Two great options for Mumbai's coffee lovers

For coffee lovers, this is an exciting time. There are enough things happening around the social beverage and we at sunday mid-day decided to give some of  them a try. The results? Read on...

Some days ago, I took my mother out for coffee at a popular joint. The moment she took the first sip, she declared, “I can make you coffee that’s five times better than this.” I’m confident to report that The Square, Café Coffee Day’s offering, won’t reproduce that effect. I visited the outlet at Nariman Point and took in the spacious interiors as Santosh S, Coffee Evangelist told me that they offer Single Origin Coffees — coffees that have been grown within a single-known geographical origin.

Colombian Supremo at The Square

I decided to try two international and two Indian out of the seven they offer there. The Colombian Supremo (all the Single Origin coffees are priced at R179) with its fruity notes was a mouthful, and so was the Ethiopian Supremo, with its hint of caramel and chocolate. The tangy Country Delight thin crust pizza (R229) and Mexican Nachos (R154) provided the perfect accompaniment to the coffees. The Mysore Nuggets Extra Bold was a smooth coffee, while the Indian Kathlekhan Superior was more rounded. And I, the coffee lover, savoured every sip.

The Square
At: First floor, CR2 Mall, Nariman Point
call: 9223600520

There’s always a mad scramble for seats at many Starbucks outlets. So, when we headed to the Khar branch on a Monday evening, we weren’t really surprised to find all tables occupied. But then a signboard beckoned us: it was calling out to design our own frappuccinos.

Caramel Frappuccino at Starbucks

Starbucks has moved one step ahead by letting customers create their own blend. We tried out three options to customise: the Java Chip Frappuccino (R165), the Mocha Frappuccino (R160) and the Caramel Frappuccino (R180), and customisation charges vary between R20 and R45. There’s an option of selecting regular, non-fat or soy milk (the latter lends a distinct taste to the frap); decaf, half-decaf or extra coffee; and the toppings such as caramel, vanilla, chocolate chips, whipped cream etc. More whipped cream, you might well ask. But it seems that those who don’t need to watch their weight, love this extra indulgence. We tried the extra coffee in our Java Chip frap and were not disappointed with the extra kick it gave us. The caramel frap — with decaf — was a little too sweet. The Mocha frap with non-fat milk and a sprinkling of vanilla made for a sweet note. Overall though, designing our own coffee turned out to be a great fun exercise.

Starbucks
At: Backstage building, 15th Road, Khar West and all other city outlets. call: 65650682

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