LF Review: ★★★★
How many times have you pined for a simple, decent Italian ravioli in India, but without the spunky Indian flavors in it? Or a hearty French lobster that is as true to the original as possible. If you are looking for a reimagined global gastronomic experience, Cajsa (meaning ‘pure’ in Greek) gives you that, in a plush setting.
This new space in ITC Gardenia, Bengaluru, replaces the earlier Italian restaurant Ottimo and continues the ITC chain’s focus on elevated dining experiences. This one is, in fact, quite pocket friendly for the food and ambience. Interestingly, with the trend of tasting menus catching on in Bengaluru, Cajsa is certainly in the driver’s seat with this interesting set menu option.
The 50-cover restaurant in its new avatar is, however, all about understated elegance with a color palette dominated by hues of beige and brown. The pop of color comes from the artefacts – the small red lamp shade on each table, the walls adorned with artwork and accessories that are placed along the walls.
The banana fibre drop- down lamps add an earthy feel to the space. The large open kitchen in the centre of the space allows you to see how your food is being made and plated. The restaurant also has a 12-seater Private Dining Room where you can have a customised meal, for an experience that is steeped in exclusivity and sophistication.
Set menus
Open for dinner only, Cajsa serves pre-set meals that are served course by course. You can choose from the 7 (Inizio), 9 (Lagom), or 11 (Elysian) course vegetarian or non-vegetarian meals. A small holder with the menu card is placed before each diner to let them know what they will be eating.
The carefully calibrated menu is a symphony of tastes and textures. Shubham Shinh, Head Chef, Cajsa, explains, “We started working on this concept for almost a year. Every dish has gone through at least eight to ten trials, and after working through several combinations we have got these menus ready. As the menu is global, we have a combination of some classic dishes and some that we have created and have reimagined to make it contemporary, but retaining its authentic soul. Ingredients are sourced locally especially for vegetables as we have tied up with local farms who work with good quality organic produce. Some of the exotic ingredients are imported as well. This meal is all about an experience that needs to be savored and enjoyed.”
Raise a toast
A carefully curated selection of seven cocktails complements the global menu. The Cajsa Bloody Mary has a local twist. It combines tomato puree, basil leaves and kachampuli concentrate – a dark, tart vinegar native to Coorg – with tequila to pack a punch. The Eastern Old Fashioned is a combination of whisky, ume plums, wasabi oil, and citrus foam while the Bergamot Brew is a combination of bergamot tart, fresh green apple puree, earl grey tea and fennel bitters, with a choice of white spirit.
The rest of the cocktail menu has a spirit (pun intended) of customisation where you can choose your poison. KK combines kaffir lime and cucumber kombucha with a spirit of your choice. The Caribbean Empress with whisky, vanilla bourbon, coconut bubbles with pear chips(!) is joined by Midnight Lush with blackberry, mint, apricot and choice of spirit. Café Jageroni is deep and inviting with a combination of coffee infused gin, jager and homemade bitters.
Food files
Knowing my appetite, I sampled the seven-course vegetarian meal and was impressed to note that the calorie count (kcal) of each dish has been mentioned in the menu! I started with the 24ct Asparagus Mousseline, a unique way of working with the ingredient in a mousse form that worked superbly. Served with pickled baby beets, wild arugula, and maple cream, this dish whetted my appetite perfectly.
The King Oyster & Finger Millet with bubbles of parmesan and soy veil followed as did the 48 Hours of Tomato, a soup that has white tomato velouté and ombardy cheese. The name is also indicative of the fact that it does take 48 hours to get the velouté, making this a dish that is in equal parts hearty and flavoursome.
The Spring Vegetables & Artichoke is served on a crisp puff tart, topped with toasted pine nuts and spiced leaf, and packs a punch of flavor. The dish has an interesting mix of textures with the crispiness of the tart offsetting the softness of the vegetables. The fresh fennel & green apple sorbet served as a palate cleanser is quite creamy unlike the usual water-based sorbet, but I also found it a tad bit too sweet.
The Artisan Ricotta Ravioli served with baby tomato sauce and truffle noir is almost like a piece of art. The ravioli has three layers and is striped to perfection. Taste wise, this one was excellent as the perfectly cooked pasta merged into the delicious sauce creating a wonderful symphony of flavors on my palate. I ended the meal with the Coorg Coffee Conundrum, a delicious dessert with dulce pebbles and kaffir lime leaves ice cream. The combination might seem unusual, but the flavors work seamlessly and ensure you end the meal on a high note.
International flavors
The non-vegetarian fare includes several aces like the Hickory smoked farm-raised chicken, that is inspired by French flavors with the chicken smoked with hickory wood, fresh vegetables, and layered in Bearnaise sauce. France’s Lobster Thermido is a classic dish that has inspired the Lobster Lux enhanced by both elevated presentation and flavour.
A comfort culinary creation from France, inspired by coq au vin, spring chicken with Clementine, Cointreau, and ricotta, the CAJSA Crockpot is another must try. The Middle East and New Zealand coalesce in the Moroccan Crusted Lamb – a concoction of loin of lamb from New Zealand, with classic evergreen Wellington herbs. It has a pomegranate juice sauce and is served with the Lebanese version of the traditional couscous, Moghrabieh.
In all, a meal at Cajsa will take you around the world, where it takes inspiration from the many fine dining classic dishes, but gives them a contemporary twist. Ready to tour the world on a plate?
LF Review: ★★★★
Coordinates: 1, Residency Rd, Ashok Nagar, Bengaluru, Karnataka, India
