26 July,2014 10:23 PM IST | | Rinky Kumar
Tucked in a corner at Worli Village, Cafe Nemo, which opens on August 1, boasts of minimalistic settings and offers light food with complex flavours, making it a perfect hangout for friends
On a Tuesday evening, as we made our way towards the soon-to-be-opened Cafe Nemo at Worli Village, we were transported to an alternate world.
The interiors of Cafe Nemo are done in monochrome shades with a splash of yellow ochre
The city's frenzy diminished and there was a lull in the air. The eatery's black and white interiors with a splash of yellow ochre were a stark contrast to the shanties that were a stone's throw away. Cafe Nemo has two dining rooms, a bar area with folding tables and a banquet hall with a seating capacity of 70 people.
A mural in monochrome tones resembling the map of the Worli village adorns the walls of the restaurant while one side has a panel with a keychain hanger-like element that showcases origami work. We started our meal with the Pickled Lotus Root & Peanut Salad (Rs 299). The citrus chilli marinade and aromatic herbs were light on our palate and the fried shallots added a good crunch.
The Fungi Timpano and The Chicken Seoul Bowl were the star dishes of our meal. Pics/Sayyed Sameer Abedi
Next, we opted for the Steamed Popiah (Rs 364). The combination of veggies, sprouts and plum hoisin was complimented by the chillies on the steamed Thai-style spring roll. The BBQ Tofu Bao (R364) had tofu pieces in a tamarind chilli sauce along with babycorn and slaw nestled in fresh steamed buns. The tamarind chilli sauce was a tad too sweet for us.
Next up, the Fungi Timpano (Rs 545) was pasta with a twist. Covered by a sheet of rice flour, it looked like a pie with a filling of ziti, wild mushroom bolognaise and gruyere. It had the right hint of sweetness and spiciness.
Despite the sour cream, queso, salsa and slaw in the Chickentinga Soft Shell Taco (Rs 364), we found the taco bland. The Chicken Seoul Bowl (Rs 550), made with sticky rice, secret sauces, greens, fresh herbs, chilli, peanuts and fried shallots and topped off with a fried egg, was comfort food at its best.
The slight crunch of the vegetables set off the stickiness of the rice and the sauces well. For dessert, we chose Lamington (Rs 245) and Dark Chocolate Pot De Creme (Rs 245). The former a cake slathered with black berry jam and dusted with dessicated coconut was mildly sweet. But the latter was rich and gooey and left a lasting impression on us.
While the restaurant's location is off the beaten track, if you are in the mood to try Asian food, devoid of Indian Chinese flavour, then Café Nemo is a good place to hang out with friends.
