Koel Cafe's Rebirth

Disclaimer: This will be a long review.

Photo Credit: Ali Soomro, aka Funty.

Do you guys remember Koel Cafe? Used to be the 'in' place a couple of years ago. People would rave about the food, the ambiance, the desserts and the service. And then it dwindled down to a place people would go to just for the Shikanjabeen and the molten lave cake (Koel Cafe was the first place to introduce it). And then slowly it dwindled down to 'just another place'. Stopped coming to the tip of the tongue when thinking about where to go.

And then came an invitation from Funty. 'You want to go try it?' Considering the love I used to have for the place, I said sure. And minus a few hiccups, I am SO glad I did.

Starting off with the chilie prawns, paneer tikka and artichoke and spinach dip as appetisers. The pita served along with the paneer and the artichoke dip were soggy and chewy when we first tried them. We asked for a replacement and the second batch was just as it should be. Crispy and hot. The paneer tikka we felt was a bit overdone and as it cooled, became harder. One friend felt there was no flavor in the paneer, but everyone else seemed to enjoy it. The artichoke and spinach dip was quite delicious, cheesy and thick, but no comparison to Pompei's artichoke and spinach dip. However, it did taste really nice. What stole the show for me was the chilie prawn. It was spicy, tangy sauce covering juicy, tender prawns. Served hot, it was a hit.

The tamarind sherbet, I have never liked, so went along with my all time favorite Shikanjabeen. I asked for it not to be too sweet and it was perfect. The little hit of black pepper rounded it off really well, and I thoroughly enjoyed it right down to the last slurp.

Moving on to the mains, I ordered the Chicken Breast with Fiery Jalapeno Salsa, and man oh man, did it live up to its name. The chicken breasts were tender, juicy, perfectly grilled. The sauce with it was flavorful but not for the faint of heart. If you have a low-spice level, don't order it. Same goes for the Moroccan Chicken. My friend who ordered it found it to be too spicy for him, but I thoroughly enjoyed the flavor, especially with the ginger rice served with it. Actual pieces of ginger in it. C'maannnn, who does that? Those little bits of generous ginger completely took the dish to a new level for me. The Pesto Pasta with Herbed Chicken was also enjoyed thoroughly, as was the potato crusted chicken and the fish with tarragon sauce. Every single person enjoyed their dishes, at least after Funty exchanged his fish with Hassu's Moroccan Chicken, and not a single complaint for the mains.

The desserts were both stunning, as the pictures may tell you. The banofee was bang on with the crust, salted caramel, bananas and yummy chocolate. The molten lava cake was JUST as I remembered, if not better. The chocolate just oozed out of there and served warm, it was perfection for chocolate lovers.

Let me just point out that Koel Cafe does not have portions like Arizona Grill and Roasters. The food if ordered correctly can be very filling and leave one feeling extremely satisfied, but if you have large appetites, don't expect a leftovers ka doggy bag for home. I would suggest ordering appetisers, mains and desserts if you feel you'll be left hungry. The serving portions were perfect for my friends and I.

The ambiance and the service, needless to say was brilliant. Staff was attentive, the place was beautiful and if you sit inside, no bugs. I'll definitely be suggesting Koel Cafe next time I go out! You should too.