Best Bakery: True to its name?

Best Bakery Review

Best Bakery has been around as long as I can remember [which admittedly is not too long!].  In the typical ‘kid in a candy store’ fashion, I remember going to their Kaloor branch and looking at the various pastries, sweetmeats and cakes at eye level as the counter was about as tall as I was at the time! They also had several other things included branded biscuits and chocolates. The main point of interest however, has always been their range of biscuits. Our favourites were the Salt biscuit and the spicy ‘Masala biscuit’ which I initially was not too fond of when my young taste buds could not take the mild but persistent heat although that eventually outgrew everything else to become my favourite.

Having several branches across the city is a strong point, making their products easily accessible. The Edappally branch even featured a restaurant [now closed] with decent food and possibly the best porottas I have tried. Over the years, they have grown and so have I, to the point that I have to look down at the glass display at the pastries and cakes; in some areas, metaphorically too: the pastries at least no longer inspire the same sense of delight I used to feel. Especially after our taste buds have tasted the remarkable quality of offerings that came first from Breadline at MG Road in the early 2000s [which has since closed down, wonder whether anyone actually remembers that place!] and shortly afterwards: Bread World, which still sticks around. [We are focusing on Kochi and not counting back to really great cakes we have had outside of Kerala years before those popped up too.]

Now after years of refraining from buying any pastries from them, we finally decided to give those another chance and see whether things have changed over the years, and [somewhat inadvertently!] also sample a few new additions. Who am I kidding, the main purpose if you have been paying attention to this point was: to get ourselves some of that delightful masala biscuit! On to the food we go!

Masala Biscuit

The masala biscuit is a real treat for the taste buds assuming you can tolerate a little bit of spice. The biscuit itself is rather perfectly round and has a light but lovely glaze on top. 

It has bits of lovely caramelised onion, black sesame seeds, black pepper, bits of curry leaves and a hint of ginger. Bits of cashew only add to the incredible richness of the biscuit while providing a bit of crunch too. The biscuit itself has an amber-brown colour and a remarkably powdery yet firm texture that breaks nicely. If you can handle a little bit of heat and there is just one thing you must try from here, it has to be this one. If you cannot take any hint of spice, move onto the next item.

Butter Salt Biscuits

Danish Cookies have nothing on this one! The biscuit is not very sweet as most bakery biscuits tend to be and that is where it works: the mild flavour of the biscuit works great with the wonderful grains of saltiness. 

The real highlight is the texture: it is incredibly soft and really powdery. It holds its shape but does not snap clean; it simply crumbles. Other bakeries have tried to match its success but nothing we have tried from anywhere else has even managed to come close. The others ones are either too sweet or the texture is just wrong: usually ending up too crisp. The ones here are the best we have had, anywhere. For the record, this one is free of egg too so it is vegetarian. Use of butter means it has lactose however.

Carrot Cake Loaf

This is a rather new addition that was not there a few decades ago. We tried it only recently however. The exterior looked promising with a mild dampness to the touch and a dark, dark colour on top with noticeable flecks of carrot, dried fruit and nuts distributed in the body of the cake. It had a lovely slightly sweet aroma with a few notes of spice.

When we took a bite, we were pleasantly surprised that it was rather moist, perfect sweetness. This was reminiscent of fresh homemade cakes. The cake was perfectly sweet aided by the dates and the nuts improved the overall texture. This was a definitely a purchase we were happy with and is very economical considering the quality and weight. It has a disclaimer you can see on the box, which states that it contains egg.

Black Forest Pastry

Just out of curiosity, we tried out their Black Forest pastry which used to be the go-to cake for most people for almost any occasion.

AND IT WAS… Still pretty much the same. Bummer. 

The overall mind numbing sweetness of the cake seemed to have generally reduced thankfully but the cream was still rather cheap feeling and the overall combination left a lot to be desired as the cake itself hardly had its own flavour. It still has not caught up with the other bakeries on this front. Other buttercream cakes may work fine as long as they are coined as ‘old-fashioned’ cakes but a black forest should still be a lot better than this in order to bear the name. Sure, even the ones sold in more expensive bakeries are pretty far from the real thing which should have sour cherries and Kirsch. Bloomsbury had one that was close but it was too long back for us to accurately review. I guess you will likely need a German Visa to experience an authentic ‘Schwarzwalder torte’!

