When the iconic Sundance Cafe shut 2 years ago it broke a lot of hearts.
There was a lot of nostalgia attached to this place where many
youngsters went for their first dates, had many unforgettable meals or had their first
steak. A couple of restaurants opened in its place but couldn't bring back the same magic. Last month Sundance Cafe reopened and brought back a lot of memories for the ex-patrons. After reading about it on twitter and going through a couple of reviews I decided to check it out myself. But the only hiccup was that I didn't have anything to compare it with since I never went to the old Sundance. So while I was able to give a fresh perspective it was essential for me to know how it was like back then. Help came via Twitter in form of
Prachi Joshi of
Deliciously Directionless, a banker turned blogger who was a regular at the cafe in her college days.
We met for lunch and as soon as I entered Prachi told me that the look of the cafe has completely changed. The old Sundance didn't have a very posh looking furniture and the mezzanine floor used to be so cramped up that it was almost difficult to sit there. Well, now the restaurant looks a lot more sophisticated. The wall behind the reception is made into a showcase and there are models of antique cars, typewriters etc, placed in every shelf. One shelf also stacks some old Archie comics. We went on the mezzanine floor and grabbed a table. There's a small bar in the corner too but the guests can not sit at the bar.
We were handed over the menu which was printed in a style of a newspaper. While going through it Prachi realised that the menu has been completely revamped. She was a little disheartened to see the famous turtle burgers (burgers with bread shaped like a turtle) missing. The current menu is a mix of American and European dishes.We ordered 2 pints of beer, perfect for a hot afternoon and Mushroom Puffs (Rs 280). The puffs were not very oily, soft and stuffed with mushrooms and goat cheese. While we liked the light bites both of us found the portion a little small. While we were downing our beers the Chef served us two small cups of Mushroom Cappuccino - a very light mushroom soup served in a coffee cup with a little froth on the top. Prachi immediately decided to try making it at home.
For the mains we decided to stick to the burgers. Prachi ordered a beef tenderloin burger (Rs 385) and I opted for a fish and chips one (Rs 385). The cafe has also put up a little challenge for those with big appetites, it serves a 20 OZ beef tenderloin burger stuffed with bacon, eggs, cheese and vegetables (Rs 900). If you manage to finish it all by yourself it's free. while we were going through the menu our burgers arrived sitting pretty on a wooden platter with a portion of fries and salad on the side. Fries were served in a French fry holder or a deep fryer. The fish burger had a fat, crispy and juicy piece of fish coated with a mayonnaise sauce. If we had any plans of ordering more food they were wiped out once the burgers arrived.
After stuffing ourselves with the huge burger we somehow managed to secure a small corner of the stomach for dessert. we ordered the only dish available on the menu, blueberry cheesecake which was not too creamy, mildly sweetened and without a heavy dose of blueberry topping. We finished our meal and stepped out, Prachi for a little shopping trip and I back to work.
So, while the new Sundance Cafe has not retained anything except the name the food is great and worth a try.
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