The Flour Works, Salunkhe Vihar Road.

Contrary to the popular opinion, I prefer the minimalistic old world French cafe charm of the indoor section at The Flour Works, Kalyani Nagar as opposed to the al fresco one. Sitting by the French windows and gazing at the rains wash the lush trees dotted along the quaint lane the cafe is located in or enjoying the dimly lit moody ambiance of the post-dinner rush while sipping on an orange hot chocolate is my definition of bliss. But the minute i stepped into their newly launched Wanorwrie outlet, my loyalties....er...switched - at least for that evening. The decor and vibe are gorgeous exuding warmth and intimacy with intelligent use of soothing colours, lighting and open spaces. The patisserie section is adorned with a floral motif and plants make up for wall art

Snow Lemondade and Cranberry Lemonade

The food and beverages menu remains the same as the Kalyani Nagar outlet except that there are no wines or beers served here yet. The citrusy Snow Lemonade and a variety of other cold beverages like iced teas and smoothies should hold you in good stead though. The large grub menu features breakfast items like variations of eggs benedict, waffles and pancakes, starters, salads, sandwiches and burgers, pasta-pizza-risotto, mains and desserts. Phew!

Mini Beef Burgers

Smoked Salmon Carpaccio

Prawns Lemon Butter Garlic; Mini Beef Burgers, a platter of 3 sliders assembled the classic way; Smoked Salmon Carpaccio, slivers of smoked salmon strewn on a bed on grilled veggies, were our picks from the starters. BBQ Goan Sausage with Broccoli and Potatoes was very competent as well but availability issues has forced the kitchen to replace choriz with regular pork sausages. Fried Squid with Sweet Chilli Sauce is missable - the squids were well cooked but let down by an underwhelming batter and a sauce that was a tad runny. 

Gnocchi with Peppers, Squash and Parmesan

A light drizzle of prawn or garlic oil should set the Prawn, Roasted Tomato and Fennel Pizza right. In it's current format, the pie came across as a little bland and in need of some oomph. Between the options we were contemplating among the pasta and risotto, we chose the French Style Gnocchi with Peppers, Squash and Parmesan and what an inspired choice it turned out to be! Pillowy pasta tossed with herbs, crunchy sweet bell peppers and topped with parmesan, this plate was quite literally an explosion of flavours and textures.

Pork Spare Ribs with Citrus Chilli Jam

The {over}cooking of meats on my previous visit to the Kalyani Nagar outlet had left me a bit cold towards the dishes then but issues here this time. Both, the Pork Spare Ribs with Citrus Chilli Jam and the Gorgonzola Stuffed Beef were on the money. The sweet-sour-spicy sticky sauce with segments of orange zest in the former and a creamy & pungent sauce in the latter played perfect foil to the meats they came with.

Dark Chocolate Mousse with Orange Caramel Filling

The Dark Chocolate Mousse with Orange Caramel Filling remains one my favourites from their plated desserts section but the Caramel Panna Cotta disappointed - despite having a really nice ginger bread to bring in some heat to the dessert - mainly because the star element on the plate was denser than it should've been. We ended the night with, what else, Hot Chocolate {orange and regular}. It's decadent and served optimally hot and just a sip or two can fill you up with enough warmth to make this world seem like a better place.

{The bloggers table was hosted by The Flour Works.}