To sum it all up:

Biscuits are as great as ever, they remain our all-time favourites

Most pastries still leave room for improvement

They have adapted slightly: the new cakes are well executed

Could improve quality of certain cakes: especially Black Forest.

They are doing well and it would be in their best interests to keep up the quality of their biscuits and savouries high as always.

Best Bakery, true to its name still has the best ‘bakery biscuits’ in the city. Their savoury items are also good enough quality even if it may not be the absolute best available. They remain one of the most iconic bakeries of Kochi and have some unique and delicious offerings that you will not find anywhere else, daresay: in the world. 

Type of Cuisine: Bakery, Desserts, Cakes, Savouries, Snacks
Location

Near Axis Bank, Manimala Road, Edappally.

Parking: Most branches have space for a few cars in front, should not be a problem.

Ambience: Average

Service: Quick, Pack 'n Go!

What we liked/Recommended for:

• Delightfully rustic biscuits. 
• Old-fashioned butter cream cakes. 
• Good quality snacks and savories; much to choose from. 
• Value for money. 

Potential Shortcomings:
Some items still stuck in the past [details above]. Stiff competition. 

Taxes: Included in price, no fat tax applicable.

Phone Number: +91 484 255 5957

Timings: 08:30 - 21:30

Website: https://www.bestbakers.in/

On Zomato:

     

Metro Kulfi and Lassi: Killing Two Birds with One Shop?!

With the summer at its peak & high levels of humidity driving us crazy, we were drawn to an ad in the papers: Metro Kulfi opening an outlet at the ground floor of Mathewsons Square, near Changampuzha Park, Edappally.
Situated close to the famous Edapally Church and Lulu Mall, they have a strategic advantage in terms of location. They could probably be spotted when riding the metro too, which is probably why they named it so in the first place! 
This kulfi & lassi joint is on the ground floor of Mathewsons Complex next to 'Sunrise Furniture'. It is a well lit and compact place. Seating however, is limited to a handful of chairs. It must be mentioned, the chairs are green or magenta and potentially bright enough to light up the dark! 
As you enter, there is a blue, kulfi stick-shaped signboard that proclaims the following: 'Life is like a kulfi: Enjoy before it melts.' Not a 'Zen' level thought but that is fine, we are here to eat kulfi not attain enlightenment! 
The first thing that catches your eye are the colorful lassi on display. They have many fruit flavoured ones including strawberry, mango etc. The display counters have an attractive array of kulfis too. The kulfis come in different sizes & flavours. They have discs, small sticks, big sticks, pot or 'matka' ones (it looked like plastic instead of clay). Their prices also range accordingly, although it is worth mentioning that the difference in price between small and large sticks is minimal and it may be better value going for the big ones itself, unless you would rather sample different flavours. 
As always, we had a difficult time choosing from a range of  flavors but finally placed our bets on pista and mango. The menu seemed to offer compelling variety like kesar, anjeer (fig), chocolate, malai (cream), butterscotch and so on. 

The kulfi turned out to be creamy and smooth. They were also refreshingly cool and flavorful too. One thing to note was that the pista kulfi did not contain any actual nut pieces. It tasted decent by itself but the missing crunch was notable. Seriously: when you specialize in one thing, you better be good at it.

I have had some top-notch lassi during my time studying in the North so we will put their claims to the test the next time we go there. 
To sum it up, if it is a warm day and you are on the lookout for a cool and refreshing treat, this place offers great value and has a modest variety of kulfi to choose from as well. We hope to return to this place and evaluate their lassi soon. So do stay tuned for updates!

Type of Cuisine: Frozen Desserts, Kulfi

Location

Next to Sunrise Furniture, Near Changampuzha Park, Edappally.

Parking: Nothing dedicated but there is plenty of space nearby, should not be a problem.

Ambience: Tiny, well lit but otherwise nothing exceptional.

Service: Quick, as expected

What we liked/Recommended for:

• Decent variety. 
• Good value. 
• Good flavor. [Will update about lassi after our next visit.]

