The Caara brand has always stood for “conscious food”- sourcing chemical-free ingredients locally from their own farms or supporting local artisanal suppliers. With their new outlet at Chanakya Mall, they have tied up with the brand Nicobar, and have taken inspiration from the Nicobar Islands to curate a small plates menu that is tropical, light, and seasonal. They also have a lot of gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan options available on their menu.
We were invited for a tasting and started off our meal with the FarmLove Garden Greens, Pears and Mint Salad that had their farm-grown mix of greens, fennel, pomegranate seeds, and fresh, crunchy pears, topped with creamy goats cheese, and tossed in a lovely honey and rice vinegar vinaigrette, and was beautifully decorated with edible flowers that added a pop of color.
The Chili Avocado Toast, one of their signature dishes, was just as good (if not better) as when we tasted it at Caara Café at Ogaan. Nicely toasted whole wheat bread was served with smashed avocado that was flavored with chili, tomato, coriander, lime and sesame seeds, and drizzled with extra virgin olive oil, perfectly balancing the creamy avocado with the acid from the lime.
The Coriander, Corn and Kale Pancake was a great dish, and a nice introduction to kale for whoever has not tried it before. The pancakes were light and fluffy, had a nice kale flavor and were studded with juicy corn. The tamarind, tomato, and mango chutney and the FarmLove micro herb salad served atop the pancakes really uplifted the flavors of the dish.
The Chicken and Shitake Orange Glaze Meatballs was a splendid dish made with juicy chicken meatballs that were flavored delicately but beautifully, and were coated with a lovely orange glaze and sprinkled with sesame seeds. The orange, carrot, and millet salad served alongside really complemented the chicken well. This is a must-have dish here!
The Seared Atlantic Salmon had perfectly cooked, flaky and meaty Salmon served in a clear rasam broth that had deep, rich flavors. The buckwheat and potato mash served with the dish was also seasoned with South Indian spices that complemented the broth well. The only issue with this dish was that the Salmon had on its own without the broth was a tad bland as the flavors had not penetrated inside.
We even tried a few of their drinks- the Iced Café Latte had a strong flavor and was just adequately sweetened, the Nicobar Elixia, a mix of pineapple, mango, orange, banana, coconut water, and chia seeds was a very refreshing drink, the Caara Green Mango Spritz, which is their take on the aam panna, was tangy and spicy, and had a lovely flavor of rock salt, and the Banana Smoothie, which had banana, honey, and roasted peanuts, topped with CAARA granola mix was a heavenly drink.
We ended this meal with two great desserts. The Chocolate and Coffee Pots are a must have for all the chocolate and coffee lovers, as both flavors were strong, but balanced. The dish consisted of a thick and creamy dark chocolate flavored with Mysore CAARA coffee. From the texture to the taste, everything on the dish was perfect. The Date and Raw Coconut Sticky Toffee Pudding had a lovely warm, soft and spongy pudding with a toffee caramel center, topped with cherries, chocolate shavings, and coconut shards.
Though the place is a bit on the pricey side, if you’re all for “conscious eating” while relishing some delicious and beautifully plated dishes, do check this place out.
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