It doesn’t take a lot to start my morning right – just a strong cup of chai (I throw in a handful of fresh lemongrass for an extra kick) and a crisp toast.
Since there was nothing noticeably different about the tea today, it’s fairly safe to conclude that my remarkably good mood is down to the enormous new loaf of multigrain bread occupying pride of place in the fridge at the moment. An abundance of textures runs through the golden-brown slices, which feature a hearty mix of wholewheat, oat flour and polenta, with a generous heap of sunflower and flaxseeds for an added crunch.
Yes, my visit to Ellipsis Bakery definitely turned out to be worth the inescapable trek that accompanied it, down the back-streets of Worli and deep into the BMC Asphalt Plant.
And no, not just for the bread that I’m waxing lyrical about…
With its gable-roofed cottage-like facade, the offshoot of Colaba’s Ellipsis restaurant greets you invitingly once you’ve made your way across the half-developed/ half-abandoned compound. There’s something quite tongue-in-cheek about it too, or maybe it’s just the quirky one-liners doodled outside on the clear glass-windows…
Once inside, it’s all business – the sleek open-plan kitchen dominates. Although geared primarily for takeaway and home deliveries, there are a couple of tables catering for eat-ins too.
In addition to the scrummy breads, expect a strong line-up of goodies from biscotti to hot chocolate mix and marshmallows, not to mention the enticing selection of savouries – quiches, pretzel sticks, bagel bombs… Instead of a tea menu, you can sniff out your choice from test-tubes filled with delicate loose-leaf teas.
And then of course, there are the cakes. Or shall we say pies, served American-style (read, HUGE portions). Apple, pumpkin, lemon meringue, Crack Nut… To say that the last one looks decadent would be a bit of an understatement – I’m told that the 7-inch cookie-crust encases a sweet-salty chocolate filling. It’s topped off with candied nuts for good measure.
I went for the Banana Nutella – endless layers of moist banana cake sandwiched between thick lashings of nutella. Yes, it tasted every bit as good as it looks and sounds, but fair warning that it’s just as rich.
I should add that it was an evening wonderfully well spent catching up with Sanjana, an old friend who also happens to be the driving force behind this new venture! It’s always so thoughtful when mates set out to indulge your sweet tooth isn’t it?
Ellipsis Bakery, Recondo Estate, Opp. Backgate of Mayfair Banquets, Sudam Kalu Ahire Marg, Hanuman Nagar, Worli, Mumbai 400030
I was a guest of Ellipsis Bakery, but as always I hog full credit for all opinions.