Potential Shortcomings: 
Pistachio Kulfi without nuts. Need I say more?

Taxes: Included in price, fat tax not applicable.

Phone Number: +91 98463 27234

Timings: 11:00 - 01:00AM [Not a typo, they claim to open till 11:00AM in the morning to 1:00AM at night]

Restaurant Website: https://www.facebook.com/metrokulfilassi/

Afters Bake House: Is this another ‘After’thought?!

Afters Bake House Review

Having various branches across the city, ‘Afters Bake House’ is a relatively new chain of bakeries that offer the usual complement of cakes, pastries and savouries. With several other well established bakeries all around town, are they worth your money after all? (*Haha! you see what we did there? 'After all...' never mind.*) 

We decided to find out.

The branch we visited was at Palarivattom, opposite the Corporation Bank Zonal Office. 
Walking into the store makes you feel like you just stumbled into an underground cave or cellar. The interiors could be summarized in one word: dark. They had black tiling, walls etc. and even the tables are a very deep colour. Heck, even the serving tray we saw was deep brown!!! This monotony was only marred by a white pillar with a few other items on its shelves, reminiscent of a candle in a dark room! [The plates are white though]. The place was clean enough too. Like any bakery, the glass counters had all the various baked goods arranged neatly. Right, let us ‘shed some light’ here [Buuurn!] on the food itself!

Chocolate Triffle/Truffle Cake

Depending on whether you go with what the menu says or the staff [at least that day] calls it. 

This one had a dark layer of chocolate on top, a mousse like light cream layer after that and layers of cake. It worked well and had good flavour. The cake was soft and spongy too. 

<Some Dense chocolate cake>

Forgive us but we forgot what they named this cake. We just pointed to it and they served it. Hey, at least we are being honest about it! 

Like most places, this one was quite good with a decent layer of dense chocolate ganache on top. The outer edge had some chocolate shavings too which contributed to the texture. The cake too was reasonably moist enough. It checks all the required boxes for these types of pastries.

Vancho Cake

The layer of icing was rather thick, almost as much as the cake. Unfortunately, it turned out a bit too sweet for our taste too. The worst part was that it did not seem very fresh: it tasted like it was just on the verge of becoming rancid. Don’t get us wrong: it was not bad just yet but it was definitely not fresh either. We do not know whether this was a one-off incident but boy are they unlucky it happened to be this way with when we decided to pop in.

Paneer Puffs

Puffs are just savoury snacks in which a savoury filling is enveloped by puff pastry. While it looked massive for its size, the first bite revealed the same problem everyone has and what we expected given the price point: it had too many layers, overwhelming the amount of filling inside. This is a shame because the filling itself was actually quite tasty, when it was not drowned in the vast ocean of puff pastry. It had creamy paneer [fresh cottage cheese] and a few spices which worked well together.

Chicken Vol Au Vent

The Vol Au Vent fared a bit like the puffs but in the opposite way: the filling did not really taste or feel like chicken at all. It was generally nice and creamy however. The pastry outside was layered and rather well baked.

Ghee Murukku

With a segmented shape reminiscent of fusilli pasta or caterpillars  [not as gross as it sounds, look at the photo!], the murukku had cumin (jeera) and black sesame. It also uses ghee which is a type of clarified butter, so it tasted fine. 

Cuteness aside however, it was really not that good. It was not very hard but neither crumbly enough like a good ghee murukku should be. 

Overall, it is another bakery that has some good offerings. The pastries are generally a good option to go with. The quality control on those do require more attention however, citing the above experience with the vancho cake. 
The savoury baked goods we tried did not do as well though due to the imbalances mentioned earlier. Maybe if we had opted for some other items, they may have fared better but who's to know. 

To sum it up: if you happen to be looking for a decent bakery in the vicinity, you cannot really go wrong with Afters, they have reasonably good quality and the prices are competitive too. Had they opened up a little earlier, they would have seen better days and we may have found ourselves returning for more but as it stands now with our first experience, we probably would not go out of our way to buy something from there exclusively. That being said, we would not mind having something else from here again either. We hope to give them another chance soon enough and possibly find items that are really recommendable.

