Weekend-5-16

Café Society | Review
Caffeine-fuelled conversations
Three meals at CBTL
Sabrina Fatma Ahmad
For a nation of hardcore cha-samosa enthusiasts, the coffee culture is a relatively new one in Dhaka, and the idea of a café as separate
from a diner or restaurant is still something that’s taking time to catch up in some areas, but we can finally boast a range of fine coffee
franchises and local joints. In this new series, we review the experience of some of our favourites.
warm tones and casual seating, with the giant
TV on in one corner, gives the place a feeling
of intimacy, like we’re all sitting in someone’s
living room.
Our meal of choice is the Caesar Salad, and
we both opt for added chicken in ours. I’m
getting my usual dark chocolate latte, while he
takes a regular sized daily brew. CBTL’s coffee
is mainly premium roasted Arabica, and the
aromatic dark roasted brew in particular has
an intense flavour with a pleasantly tart finish.
The salad is a medley of romaine lettuce, hard
boiled eggs, croutons, caesar dressing and
parmesan cheese shavings, and of course,
for us, chunks of grilled chicken, all tumbled
together to provide texture and taste.
From traffic jams to water shortages,
there’s so much your average Dhakaite
has to deal with on a daily basis, that
when you find a favourite café near your
place, which provides not only great coffee,
but an ambience that can simultaneously
accommodate quiet work time, and casual
conversation, you consider it cash well spent
to be able to frequent it. Coffee Bean and
Tea Leaf, a popular franchise from sunny
California, is definitely one of those.
What makes this place a favourite? In the
spirit of “research”, I sat down with three
regulars over three separate visits at the joint
to share their go-to orders.
Brunch with the bestie
It’s bright sunny Saturday midday, and I’m
already late for my brunch meeting with my
best friend Diya. When I finally scramble up
the stairs, I find her waiting in the airy patio
area, immaculate in an indigo Aranya sari,
nursing an Earl Grey tea and a long-suffering
expression.
We make a show of perusing the menu,
but really, we both know what we’re going to
have: the Eggs Benedict. Everyone does their
Benny a little different, and CBTL’s one sits on
Photo: Courtesy
rosemary foccacia bread, and is topped with
cheese, turkey ham, drizzled liberally with a
hollandaise sauce. Served with a side garden
salad, it’s the perfect choice for brunch. While
Diya asks for another Earl Grey, my staple is
the dark chocolate latte, which combines a
freshly pulled shot of espresso with a velvety
kiss of chocolate and a splash of milk – the
perfect choice for someone who’s not a
habitual coffee drinker.
This time of the day, somewhere between
high noon and the afternoon, it’s quiet, and
sitting out here, in the sun-dappled patio,
munching away on a meal made for quiet
gossip, it’s a recipe for serenity, and worth the
splurge.
Dinner with the hubs
Sunday night, and I’m back in with my favourite
partner in crime. As the doors swish open, we
can tell it’s a lively evening, but even then, the
baristas greet us with broad smiles and their
signature singsong “Welcome to Coffee Bean”,
which for some, is a reason for repeat visits.
As luck would have it, we do manage to
snag a window seat, so have a clear view of
the road outside as we get comfortable. All the
other tables around us are occupied, and the
Late night coffee with the crew
It’s a rainy Friday night, and this time, I’m
putting my favourite café to a sort of litmus
test. Tomal and Reeti are friends who just got
back from LA, the birthplace of Coffee Bean
and Tea Leaf. I’m curious to know how ours
compare to the OG outlets, hence the meet up.
It’s an hour from closing time, and we’re in
the mood for something sweet. Sidling up into
one of the red booths in the area behind the
coffee counter, we can see we’re not the only
ones. The place is abuzz with nyctophiles on a
coffee high. The servers whiz past us, loaded
trays in hand.
Tomal takes an Americano, while Reeti
opts out of coffee. We decide to split two
cheesecakes among us, so we get a Blueberry
Cheesecake, and a Chicago Cheesecake. For
fans of the no-bake cheesecake, this is a pretty
decent choice. Our forks sink into a bed of
creamy sweet cheese till it hits the delightfully
crumbly crust. The blueberry adds a piquant
counterpoint to the sweetness of the dessert,
while the Chicago cheesecake is perhaps a
bigger hit for those with a sweet tooth.
I’m eyeballing the pair over my latte as they
take everything in. Finally, with a nod, they
acknowledge that the spacious, yet cosy
settings, the friendly staff, and the quality
food have all met, and even exceeded their
expectations. Test passed, the caffeine-fuelled
conversations continue. •
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WEEKEND TRIBUNE | FRIDAY, AUGUST 11, 2017