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A little crazy, a little eccentric

Photo: K.V. Srinivasan

Moving with the trend Mocha Mojo

Maggie noodles meet deconstructed pie shooters. Mocha Mojo in Adyar is yet another example of how the Mocha brand rebels against the conformity usually expected of a coffee chain.

Though, when Riyaaz Amlani started the first Mocha in Mumbai, “the plan was to grow old talking about the virtues of coffee — just running one small café.” His one little café expanded into 18 across the country. With die-hard enthusiasts, fluid spaces for live acts, and feisty experimentation, it’s managed to prove that a chain can be successful, and still have outlets with unique identity and soul.

“What Mocha aims to do is establish a mindspace of its own,” says Riyaaz. “The idea is not to do a cut, copy, paste of an American chain inspired by Italy in India. The idea is to be a community space.”

Hence, this hippy-chic space. “The idea was to create a funky creative space. Mocha Mojo is retro-futuristic.”

Which sounds like an oxymoron really, till you let the space wrap itself around you. The walls, all sharp angles and bold colours, create a sort of 3-dimentional wall paper effect. “We wanted a space that has an element of the 1970s but didn’t want it too literal — no overt hippyness, big flowers, bell bottoms,” say Riyaaz, as a waiter with an unabashedly pink apron puts a steaming mug of white chocolate on the table.

In an attempt to be as edgy with food as they are with décor and attitude, the team, headed by Chef Brainard Colaco, has been playing around with raw food and molecular gastronomy.

“With raw food, you can’t heat the food beyond 40 degrees C. You are only allowed to hydrate, dehydrate, mix and blend,” says Colaco. So, for example, Mocha’s raw garden lasagna features a pasta made with zucchini, using sea salt to remove moisture for that essential ‘a la dente’ texture. “Raw food is good for the system. And, packed with anti-oxidants.”

The mousse made of fresh tender coconut and dark chocolate works, in a subtle, understated way. So does the deconstructed Roma tomato pie, featuring juicy, chopped tomatoes in a moist, creamy aioli of cashew nuts and jalapenos served with a crisp nut crust.

But some of the other items, such as the deconstructed Philadelphia cheesecake, just seem ridiculously impractical, not to mention pretentious. The cheesecake, for instance, comes with a little pile of crumbs, a drizzle of chocolate and a mousse filled with what tastes like a runny lemon curd. Separated, the ingredients don’t taste great. Putting them together is a ridiculously fiddly process. And the result doesn’t taste even half as good as an old-fashioned chunky cheesecake.

Deconstruction may be fun. But, it should have a point. Otherwise, they might as well just push guests in the direction of their fridge, and call it a deconstructed meal. Eggs, bread, cheese. Make your own omelette. And drop Rs. 300 in the cash till on your way out.

Although the Mocha kitchen is to be lauded for its gutsy experimentation with hydrogen baths, vacuumers and liquid nitrogen in an attempt to create a buzz with the (admittedly, now rather tired) molecular gastronomy trend, there’s a danger of biting off more deconstructed cheesecake than they can chew. Hopefully, it will work. After all, everyone’s got a secret soft corner for the rebel in the classroom. For a place that exults in defiance. A place where the vibe is so fluid, even its founder finds it difficult to slot. “It’s more laid back,” says Riyaaz thoughtfully. “More left of centre. A little crazy. A little eccentric.”

(Mocha Mojo is at Indira Nagar, Adyar. Call 42337024/ 25 for more details.)

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