Type of Cuisine: Bakery

Location [Mutliple]

  Opposite Corporation Bank, Heaven Plaza, MV Road, Palarivattom.

Parking: A few cars in  front, should be enough.

Ambience: Dark! Clean. 

Service: Good, quick.

What we liked/Recommended for:

Generally decent quality goods. Regular pricing. 

Potential Shortcomings: 

• Some items could use a little tweaking [read more above]. 
• Average quality packaged items. 
• Some cakes were not fresh [could be one-off]: needs QC. Will update if we ever happen to go again. 

Taxes: Included in price

Phone Number: +91 86069 05706

Timings: 09:30-22:00

Restaurant Website: http://www.afterscakes.com/

On Zomato: 

     

Bombay Kulfi: Kochi's Kulfi Destination!

Bombay Kulfi Review

As we were driving down Kaloor-Kadavanthara road, this sign managed to catch our attention. Being kulfi [explained in the next paragraph] lovers and not having a dedicated joint in Kochi to this point, we were excited to check out what this place had to offer.

In case you do not know what a kulfi is, it is effectively the Indian version of Ice Cream, albeit slightly denser as it incorporates less or no air, more like Italian gelato in a way. It is most traditionally served in small clay pots called 'matka' but sticks are also available and more common. Traditional flavours include pistachio, saffron, 'malai' which is cream etc. Fruit based ones are also not uncommon, possibly being based on both dry and/or fresh fruits.

In case you were wondering, kulfi in general and Bombay Kulfi's products specifically are stated to be completely vegetarian. However the use of milk means vegans will have to look elsewhere.  

Bombay Kulfi is situated on Kaloor-Kadavanthra Road, next to Cake Hut. The walls were painted in bright colours and we noticed some old-school Bollywood Hindi movie posters hung up but the ambiance was not that great. It is a really small shop, with a few stools to sit on. There was a counter displaying the various flavors available with a blackboard listing the flavours available. The flavors on offer included: Malai [cream], mango, kesar-pista [saffron-pistachio], butterscotch and a few unconventional ones like chai masala [spicy tea!] and so on.

After some deliberation, we decided to try out their kesar-pista  and butterscotch flavors. One point to note is that the kulfis were absolutely frozen solid and took a while to soften. Both turned out to be very good choices and provided some much needed relief from the blistering Kochi summer heat. Once softened, they had a nice creamy texture and good flavour, especially the kesar-pista one.

The staff recommended the kulfi pot or 'Matka Kulfi', but we opted for the sticks as they seemed bigger and we wanted to eat outside where it would be way more comfortable.

They were pretty price friendly too, the butterscotch being slightly more expensive.

I guess you could put it this way: we found that the perfect choice for the Kerala summer was (the?!) Bombay Kulfi! They may not have the best seating arrangements in place but the quality of the product is what matters most and on that aspect, they deliver pretty well.

Type of Cuisine: Frozen Desserts, 'Kulfi'

Location

Next to Cake Hut, Kaloor Kadavanthra Road, Kathrikadavu, Kaloor.

Parking: Few cars in front.

Ambience: Bright but very cramped, extremely limited seating.

Service: Good, quick.

What we liked/Recommended for:

Generally decent quality Kulfi, refreshing.

Potential Shortcomings: 
Cramped.

Taxes: Included in price

Phone Number: +91 484 430 2010

Timings: 11:30 - 23:00 

Restaurant Website: bombaykulfi.com

On Zomato:
     

Have you tried anything from Bombay Kulfi? Tell us down in the comments below!

Sucree Dessert Mill: Desserts to Go!

Sucree Dessert Mill Review

Don’t let the Simple stall-like storefront of this pastry and dessert brand fool you into thinking this is some rookie initiative: as we found out, this place sells some rather compelling dessert options. How good, you ask? Read on to find out!

This stall is located on the second floor of Center Square Mall at MG Road, Kochi. It has a simple yet neat look to it, with the day’s pastries neatly arranged in the glass display unit. This however brings us to the only potential problem: if you buy something, you have to go elsewhere to eat it: there are no chairs or anything to sit on. So if your sweet tooth beckons and you really need to eat something at the mall itself, we suggest that you buy it from them and take it upstairs to the food court. We ended up buying a few pastries and bringing them back home for our 'analysis'. 

