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regular-article-logo Thursday, 05 December 2024

Serving people’s choice

The menu offers continental fare for meals big and small. “We realised customers crave continental breakfast options, so we are offering everything from fruit and chocolate almond bowls, pancakes, and different kinds of eggs"

Brinda Sarkar Published 29.11.24, 04:40 AM
Grilled Fish in Paprika Sauce

Grilled Fish in Paprika Sauce

Yes, that’s yet another new cafe in an already saturated township. But this one claims to set itself apart with a personal touch and crowd-sourced ideas and suggestions.

The founder of Aldo, in CD Block, hails from a remote village in North Dinajpur. “But I was always ambitious. I started a vlog (video blog) a few years ago, and covered on it our recent shift to New Town. It generated much excitement among followers, so I decided to start a cafe next and featured every step — the highs and lows — of creating the cafe,” says Mousumi Sarkar.

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And voila! The 40-seater Aldo has now opened its doors opposite Raja Rammohun Library Foundation.

Mousumi has incorporated her followers’ suggestions into every aspect of the cafe. While she isn’t a pet person herself, she has heeded their requests and created a pet-friendly outdoor seating area. She has also chosen seasonal flowers and even the cafe’s colour scheme based on their preferences. “When we shared the colour of our new home in Action Area 2D, it drew a lot of interest. So we decided to paint the cafe the same shade of cream,” Mousumi smiles.

The menu offers continental fare for meals big and small. “We realised customers crave continental breakfast options, so we are offering everything from fruit and chocolate almond bowls, pancakes, and different kinds of eggs.”

There’s Shakshouka (Rs 280), a tedious Central Asian dish where the tomato puree alone needs to simmer for two hours, as well as Turkish eggs, that are poached eggs served over garlic-yogurt and drizzled with a spicy butter sauce.

“People assume vegetarian fare to be boring, so we offer options like the Garlic Confit Bruschetta Platter. This serves three crunchy sourdough slices with spreads of creamy spinach, mushroom, and tangy tomato (Rs 430). The sourdough is healthier than regular bread and won’t get soggy either,” says head chef Riju Debnath.

The cafe has been trying to promote healthy eating options, offering dishes like the Keto Salad. Inspired by the ketogenic diet, it tosses together two kinds of lettuce, bell pepper, cherry tomato, cucumber, and broccoli, with a sweet and sour lemon dressing. It may be customised with the addition of chicken or eggs.

Also, their pastas use rawa instead of flour. The Creamy Spaghetti Pesto Pasta (Rs 370) has been getting rave reviews for its homemade pesto sauce, which is also used in their Pesto Chicken Wings (Rs 360).

The only flour-based pasta option is the Mushroom and Spinach Ravioli, made with a homemade pasta sheet and a secret orange juice-based sauce.

“Our pizzas aren’t typical thin-crust pizzas but have soft, fluffy bases. I recommend the Barbecue Chicken and Chicken Chorizo options,” says the chef. “For the latter, we roll up and compress minced meat, then slice it like sausage and add it as pizza toppings.”

In the main course, try the Grilled Fish in Paprika Sauce that is served with sweet corn rice and vegetables. The sauce here is a pink blend of red and white pasta sauce, peri-peri, and fresh cream. There’s also Mushroom Stuffed Chicken with Red Wine Jus. The “jus” is a type of bone broth, and the dish is served with mashed potatoes.

The café also has a slightly secluded space with a long table and six chairs, perfect for working. “This is a neglected segment, and we’ve been getting customers who come with their laptops and work all day while sipping coffee,” says Mousumi.

Cold coffee lovers can opt for the Creamy Delight Frappe, while hot coffee enthusiasts can try the Hazelnut Cappuccino. For tea, there’s Darjeeling First Flush and other varieties, as well as several kinds of mojitos.

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