Upon entering the eatery, you’re engulfed by warmth along with the smell of fresh baked cookies that make you feel right at home. It’s a fine restaurant with a ‘fine dining’ vibe.
Once settled, you can choose to dine inside or out amidst greenery; order Bonsai, a sparkling drink with crushed mint, plucked fresh from the kitchen garden, accented by the burst of citrus to quench your parched being. [break]
Lemon Ice Tea is also highly recommended; a sip from the tall glass makes you take note of fresh ingredients, given top priority at the restaurant stressing on fresh come- fresh serve.
Sashank Thapa, the owner of Café Cheeno, credits his mom Rita Thapa, for helping him relive his dreams of opening a restaurant. “The place was a garage to start with. Lot of hard work and thinking went behind it – both in terms of aesthetics and functionality. Lot of love, time and patience went into it. The ceiling alone, painted by traditional artist Karma took more than a year to finish” he says.
Everyone loves a comeback story and Thapa’s fight with cancer is no less inspiring. “I’ve always been a foodie and while undergoing treatment I really missed the ‘normal’ food we take for granted. The taste, texture, and the colors play a role while making a dish memorable and that’s our philosophy here.”
Although the dishes are a little more expensive than the standard fare, which he admitted, Thapa points out that it’s the portions served and the plateful of quality that makes up for it. And yes, the menu reads, “All prices are exclusive of tax and service charge.” Thapa doesn’t believe in coercing money out of his patrons.
Vegetarians can nosh on Paneer Skewers, a lip smacking dish of cottage cheese, capsicum, blistered tomatoes, complimented perfectly by a rich tomato sauce. In fact the sauces here deserve a special mention; one dip and it make even the mundane sounding recipe sing.
Quick Tip: Sauce can add zing to any dish. The essence of a dish or a tasty flourish, it takes a meal from satisfactory to two thumbs up.
[Photo: Robert Price]
If you’re the kind who can’t do without meat, try the perfectly cooked Cajun Fish. Moist and delicately flavored, it melts in your mouth. The dish comes with a side dish of homemade pasta, sautéed okra in a puddle of rich sauce, laced with the freshness of herbs. It’s delicious to start with and apart from the obvious protein you get from the fish, the tomatoes and the herbs pack quite a healthy punch too.
Science has proven the effectiveness of lycopene found in tomatoes and other compounds founds in herb that have potent antioxidant, anti-cancer, antiviral and anti-microbial properties. Top that up with some classic white wine, chilled, and it almost feels like the remedy a doctor would prescribe for a good time -bon appétit.
Guaranteed to have something for everyone, the menu is packed with sandwiches, pizzas, salads, pastas, and burgers. Fish and chips also deserve a mention, definitely on our devour list, the next time we venture into the restaurant.
Thapa mentions that steak is next on their agenda. He and his chef Kalyan KC, are working on a menu to please the devout carnivore.
Vegetarians can dig into a plateful of fresh pastas, or the generous plate of Tofu Hamburger that is quite a hit at Café Cheeno. The meal with a mix of carbs and protein is perfect as a midday meal.
Now, you can’t end a culinary adventure without some sweet indulgences, can you? The house specialty chocolate mousse or the heavenly apple crumble topped with fresh cream is a must.
If all that eating has gotten you restless, you can stroll through the impeccable garden that boasts a kitchen garden, tucked away amidst blooming perennials and seasonal flowers. Or browse through the souvenir collection, to pick gifts for your loved ones.
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