Sorry for the admittedly poor quality photos this time, we were so impatient to try out the goodies that we forgot to verify whether it was shaky and do a retake; I did not expect such a low shutter speed during the exposure and it looked fine at a glance. So much for not pixel peeping. I guess we will just buy it again instead!
Alas, I digress. Right, enough of the ambiance and silly tech rants, time to grab ourselves some dessert!!!

Devil’s Food Cake with Fudge

Nice well baked chocolate cake with decadent chocolate coating. 

The cake itself was rather moist; an absolute prerequisite for anything that should bear the name of Devil’s food cake. It was dotted along the outline with silvery sugar balls for crunch.

Caramel Bar

This had a layer of fudgy yet soft caramel. It was not overwhelmingly sweet thankfully, and had a good caramel flavour. 

A lovely shortcrust added just a touch of graininess to balance the texture and sweetness. It is reminiscent of munching on a soggy bar of Twix that has no chocolate coating. A delight for the senses!

Mango Cheesecake

We also went with a mango cheesecake; this had a light yellow colour. It was creamy and tasted mild, like it had real mango. 

The biscuit base was rather simple. We have had better cheesecakes in general [we have baked quite a few ourselves using imported Kraft Philadelphia Cheese] but for the price, these were good enough nevertheless.

We tried no less than three completely different items and all of them definitely met our expectations. Currently, the prices are also not disproportionately high considering the quality. We daresay it is arguably among the best places to grab a cake in the city.

Of course, don’t take our word for it, try it for yourself!

Type of Cuisine: Cakes and Desserts 

Location

Second Floor, Central Mall, MG Road.

Parking: Mall parking at Central [Chargeable] is fine except on very busy days and weekends when it may get full and you might have to wait to find a spot.

Ambience: Dainty stall looks cute and all that but no chairs to sit, so this could improve.

Service: Obviously quick: just pack and get going!

What we liked/Recommended for:

Good quality cakes and desserts. Strikes a good balance of sweetness. Pricing is just fair for most items.

Potential Shortcomings:
No seating may be a turnoff for some. Some may consider it expensive. 

Taxes: Included in price.

Phone Number: +91 75599 51009

Timings: 11:00 - 22:00

Website: https://www.facebook.com/sucreedesserts/
On Zomato:

      

As always, stay tuned for updates and new items on this review!

Cafe 17: Super Sweet 17!

Cafe 17 Review
Located at Kaloor Kadavantra Road, Café 17 is tucked into the Unisquare building, right next to Bakers Walk and on the opposite side of French Toast and Sreedhareeyam Eye Hospital. There is adequate parking outside. They offer all sorts of foods like steaks, salads, wraps, burgers and so on. They also have a dessert counter which has a decent selection of eats.

The interiors are nice and contemporary with some books arranged on one of the walls, and chairs and tables spaced widely enough. One of the walls had chalk drawings to look at. It is clearly a place designed for the young at heart, and is not as crowded as other restaurants. That makes it a great place to hang out. The owner Mr Praveen is especially genial and is happy to engage in conversation.

Jus-C Lucy Burger

As soon as we walked in and read the menu, this one caught my eye. We had heard about the rather famous Jucy Lucy from Minnesota in which molten cheese is enveloped at the centre of a burger patty and oozes out when you take a bite. Being a foodie and waiting to try something we have never tried before, we immediately decided to give it a shot. While priced a teeny bit more than the run of the mill places like KFC and ChicKing, it is worth noting that the burger itself is heavier and it is a complete meal with fries and salad with each one. For the record, the one shown here is a chicken burger though they also have beef burgers too, if you are so inclined. Here it is:

As you can see, the cheese was on top of the patty instead of being hidden inside it but it had melted well and draped the patty anyways. The ground meat patty was also nice and juicy and was lightly spiced with chilli flakes. All this was enclosed in a delightful sesame bun. The fries were exceptionally nice and crisp too. It was quite a nice meal, and was good enough to satisfy our hunger.

