Milking Isloo’s coffee cult

Coffee Republic and Yogland, located next to each other, open doors to Islamabad.

ISLAMABAD:

When you go somewhere to eat, you expect to have the best of everything so you won’t have to go anywhere else. This is the main idea behind opening the international food chains Coffee Republic and Yogland next to each other in Islamabad’s busy Super Market area.

At the red carpet launch last week, the franchise owner of Coffee Republic Farooq Awais said that the closeness of the two outlets allows customers to order coffee, yogurt or food in the same space. Awais, who is fond of eating out, said their coffee tastes different because the coffee beans are imported from Italy.

The coffee shop itself expands into a spacious patio, where customers can lounge on lawn chairs. Upstairs, people enjoy hors d’oeuvres, chilled berry slush and steaming lattes. The cozy interior comprises of comfortable sofa seats, wooden chairs, barstools and a full-glass window overlooking the bustling street.

The self-service coffee shop offers a variety of espresso-based coffees and chillers, other than its all-day menu including breakfast, sandwiches, pastas, pizzas and desserts. There is also a cigar lounge for those who want to have a puff with a cup of coffee. “I like the ambience of the place. Anyone who calls Islamabad a dead city should know that outlets for food and entertainment are sprouting around the city, which is a good sign,” said a guest at the launch.

Architects Saad Kureishi and Irfan Naveed, who designed the space, said customers who walk in generally take time to finish off their food or coffee, so there is a lot of space to accommodate more people coming in. “Going out for coffee has become a cult here. People like to hang out for food or coffee at different eateries,” said Kureishi.

Omid Tehrani, the owner of Yogland, said the outlet has a unique blend of fresh and healthy yogurt and some ‘unusual flavours’ to offer. The yogurt is sweetened with a natural sweetener, a herb named stevia, for a guilt-free binge. The yogurt comes in a variety of flavours with toppings of sweet sprinkles, canned fruit, chocolate sauce, brownie and dry fruit. Yogland also offers sugar-free yogurt shakes for the gym-goers.

Biting in

The Vanilla Latte at Coffee Republic has a mild flavour, while the cappuccino comes only in caramel flavour. Other options such as mocha and Americano fail to give you that kick of caffeine.

It also offers hot chocolate in luxury, chili, mint and cinnamon flavours, which is served with caramel syrup, whipped cream, chocolate sauce or toffee. Their cold coffees come in Caffe (Rs345) and Luxury Mocha (Rs400) flavours served with whipped cream, chocolate sauce and truffles. The iced lattes come in vanilla, caramel and mocha flavours.

It takes you time to choose from the variety of cheesecakes on the menu. The chef’s recommendation, Peanut Butter Cheesecake (Rs325), is the yummiest, but priciest option. Other dessert choices include fudge brownie, apple crumble pie served with ice cream, Snickers mousse cake and chocolate fudge cake.

The all-day breakfast menu ranges from waffles to pancakes, khagina to spinach omelets, bagels to croissants with cream cheese. The CR Special Breakfast, which is the priciest combination (Rs550), includes freshly-grilled tomatoes, hash browns, butter tips, jam tips, frankfurters, baked beans and eggs of your choice.

Snacks at the café are offered in  chicken, fish and beef meat — so there’s something for everyone to eat. Also on the menu are traditional fish and chips (Rs525) with crispy golden fish fillet, french fries and tartar sauce. The fries are a disappointment, as they were served soggy and limp – no competition for the piping hot French fries you get from McDonald’s, One Potato Two Potato or even the roadside chips wallah.

The eatery also has salads such as Caesars, Tuna, Eden Garden and Thai. The sandwiches and paninis include grilled chicken and spinach, roasted beef and chicken cheese. While you may not like your coffee much, the place offers a treat for those who would like to bask in the cosy ambience or somebody who likes swanky cigar lounges.

Published in The Express Tribune, October 10^th, 2013.

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