Food is a legacy that travels down with time and tradition. While some prefer to create, some prefer to follow.
Ashesh Sajnani is one man who has not only created legacy, but maintained it for 20 years. He is a man who introduced avocado in the menu when it was not a fashion. He has continually experimented with ingredients since 20 years to give Le Café a name to reckon with. Chef Pawar carries the torch now.
We recently visited the Le Café in Chembur to treat ourselves with their iconic dishes which have received appreciation for last two decades. Celebrating 20 years, the all-day dining destination, presented 20 dishes picked from their OG menu. Some of the dishes which were first served in 2004, when the restaurant was launched, were brought back this year to celebrate the flavours of the past.
Old newspapers on the entry wall | Swarna Srikanth
"Many guests return and ask our team about specific dishes they remember from their first visit. For many, these dishes are comfort food, and they enjoy coming back to familiar flavors. So, as we've made changes to the menu over the years, we’ve always ensured that old classics make a return, preserving a sense of nostalgia for our long-time patrons," says Sajnani.
The special menu lists down 20 people-favourite dishes, promising to soothe every craving, from the healthy barley meal to a rum filled dessert.
“Scottish Egg Affair” was the first thing that we opted for, ask why? Its disguised name impressed us. While it read “egg,” the dish was prepared out of mashed potatoes and was a fully vegetarian thing. When we sliced the dish, we understood what gave the dish its quirky name. It was stuffed with mashed potato and flavourful yellow cheddar, which looked like a boiled egg's white and yolk. The dish was accompanied by delicate rice noodles, dressed with pomodoro, which were crispy yet melting into one's mouth defining the textures.
"Scottish egg affair" paired with "Movie time" | Swarna Srikanth
We paired this with the “Movie Time” cocktail, a whiskey-based preparation sweetened with peach syrup and cranberry juice– an Instagrammable drink garnished with popcorn.
Chef Vijay Pawar then recommended the “Barley pumpkin spinach construct” from the main course.
It was a layered dish with well-cooked barley grains at the bottom, garlic-sauteed spinach in the middle and aromatically roasted pumpkin above, which was further beautifully topped with crunchy sweet potato chips.
Barley spinach pumpkin construct |
“I call this a garden dish, which resembles green grass (pesto sauce), some mud (harissa sauce), a ladder (beetroot coral) to amusement rides. It’s a “wow” dish,” the chef Pawar said.
Pawar, who has been at Le Café’s kitchen for around 13 years now, feels great about reintroducing dishes from the past. “While our old customers are enjoying these memorable flavours again, it is equally fun to prepare them. It’s like a tribute to the original dishes, which are no more part of today’s running menu”.
"As we serve some of the old dishes now, during the celebratory period, we see the happiness on the faces of people. They come with family and friends to enjoy their memorable dish," Manager Namdev added.
As we were hungry and curious to try out more, Vinesh served us the “Mezze platter”, a delicious trio of babaganoush, muhammara, and the classic hummus. Best-clubbed with pita bread and a crispy lavash, this dish justified the restaurant’s European culinary promises and made us experience the flavours of the Middle East in Mumbai.
Mezze platter |
We next tried a rum-based cocktail with a punch of pineapple. Like most people enjoy the fruit with a pinch of salt or chaat masala, this drink too combined the desi ingredients. The first sip kissed us with the fruity sweetness of ripe pineapple (juice), then hinting us with the flavours of chaat masala and rock salt. It finished with subtle notes of rum.
Old Monk cocktail | Swarna Srikanth
"Monk's Punch is one of the much-loved cocktails that our customers try. It contains about 8-10% alcohol, which every Old Monk fan admires and I personally, too, enjoy crafting," says mixologist Subham.
Vinesh-and-Chetan-serve-Le-Cafe's-nostalgic-menu | Swarna Srikanth
We summed up the dinner with their very signature dessert – Jamaican spiced rum cake, the comeback dish which most people craved for. Brought to our table by Chetan, it’s something which we definitely ask you to try before the anniversary special menu goes off the table. The layered cake is filled with richness of dark chocolate and infused with rum for a decadent treat. It is not too sweet, not too ‘kicking’, but a perfect blend of flavours.
Jamaican spiced rum cake | Swarna Srikanth
"Evolving the menu is essential over time. We make adjustments to keep things fresh and relevant, while always considering the tastes and preferences of our guests," founder Ashesh Sajnani concludes while inviting food lovers to visit Le Café to try out the nostalgic dishes from their anniversary menu soon.
Other recommendations: Basil Fries with English Summer cocktail
Average cost (with alcohol): Rs 2000
