Category Archives: World Cafes

03.18.21
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Pondicherry Diaries

Well, I just had to break my blogging fast and what better way than to do it over a pleasant and memorable staycation!!! What makes this post even more special is the fact that it revolves around a place which both me and my husband wanted to visit for long time, i.e., Pondicherry.

And yes, our holiday was most relaxing and rejuventaing for it is a peaceful and quaint place you wouldn’t ever mind.

Our Stay

We, both opted for villa stays and because we wanted to experience as much over our short stay, hence, we stayed a night at the suite available at Villa Shanti which is also extremely well known for its food and the second night we stayed at La Villa. We learnt later that both these places have the same owner. La Villa is quieter we felt, one of the reasons being it has very few rooms but no complains as the place is very modern, clean and comfortable. Sitting out in the mornings and evenings was truly blissful.

Villa Shanti
La Villa

Eating Out

There are lots of good cafes to check out in Pondicherry. One of the most popular and loved ones is Coromandel Cafe and it does live up to all the hype as the food was great and good quality. Also, when in Pondicherry- you have to binge on crepes and croissants because they are just too yum. For croissants, we would enjoy them throughly at the breakfast offered by our villas. And for crepes, we headed to Cafe des Arts in White Town itself. For bakery items, you just have to visit the Baker Street. Another cafe we had checked out was the PY Cafe which not only is done up well but it also promotes the idea of hand-written letters and posts them for you. And while we were hungry and hunting for a place to eat, we landed up right in front of The Promenade and opted for a buffet.

Breakfast at Villa Shanti
Breakfast at La Villa

Auroville

Auroville is a beautiful story in itself. There’s just so much on offer here. And yes, there is great shopping and eating too.

Shopping

When in Pondicherry, do pick up chocolates, jams, peanut butter, mustard and such items as we did too. And yes, I picked up lots of cottons- dresses, skirts and tops and I love them all. Pottery from Pondicherry is famous too.

This was my take, now I am waiting for yours.

Love,
Sonali

12.22.16
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CAFE CRUSH: TREW ERA CAFE,LONDON

Hey, so it is truly the season to be jolly! We hope that you are making the most of this time of the year 🙂 With the World being our stage and a global outlook, we thought it is best to further expand our horizons and without any delay- we should virtually visit some of our favourite places and unravel them well.

This desire took us to London to talk about a fun and buzzing café called the Trew Era Café which has also led us to start a brand new series called the Café Crush where we shall together discover some of the worthwhile cafes from around the World. We are excited, already!!!

We got lucky as despite being such a busy time of the year we got some great deets from their star chef- Michele Kirsch who also confesses to be a general chatterbox. Quite a combination, isn’t it? A pair of magical hands and someone to have hearty conversations with, Michele- we are your fans! She has been with the café since its inception in 2015. Now, let us get taking about this café and its offerings…

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Q: It truly does sound like a great and fun place with much meaning and purpose. Now, let us get talking about what we love the most i.e. food. So, for all sandwich-lovers, please be extra kind and help us add a dash of creativity to our breakfast menus…

A: One popular lunch dish is a sandwich of whole meal bread (or white or gluten free) with hummus and char grilled peppers flavoured with sumac-a lovely, slightly smoky but slightly fruity seasoning. Some people add a bit of feta cheese for more protein. Our toasties are very popular too, particularly one made with pesto, tomato and mozzarella cheese. The mozzarella melts really well. We also have a new vegan “cheese” based on coconut. It sounds strange but it actually does taste like cheese.

Q: Here is a quick one, tell us about one popular smoothie of yours, one egg dish and one absolute favourite dessert…

A: One of our most popular smoothies is the creation of one of our team members- Gary. It is called- Caribbean Green. It has pineapple juice, ginger, honey, banana, spinach and coconut milk (or an alternative milk or real milk can be used). The recipe is flexible but it’s very popular.

I can’t really say which egg dish is the most popular but we do get lots of requests for egg (scrambled) and avocado. It’s a very nice and nutrient dense meal. We also do eggs with spinach and tomato which is also really healthy. Most dishes come with a generous side salad on request.

We get lots of sweet dishes which are gluten free and/or dairy free but one staple is Kizzy’s cookies which are vegan and brought in by one of our friend’s Kizzy. They are generously sized and go really well with tea or coffee and are a good snack to take away. The most popular flavour is chocolate chip.

Q: Tell us please on what we should and what we should not expect especially when visiting Trew Era Café for the first time…

A: Expect a very warm welcome and a very home like atmosphere. The coffee is excellent and very good value compared to other places nearby and we have just about every alternative milk type drink under the sun. We often have music playing and have a little dance. Expect lots of people who have just met to be chatting away to each other like old friends, and delicious soups and stews chock-full of colourful vegetables.

Do not expect to see Russell Brand. He has many commitments and is a very busy man.

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With this café giving you a home like feeling, next time around don’t feel lost in London, okay?

Pictures Courtesy: Trew Era Cafe