Chicken Fillet in Mushroom Sauce

On our much anticipated second visit to the place, we tried out this dish. As expected, it was a nice and juicy chicken fillet topped with barbecue mushroom sauce. We somehow expected it to be mushrooms in white sauce but this combination works just as well. This was accompanied by mashed potatoes and vegetables like broccoli and carrot. The photo above should make things crystal clear.

Pastries and Desserts

They also had a selection of pastries on display. We tried the Mango Mousse Cake which was rather pale in color but had good flavor and a nice and light, airy texture.

 

We also tried the Chocolate Truffle cake which was nice, albeit just like any other place.

 

We look forward to going back and trying something more. As always, we will update this review once we do. 

Type of Cuisine: Cafe, Continental, Fast Food, Burgers
Location

Kaloor Kadavathra Road, Kathrikadavu.

Parking: Few cars in front, that should be sufficient however.

Ambience: Very comfy [except if near the bathroom]. There are books etc. to read. All in all, a great place to really sit down and relax unlike other restaurants. Good spot to hang out with friends too.

Service: Good.

What we liked/Recommended for:

• Great ambiance 
• Really good food 
• Good place to hang out: can relax and read some books etc.

Potential Shortcomings: 
Pastries were nothing exceptional. 

Taxes: Included in price
Phone Number: +91 484 402 7067
Timings: 11:00 - 23:00
On Zomato:
      

Have you eaten at Cafe 17? Share your experience, please leave your comments below!

Bloomsbury’s Boutique Cafe & Artisan Bakery: Blooming with Goodness!

Bloomsbury’s Boutique Cafe & Artisan Bakery Review
Bloomsbury’s is located on the second floor of LuLu mall. While we have been buying cakes and pastries from here for quite a while, it wasn’t until recently that we finally decided to try out their other offerings. Serving up a variety of different continental dishes, they have an exciting menu that encompasses pastas, Nasi Goreng, and salads through to pizzas, burgers and more commonplace items.

On the same floor as PVR cinemas, they have a dining area with lots to see in terms of things on the walls and even artifacts like kettles, teapots etc. on shelves suspended from the roof. There are plenty of seats and the service deserves a special mention with attentive staff who are willing to help with your order.

Pizzas

The pizzas here are Italian style thin crust, shaped like a rounded rectangle rather than the traditional circular ones you see everywhere else. Each is about 12 inches lengthwise. We ordered the 'Sollo Pollo' and started tucking into it before we realized we did not have a photo to show! Still took one to give you an idea of the toppings it has.

As you can see it is a thin crust, typical of an authentic Italian pizza. Each slice is topped with a small slice of salami that has a bit of mayonnaise on it. Worth mentioning is the fact that the mayo is really delicious, being nice and full flavored. There is plenty of tomato base to keep it nice and moist. The sausage and ham are also fully cooked and taste delicious. Each pizza is enough for two, and maybe even three if you do order any side dishes. It was different and worth ordering.

Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice)

Nasi Goreng is the Indonesian name for fried rice. It is supposed to be one of the most delicious foods in the world so when we found this one on the menu, we just had to try it out. Here, they serve it with satay and dip.

It was presented well with the rice packed tightly into the shape of a dome and had an egg on top. On the side were the two skewers of satay with three pieces of chicken on each and the peanut dip in the small bowl, along with some sliced vegetables (carrot, cucumber and onion).

When we started eating the rice, it became apparent that this was the type made with shrimp paste. Thus it had a rather fishy tone to it. If you love your seafood like just about everyone in Kerala does, you will really love the flavor of this dish. Others may want to think twice before ordering this. Other than that, it had bits of scrambled egg in the rice as well as spring onion and so on. As with the pizza, there was enough quantity for two and maybe even three people.

Chicken satay served with it was just alright: it had a very mild tangy-sweet flavor and the pieces were cooked well, the peanut sauce fared better though.

Cakes and pastries

They arguably have some of the best cakes in town. They are slightly more expensive than others but the size of the portions kind of makes up for it.

They have a rather unique take on the Black Forest cake; it has some liqueur sprinkled over it and marinated cherries in between. This is one of the only places in Kochi that I have ever had a Black Forest like this one and is probably closer to the real Black Forest cake in Germany.

