This new Colaba café is all about comfort food and community

On a wet grey afternoon after crawling through Mumbairsquos slowerthanusual traffic when we step into Mag St Cafe in Colaba the unmistakable aroma of freshly baked bread makes for the perfect welcome The city thankfully fades away behind the shiny glass doors that lead us first to the droolworthy display of Mag St Bread Corsquos croissants cinnamon rolls brownies and Danishes Before long we gladly find ourselves in a kidinacandyshop situationInteriors of the spaceThe allday cafeacute mdash opening today mdash by restaurateurs Gauri Devidayal and Jay Yousuf wears a breezier vibe than its predecessors Miss T and Mei 13 The owners scuttle around adding final touches to the 80seater twostoreyed space mdash their anxious excitement palpable Fingerscrossed third timersquos the charm Of course the pandemic set the ball rolling for the cafeacute they tell us Mei 13 the last restaurant was open for barely 10 days before COVID19 struck ldquoInstead of endlessly waiting for the chefs who were stuck overseas we decided to work locallyrdquo Devidayal shares about the cafeacute which also houses their bakery Mag St Bread Corsquos first retail outletEggplant ParmesanThe idea is to offer a casual space centred on comfort food consciousness towards the planet and a sense of community ldquoThe comfort is all about the food beverages and space But we also want people to engage with the space in a way thatrsquos not just about diningrdquo says Devidayal a Colaba girl at heart True to word they already have a calendar of events planned including a guided walk around the neighbourhood book launches artsbased engagements and more ldquoThe third pillar is consciousness No wersquore not claiming to be 100 per cent sustainable but wersquore aware of the impact we have on the environmentrdquo she notes As the first mdash bold mdash step they will not provide disposable takeaway cups for beverages Instead the focus is to prompt people to carry their own tumbler Devidayal is nervous about the pushback ldquoBut I think that sometimes to make a little change you have to take a slightly tough standrdquoJalapentildeo and pepperoni calzoneThe expansive menu offers everything from breakfast favourites and cuppas to Asian flavours Mag St Toppingsrsquo pizzas and global treats We start off with a fried calamari Rs 485 thatrsquos par for the course and the crunchy and dense corn curd Rs 325 balls that we canrsquot get enough of A refreshing avocado salad Rs 585 arrives next elevated by a sweetish dressing with bits of pomegranate and pomelo We wash these down with a heady matchalaced Itrsquos My tai Rs 575 The Happy Mahayana Rs 575 however fails to live up to its nameRare bf tenderloin and sobaThe slurpygood rare bf tenderloin and soba Rs 595 served chilled is a delicate balance of flavours and textures and definitely one of the reasons to make a trip from the suburbs The other reason is a superindulgent cheesy jalapentildeo and pepperoni calzone Rs 500 though the pretty eggplant Parmesan Rs 650 also hits the spot As we end our visit with a decadent little choco lava cake Rs 375 we notice curious passerby dropping in lured by the delicious display of bakes And so we pick a Korean cream cheese bun Rs 175 that we pack home for a garlicey creamy midnight binge Like we said comfort on a plateKorean cream cheese bunReminiscent of the kidsrsquo special mats at Bombay Blue the cafeacute offers activityfilled table matsGauri Devidayal and Jay YousufTime Bakery from 7 am breakfast from 8 am to 1030 am allday menu from 11 am to 10 pmAt 4 Mandlik Road ColabaCall 22801144