Feature| Cafe Coffee Day … delicious days are here again!

“I’d much rather hang out in a cafe. That’s where things are really happening.”
Joe Sacco

This visit was long overdue. My last Cafe Coffee Day ‘Mysore Royale’ session left me addicted to this beautiful blend of coffee, robust in flavour, royal in taste and always welcome. Not sure how they brew it at the Cafe, but at home a scant teaspoon of condensed milk seems to play the magic, the French Press a loyal companion! So when Cafe Coffee Day unveiled their fresh new food menu for Delhi and NCR in November I knew I had to make good on that invite soon, but I missed the first preview.A busy November with guests, a visit to Tokyo, more guests, teens exams meant the visit got postponed to December. December proved even tougher by way of time but I managed a visit 2 days ago. Its a great relaunched menu for the holiday season. Winter here means sipping those wonderful lattes. I had a fabulous hazelnut spiked latte at a leisurely pace enjoying the ambiance of the cafe on MG Road, Gurgaon, and then went onto menu sampling.

Here’s where the serious stuff is at. Seriously.
Simply put, Cafe Coffee Day is India’s favourite coffee shop, for the young and the young at heart. We’re part of India’s largest coffee conglomerate, the Amalgamated Bean Coffee Trading Company.

You should see our estates, there’s over 10,000 acres of rolling hills with the coffee shrubs making for lovely walks. There’s 11,000 small growers who make us who we are and we’re glad to be a part of their lives. And we’re not alone, there’s folks in the USA, Europe and Japan that buy coffee from us, making us the top coffee exporter from India!

To put in plainly we brought in the concept of cafes in India (this is where you thank us!). The first one opened in 1996 on Brigade Road in Bangalore. It’s been an exciting journey since then, becoming the largest organized retail cafe chain in the country. Oh, and if your travels take you to Vienna or Karachi Prague, do stop by our CCDs there for taste of the brew from home.

Asif, a marketing manager with CCD, talked me through the philosophy of India’s foremost cafe chain, the passion behind the company, also the thoughts that led to the new menu. Its a company driven by a hunger for perfection. Refreshingly, they look at competitors as positives, never talk down a rival, rather look to strengthen their position in the market by in-depth consumer insights, demographic researches, intuition, cafe food trends … and the ‘taste of youth‘. I love the driving force that youth today offer. Youth who don’t cringe from calling a spade a spade, folk who are brutally honest about their likes and dislikes, they know their minds, and can speak them … basically they’re very sorted out when it comes to keeping their tummies and wallets happy. The new foods, a host of 11 items, promise “to indulge your palette with flavours that are unique, relevant to a global audience, fresh and importantly, great value for money!”The new menus hottest selling item {sorry to begin with the sweet tooth, but they are attention grabbers} are these ‘Dessert Shots‘. They sell like hot cakes. Whats not to love about these neat little desserts that are one of the star attractions on the new menu, and are in two tempting flavours – Belgian Chocolate Shot and Mango Shot. Another winner to their revamped menu under ‘Small Eats‘ is this Cheesy Veg Croissant. Its a great vegetarian option {and delightful for non-vegetarians too} and ‘lite’ in every way. I doubted I could eat the whole croissant and was glad it was served in two portions. True to Asifs words, it was really light and I happily ate the whole serving! It’s a cold ‘sandwich‘ with crisp cucumbers and tomatoes, with a light blend of sauces and cheese within, offering you a touch of French delight! Who doesn’t like sandwich platters! I really enjoyed it, as I also enjoyed the delectable Chilli Cheese Toast. For those who prefer a warm off the grill, this is light, crisp and pleasing on the palette, a perfect starter! Featured in the ‘Small Eats‘ section, its a favourite breakfast or evening snack in different parts of the world.The next temptation I gave in too was a nibble from the ‘Big Eats’ offering of the teens Smoked Chicken Sandwich. Good light bread {something that I love and find lacking at a lot of eateries} with a handsome filling of chicken {unlike many local fast food joints where I find the helpings miserly and disappointing}. Here too the blend of sauces, salad and chicken formed a good balance … mmm, nice bite! The bread is soft and fresh, a pleasing crust with cornmeal, chipotle etc.I also had a nibble of the preteens Tandoori Chicken Sub which was ‘well filled‘ again, and slightly spicy thanks to the ‘tandoori‘ origins … delicious again. I couldn’t help but notice the generous stuffing in both sandwiches which offer good value for money. I hear that chicken on menus is a fast moving item in North India {NCR, Haryana and Punjab}.CCD indulges the sweet tooth, something high on the list of most young cafe goers, leaving them spoilt for choice. The offerings range from the revolutionary dessert shots, the classic Black Forest Cake served in a cup, CCD Indulgence among others. I dug into some ‘Indulgence‘ and it was delectable. A fudgy, deep, dark chocolate walnut brownie warmed just right, smothered in a caramel sauce … indulgent indeed. I wish I could have tried the Chocolate Fantasy or the Nutty Fudge Brownie but I had overindulged already, having been spoilt silly by Asif and his passionate team!!

{The above menu is currently available in Delhi NCR and will be launched in a phase wise manner in all the 1230+ cafes in cities across India. All pictures courtesy CCD. }

Thank you to Asif and his team at Cafe Coffee Day, and Aanchal and her team from Madison PR for hosting us!

Don’t miss a post
Also find me on The Rabid Baker, The Times of India