We also tried their Honey Crunch Cake above, Which had walnut for crunch, honey and caramel for flavoring. We found the three layers of frosting is of an almost overwhelmingly rich, butter icing.

What keeps us coming back for more is the Golden Chocolate Cake. While it is said that all that glitters is not gold, this is definitely one of those exceptions. The golden color comes from the golden powder they use. Not only does it look good, it tastes great. It is a chocoholic’s delight as it has a rich and thick layer of chocolate on top of the dense, dark chocolate cake. Don’t take my word for it, have a look at it above, try it yourself and you will see why.

Just in case you were wondering, yes; that is a picture of my birthday cake!

Type of Cuisine: Continental, Bakery
Location

Near PVR Cinemas, second floor of LuLu Mall, Edappally.

Parking: Mall parking at LuLu [chargeable] is fine except on very busy days and weekends when it may get full and you might have to wait to find a spot.

Ambience: Typical mall ambience, love it or hate it!

Service: Very good, highly attentive.

What we liked/Recommended for:

• Quality cakes 
• Good ambiance 
• Great staff 
• Good continental fare

Potential Shortcomings: 

Some items could be better priced. 
Taxes: Included in price
Phone Number: +91 484 4059034
Timings: 10:00 - 22:30

On Zomato:
      

So head over there and enjoy some great food, you will have a great time as long as you know what you are ordering. Which hopefully, you now know! Let us know in the comments below!

Donut Factory: Going [Do]Nuts!

Donut Factory Review

Edit: LuLu Mall Branch has closed down.
Donut? Doughnut? Whatever you want to call it. 
Most of the local bakeries make some form of chocolate coated donut which meets just the basic criteria for a donut: they are toroid shaped and fried. They are nothing special to eat though and that is something we sorely missed in Kochi for many years, especially having tasted world class donuts from places like Krispy Crème etc. ages ago. We were just yearning to get another bite of a more gourmet type of donut. The recently [2014] launched Donut Factory in Panampilly Nagar is just what the doctor ordered. They also have a branch at the first floor of LuLu Mall.[Now Closed]

There are only a few benches in front of the LuLu Mall branch if you wish to sit down and sample them immediately but you will have better luck at the Panampilly Nagar branch located at the GudFud Tower, which is much larger, has good seating and a nice ambience. Now let’s go get some donuts!

How many varieties of donut do you know of? If you are used to buying them from regular small time bakeries, you’ve probably only had plain and chocolate coated. Donut Factory offers over 13 varieties of donut, broadly classified into filled and unfilled. The unfilled ones offer a range of toppings like marble [white and milk chocolate], Oreo [which as you can guess has crushed Oreo cookies on it], Milk chocolate, dark chocolate, chocolate chip and so on. 

The filled ones have fillings like custard, mango, blueberry and so on. They seem to run out of them by the evening itself since we went there twice to find that all the donuts were sold out. Luckily, third time was the charm and we got to try seven flavours [all the others were sold out].

The filled donuts are the most interesting ones on offer, and have a reasonably good quantity of filling inside them. The fruit based ones have a jam-like filling.

The plain donuts are also quite good in terms of quality and freshness, although the difference between each type of donut like the marbled, white and plain chocolate is largely indiscernible. The ones with toppings like crushed Oreo and chocolate chip are more interesting.
Of course as with most donut establishments, buying in bulk helps beat the price down. 

Sure, they are not exactly cheap but neither are they overpriced. So if you want try a variety of different donuts, Donut Factory is likely your best bet in this city. They have good variety and generally will not let you down. 

Type of Cuisine: Bakery, Donuts

Location

GudFud Tower, Panampilly Nagar.

Parking: Few cars in front of the Panampilly Nagar GudFud Tower branch and adequate space in the nearby streets. 

Ambience: Just a few benches nearby for the LuLu mall outlet. The Panampilly Nagar outlet is better and has a nice cafe-like setting to it.

Service: Quick, good. 

What we liked/Recommended for:

Grand selection of donuts, pretty well made too. 
Potential Shortcomings: 

Main issue: donuts are slightly expensive, and the non-donut items even more so. Ambiance is good but still does not warrant this kind of price. No dedicated place to sit at the LuLu branch. Would have loved to have the choice between chemically leavened donuts as well as yeast leavened donuts. 
Taxes: Included in price.

