Another Fine Day - Marryam H Reshii

Atmospherics: When Sidewok took over the present property next door, the space on the other side of the lift lobby was part of it: close by enough but not contiguous. So, in a stroke of genius, Another Fine Day was born, as a separate entity. One of the walls that overlooks the lift lobby is made of glass, the better to let in natural light. The open kitchen that is perpetually bustling with activity turns out food that is simple, no fuss, yet high on taste. In today’s world of short-cuts and cutting corners, it is rare to find a menu that differentiates between béchamel and hollandaise; between tartare and béarnaise: a pleasant surprise. That too, in a café. The customers are a mixed lot, with corporates from the building in a huddle with colleagues over a coffee to families who don’t feel like cooking yet who want something close enough to home food. For

the greater part of the day, there are singles who make Another Fine Day their ‘office’. Off meal-times, it is quiet enough to be used as an off-site office.

Table talk: You can order a tomato basil and pesto bruschetta (Rs 255) that is served on a thick slice of house-made bread. The tomatoes are all ripe, the basil perfectly fresh and fragrant and the portion size filling for a hearty snack. For those who don’t want to fuss in their own kitchens, but don’t want to pay a fortune for every restaurant meal, this kind of simple food, prepared with care is a blessing. Eggs Benedict (Rs 315) is the star dish on the all-day breakfast menu. It is surprising that a small café sweats the small stuff, but the hollandaise sauce is made the classic way, the eggs are poached to perfection and the bread, made in

the kitchen, is toasted so that the surface is crisp while the inside is soft and fluffy. The grilled mushroom and cheese sandwich (Rs 255) hits the spot every time: the cheese oozes from the irreproachably fresh bread and the curly French fries are perfectly crisp while they’re hot, and the mustard has its trademark bite.

Plus and minus: The bookshelf laden with light reading material is a bonus; being on the main road, parking can be a challenge, though they offer valet parking.

Must try: grilled bratwurst sausage; beer batter fish and chips; pound cake with rum and raisin sauce