Fabcafe is understated, chic and breezy unlike the quintessential and effortless style that is a signature of Fabindia. The interiors focus on natural elements of light, flora and the nature of food which is depicted in the artwork on the walls. Tall palms and cosy seating make for a cafe that's ideal for an afternoon with a book or a group of friends. The ambience encourages the guest to leave gadgets behind and be immersed in a sense of calm and collectedness which is a welcome change from the usual bustle of cafes.
The new summer menu at Fabcafe takes cues from this vibe of calm and going back to our roots to present dishes that are local, regional and extremely comforting. Every dish brings forth a region of the country along with a slew of food memories combined with essential food trends like vegan and keto all the while focusing on fresh and appetizing. To be honest, some food trends aren’t for everyone, except those who have committed to that way of life, yet we found the menu extremely interesting and chose Fabcafe for what went on to become a rather unforgettable meal. The menu began with breakfast but we were here for lunch, so that’s one thing, we decided to go back for though we did end up choosing the Idli with Tomato Nariyal Chutney. The mini idlis were as adorable as they were delicious and ideal for the weather both in terms of refreshing and light. The smoothie bowls in this section sounded worth a visit too! Speaking of refreshing, the salads covered many elements of how food ought to be presented, local produce, dairy free, wheat free and focused on regional foods like Jhalmuri Salad which was surprisingly made of puffed quinoa and makhanas. We chose the Chicken Tikka Salad which had perfectly grilled chicken, a coriander chutney inspired dressing and crisp, fresh greens. For appetizers, tried the Crispy Falafel Chaat mainly because they made the falafel with chana dal, making them much lighter than expected. We had a hard time choosing between the equally indulgent Mutton Samosa and Mutton Galouti only to choose the latter and we’re so glad we did, the bite-sized kebabs were perfectly spiced, aromatic and not pungent, just how they should be.
Since this meal was also a long-anticipated catch-up, we decided to mull over some Kombucha and Aam Panna to make space for our main course, skipping it wasn’t an option considering we have a choice of dishes like Kerela Fish Molee, Punjabi Saag Paneer and our all-time favourite Chicken Chettinad. We chose the Chicken Chettinad which was a lighter version of what most of us are used to, a thinner gravy but very flavourful, for sides we would have loved steamed rice or appam but the slightly unusual choice of Six Grain Paranthas worked very well. Since a lot of the flavours here were bringing back childhood memories, we decided to add Singhara Chapatis to the mix, so what if it’s not ‘vrat’ time?! Indulgent dishes aside, it was the focus on making lighter, healthier versions of standard dishes that we found very interesting. For instance, the Keto Chicken Biryani made with cauliflower rice and the Kathal Quinoa Biryani which mimicked mutton, perfectly. They had a separate Dinner Specials Menu which had a few things we’d love to plan a dinner over, especially the Gatta Curry and Chicken Dhansak, so in case you plan to visit in the evening, do try those! The desserts continued in the same vein of healthy yet delicious, we loved the Berry Ice Cream and the Mango Cashew Tart which was completely vegan, it was the cashew milk that lent all the creaminess to the ‘cheesecake’ like part of the tart! It’s heartening to see menus that serve good food despite using alternate ingredients and the thoughtfulness definitely adds to the overall experience!
The new summer menu at Fabcafe takes cues from this vibe of calm and going back to our roots to present dishes that are local, regional and extremely comforting. Every dish brings forth a region of the country along with a slew of food memories combined with essential food trends like vegan and keto all the while focusing on fresh and appetizing. To be honest, some food trends aren’t for everyone, except those who have committed to that way of life, yet we found the menu extremely interesting and chose Fabcafe for what went on to become a rather unforgettable meal. The menu began with breakfast but we were here for lunch, so that’s one thing, we decided to go back for though we did end up choosing the Idli with Tomato Nariyal Chutney. The mini idlis were as adorable as they were delicious and ideal for the weather both in terms of refreshing and light. The smoothie bowls in this section sounded worth a visit too! Speaking of refreshing, the salads covered many elements of how food ought to be presented, local produce, dairy free, wheat free and focused on regional foods like Jhalmuri Salad which was surprisingly made of puffed quinoa and makhanas. We chose the Chicken Tikka Salad which had perfectly grilled chicken, a coriander chutney inspired dressing and crisp, fresh greens. For appetizers, tried the Crispy Falafel Chaat mainly because they made the falafel with chana dal, making them much lighter than expected. We had a hard time choosing between the equally indulgent Mutton Samosa and Mutton Galouti only to choose the latter and we’re so glad we did, the bite-sized kebabs were perfectly spiced, aromatic and not pungent, just how they should be.
Since this meal was also a long-anticipated catch-up, we decided to mull over some Kombucha and Aam Panna to make space for our main course, skipping it wasn’t an option considering we have a choice of dishes like Kerela Fish Molee, Punjabi Saag Paneer and our all-time favourite Chicken Chettinad. We chose the Chicken Chettinad which was a lighter version of what most of us are used to, a thinner gravy but very flavourful, for sides we would have loved steamed rice or appam but the slightly unusual choice of Six Grain Paranthas worked very well. Since a lot of the flavours here were bringing back childhood memories, we decided to add Singhara Chapatis to the mix, so what if it’s not ‘vrat’ time?! Indulgent dishes aside, it was the focus on making lighter, healthier versions of standard dishes that we found very interesting. For instance, the Keto Chicken Biryani made with cauliflower rice and the Kathal Quinoa Biryani which mimicked mutton, perfectly. They had a separate Dinner Specials Menu which had a few things we’d love to plan a dinner over, especially the Gatta Curry and Chicken Dhansak, so in case you plan to visit in the evening, do try those! The desserts continued in the same vein of healthy yet delicious, we loved the Berry Ice Cream and the Mango Cashew Tart which was completely vegan, it was the cashew milk that lent all the creaminess to the ‘cheesecake’ like part of the tart! It’s heartening to see menus that serve good food despite using alternate ingredients and the thoughtfulness definitely adds to the overall experience!