the mains, we returned to the comforts of another classic. This time, we called for the oven roasted spring chicken (Rs 795) made in the traditional French poulet r&ocirc;ti style. What we got was a perfectly made half bird that was unbelievably succulent, replete with crispy skin bursting with flavour. Accompanying this was a trio of saut&eacute;ed veggies in the form of buttered asparagus spears, red radish rounds and broccoli florets. The choice of sauce that came with it was a punchy red peppercorn jus that shone with the almost raw mango-like taste of the pepper berries. And though our chicken came with a side of creamy mashed potatoes, we couldn&rsquo;t resist calling for some more (Rs 250). It was ridiculously good and more-ish.
<img src="http://images.mid-day.com/images/images/2021/dec/Basil Panna Cotta 2_e.png" alt="" />
Basil Panna Cotta
Sitting pretty in a jaunty, retro-style coupe glass, our dessert for the afternoon was a delicate basil panna cotta (Rs 375) and a fitting final act to a memorable meal. The tart top layer of raspberry coulis provided an acidic balance to the clean, herbaceous taste of basil and the milky richness of the set custard, while the shortbread cookie crumbs offered much-appreciated texture to this Italian dessert.
AT Caf&eacute; Reed by The Quorum, One World Center, Tower 2A, 8th floor, Parel.
TIME 8 am to 12 am
CALL 7208898778
CAFE REED DIDN`T KNOW WE WERE THERE. THE GUIDE REVIEWS ANONYMOUSLY AND PAYS FOR ITS MEALS.
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Perched on midtown office building, a new all-day café offers a menu peppered with elevated old school classics in a contemporary, botanical-themed setting

Classic goes chic

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Classic goes chic

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