Phone Number: +91 484 4025599

Timings: 10:00-23:00

Restaurant Website: https://www.facebook.com/donutfactorykochi/

On Zomato: 

      

Did you go [do]nuts here? Tell us how in the comments below!

Natural Ice Creams: Not Just a Name!

Natural Ice Creams Chain: A Review

Feel like some dessert after eating at the Lulu food court? Between Bread world and Khatti Zone, lies the stall for natural ice cream. This is probably ranks among some of the best ice creams we have tried, and believe us when we say we've had our share. The example I would compare it to is the Ice cream we had was at Berthillon Ice Cream Parlour at Rue Saint-Louis en l'Île, Paris. We have also had plenty of mass produced ones too: be it Häagen-Dazs, Ben & Jerry's, Baskin Robbins, London Dairy, Heartbrand [Known as Walls in India, including the Magnum and Vienetta ranges], Nestle or even Amul, MeriiBoy and lesser known Skei, Uncle John, Cream Bell, Dinshaw’s and Sonata, to name a few. In fact, we already knew about the place since they had an outlet just down the road from my Grandma’s house in Bangalore, from where we bought tubs of the stuff. Hence, it goes without saying that we were jumping with joy to find a stall at the food court in Lulu!!!

Amazing Ice Cream with Natural Fruits

The ice creams served here are made with real fresh fruit and cream. The ice creams themselves are really well made, with a lovely creaminess to them. There are no ice crystals or anything here. The best part is that they don’t use any artificial flavouring agents like essence to achieve the flavour. You can get bits of fruit pulp too. They change the flavours since they use seasonal fruits but almond, kala jamun, chocolate, chocolate almond should be available all year round. We have had Musk Melon, Chickoo, Tender Coconut, Kiwi-Lime, almond, sitaphal personally so far and some others. Almost all of these flavours were a treat to behold. 
The only one(s) we were not too sure of at times was sitaphal. When we had it on one particular occasion, it left a slightly raw taste in our mouth, as if the fruit was premature. This was probably because it was early in the season and may not be the case with a different batch though. Kiwi Lime is refreshing for the most part, but felt confusing on the palate at times. It works wonders on a hot summer day.

Crispy Waffle Cone

They have the option to serve it in a cup, cone, or waffle cone. Though the waffle cone costs extra, it is worth it. It’s always really fresh and crunchy, and has a mild nutty-vanilla flavor. Sometimes, I feel it cuts into the taste of certain flavors of ice cream [like kiwi lime, for instance which has a tartness] but it’s usually good. I would recommend choosing this cone for chocolate, vanilla or a few other types of ice cream as it complements their flavour well. 
They currently (as of July 2013) charge 50/- for a cone/scoop and 10/- per waffle cone. 
They also have half liter tubs, which we used to buy from the Bangalore outlet.

We highly recommend this place on your next visit. But don’t take our word for it; ask them for a free sample like you would with Baskin Robbins. You will surely find (at least!) one that you like.

Type of Food/Cuisine: Ice Creams [with natural ingredients]
Location

Food court on the third floor, LuLu Mall, Edapally.

Parking: Mall parking at LuLu [chargeable] is fine except on very busy days and weekends when it may get full and you might have to wait to find a spot. The other branch in the city can be tricky though, as the metro construction is still in progress as of 2017.

Ambience: Typical mall ambience, love it or hate it!

Service: Quick, even when opting for waffle cones.

What we liked/Recommended for: 

• High Quality and natural ingredients. 
• Seasonal Flavours. 
• Reasonable pricing. 
• Waffle cones are fresh made, which is great.

Potential Shortcomings: 

• A hike in price could tip the balance in terms of value for money. 
• Occasional flavor mishap [detailed above] in fruit ice-creams but never severe. 

Taxes: Included in price
Phone Number: +91 484 2728899
Timings: 10:00 - 23:00

Website: http://naturalicecreams.in/
On Zomato:
      

Feel free to take the time and let us know what flavors you have tried, and how they were, in the comments below!