Taste test: Here's why you can visit this cafe in Santacruz

Mock-meat burger

Ever wondered if the Haas avocados from Peru, Mexico or New Zealand are really worth the significantly heftier price tag as compared to their humbler South Indian counterparts? Or, if a rustic caviar was better suited to your dinner party than, say, a buttered or a pressed alternative? What if you could not only obtain accurate answers to these ephemeral questions but also stock your pantry with the top-shelf versions of every essential (and indulgence) under the same roof? And, what if you could savour produce that has a better-travelled passport than you, in ingredient-forward preparations, rustled up in a live kitchen even before you paid for your purchases? That's exactly what Food Square - a gourmet food destination that's replaced erstwhile Food Hall on Linking Road - purports to do.

A plate of avacado and halloumi fries

As co-founder Lalit Jhawar explains, "With Food Square, we wanted to offer a gourmet food retail experience like none other - one that is centred on discovery and experience, allowing customers to not only return for their favourites but also explore the highest quality produce and make these a part of their routine diets. To make these ingredients more accessible and interesting, we came up with the concept of The Barn, a café that specialises in dishes prepared from produce sourced for and sold at Food Square, in a seasonal, ever-evolving format."

The sushi cake is flavoured with spicy mayo and togarashi

Simply put, the menu is frequently updated as per the season's best offerings, and even the source of staples such as tomatoes, asparagus and avocados, is shifted to ensure optimal freshness. As a hat-tip to local gourmet confectioners, the dining area is flanked by enticing displays from Sivako and Genda Phool. We stopped by on a lazy Saturday to put these claims to the test, and offer you our recommendations.

The hits

The cafe's interiors have a minimalistic vibe

The menu is well-edited, with a judicious mix of popular favourites and innovative twists. A stellar example of the latter was Jhawar's recommended avocado and halloumi fries (R650). Coated with a peri peri and cajun spice-infused panko crumb that was mild enough to let the subtle flavours and buttery textures of the avocado and the halloumi shine through, this dish was a satisfying if slightly guilty indulgence. The Truffle tortellini (Rs 675) was our next pick - the pasta was freshly made; the arugula lacked the bitter aftertaste that (as we learned) accompanies its lowlier variants, and the burnt butter sauce was delicate enough to have us lapping up the last spoonful.

The truffle tortellini is served in a rich burnt butter sauce

The chef also rustled up a mock-meat burger (Rs 675), which came garnished with caramelised onion, crisp lettuce, tomato and gherkins, sandwiched between fluffy house-baked Hokkaido bread. Although slightly suspicious about mock-meat (we've tried and been disappointed by a fair few), The Barn nailed the flavour and texture, serving up a burger we'd come back for again. Our only grouse was the thickness of the buns - not being a fan of excessively bread-y preparations; we knocked off one half for a perfectly satiating dish. The menu also offers a handful of desi ‘ghar-ka-khana'-style preparations, including a piquant poha tari (Rs 250), rajma chawal (Rs 350) and Delhi-style chana masala and kulcha (R350). While the poha-tari was much too spicy for us to appreciate, the chana masala proved to be one of the highlights of our meal.

Lalit Jhawar

The misses

Curiosity kills the cat as well as your appetite, as we found when we tentatively enquired after the crispy sushi cake (Rs 575). The avocado version that arrived soon after was flavoured with spicy mayo, ponzu and togarashi, but even that valiant trio couldn't distract us from the fact that we were chowing down on a thick fried slab of sticky rice.

Our verdict

All in all, The Barn scores big on several fronts - the portions are generous, the food is undoubtedly fresh, and the menu has something for everyone. The prices are affordable. The café also has an excellent selection of coffee, a tell-tale sign that the founders understand all too well the competitive and snooty market they're catering to.

At: Lower Ground Floor Plot, Food Square, Linking Road, Santacruz West.
Time: 7 am to 10 pm (all days)
Call: 9833355200