Blurb: The café that is going to start a healthy eating trend
Cuisine: vegan, healthy, locally grown, gluten-free options
Atmospherics: as small as all the single units in Cross Point Mall, this one is run by an architect couple, which explains the abundance of natural light and the optimization of space. Plus, there is an effective, efficient open kitchen. Café Shunya is no cut and paste space. Western breakfasts and cheesecake rub shoulders with typically Indian ingredients; the name is Sanskrit but the space could be Scandinavian in its simplicity. Eggs are served here, while chocolate is made from scratch without dairy products. Turmeric latte sits on the menu, side by side with kanji. Many of the ingredients are organic. We will be seeing clones of this concept before long, but do remember that this is the original.
Table talk: My carrot and beetroot kanji (Rs 145) was as pungent as it’s supposed to be. Chickpea and starfruit salad (Rs 315) was a healthy choice, but the sheer volume of kabuli chana in it with only a few slices of star-fruit and uncooked spinach leaves made it rather boring to eat. I loved the wooden bowl that coco shroom (Rs 395) was served in. A meal in a bowl, it 
had carrot, onion, ginger, broccoli, mushrooms and almond niblets in a red curry sauce. From a list of options that include rice, noodles, pasta, vegetables, I chose red rice. It is filling and reasonably tasty, but I kept expecting some hint of Thai red curry (the menu did say red coconut curry) till the end. Also, the one vegetable that dominated the curry was raw onions; the mushrooms were barely there. On the other hand, I hesitated to order home-made muesli (Rs 355) at lunch-time, but the description did sound inspired: puffed rice, cornflakes, makhane, magaz, sunflower seeds, chia seeds, flaxseeds, dried ber, kishmish, almonds, walnuts, apricots, dried rose petals with a choice of almond, soy or coconut milk. It sounds like a treat for the tastebuds as well as the arteries to me. The sandwich section embodies the philosophy of this peppy café that has acquired a huge fan following in Gurugram. Rings of boiled eggs with tomato slices with tangy mustard between whole wheat bread made for a light lunch.
Plus and minus: So inviting and comfortable that regulars never leave and there’s limited seating!
Must try: spinach, goat cheese, curry leaf pizza; cold coffee with coconut milk; pancakes with Old Monk sauce
Food: 3.00; Service: 3.50; Décor: 3.50
115 First floor, Cross Point Mall, DLF Phase 4, Gurugram
Open from 9 am to 10 pm
Credit cards accepted; no alcohol served
Meal for two: Rs 1,800
