Grotto Café: So cheesy

If you’re also a cheese enthusiast, the very word would give you enough reason to drop by this restaurant

KARACHI: Located in the hub of Bukhari commercial, another cheese-licious eatery has given foodies hunger pangs. Grotto Café has been here for a while now and they serve dishes layered with cheese right out of the barrel. If you’re also a cheese enthusiast like me, the very word would give you enough reason to drop by this restaurant.

The café has updated their menu recently, which now includes chef’s special dishes such as Fondue de Fromage, Raclette Burger, Cyclone Chicken, Alaska Poucet and Red Muccet Fish. There’s also an option of topping your main course with add-ons of cheese.

I was accompanied by my colleague and we both found the staff to be friendly and helpful. Being indecisive about starters, we were recommended to order Chicken Cigars.

PHOTO: SUMAIYA KAMANI/EXPRESS

The dish, comprising a crispy outer layer of chicken wrapped around sun-dried tomatoes and served with a side dip of honey mayo sauce, became our love at first bite. The chicken was slightly crispy and chewy with a sour and tangy flavour.

The appetiser set the bar for the remaining courses. With our hopes high and stomachs grumbling, we moved to the Fondue de Fromage. Despite being the eatery’s star dish, the fondue failed to impress. It was served with a shallow pool of cheese, amongst marinated chicken pieces, boiled potatoes and croutons.

PHOTO: AZIFA AYAZ/EXPRESS

Although the cheese dip did justice to the platter, the chicken was slightly undercooked and bland from the inside. While we enjoyed sticking the skewer to potatoes and croutons more than the chicken, the dish was ordinary and a little heavy on the pocket.

Another special from the main course was the Cyclone Chicken. The dish contained jalapenos-stuffed grilled chicken sitting on a rich creamy sauce. It was served with a sideline of mashed-potatoes-stuffed puff pastry and sautéed vegetables.

PHOTO: SUMAIYA KAMANI/EXPRESS

The dish provided an accurate proportion of crisp and tenderness in the chicken and while it was juicy, it also had the right blend of the soft and rich sauce. It was delicious and we declare it as our winner.

Later, we opted to add racelette cheese to our dish. It took them a few minutes to serve it, while we waited for the cheese to be devoured. The staff pulled a great show as they peeled the thick layer of cheese off the wheel. It, however, could be unpleasant to smell for a few but as the cheese connoisseurs say, “the stinkier the cheese, the better”, the salty and savoury rind added to the flavour.

We also ordered straw and hay pasta, which is another type of Alfredo Pasta and spicier than usual. We failed to eat it without daubing the table as the sauce in the pasta wasn’t as thick as it is supposed to be.

PHOTO: SUMAIYA KAMANI/EXPRESS

Upon complaining, the waiter readily revised the dish and presented a better version of it. The second attempt of pleasing us with the fancy Alfredo was definitely tastier.

We were recommended to try out the drink, Mix Daiquiri, which also comes solely in strawberry flavour. While it was delicious on its own, pairing it with the food that we ordered was not a good idea. It was heavy, like a smoothie, which makes an apt option for brunches. Nonetheless, there should have been an option of ordering something more refreshing such as mint lemonade.

PHOTO: AZIFA AYAZ/EXPRESS

Grotto serves a few dessert options as well. Upon recommendation, we ordered Peanut Butter and Chocolate Mousse. It slipped the spoon as we tried to make full use of the interesting combination, which was divided into different layers of icecream, brownie and hard chocolate cover on the top, providing a perfect base for the hot sauce to be poured on. It had the blink-and-you'll-miss-it quality and was finished in less than two minutes.

Verdict: Grotto cafe is the right option for enthusiastic cheese lovers.

Stars: 3/5

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