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Restaurant review: The Bhukkad Cafe

The Bhukkad Cafe in Al Karama is a fit stop for those who miss Indian street food. More is better is the quaint restaurant's credo - so Sushmita Bose overeats and lives up to the name

Bhukkad is Hindi slang for hungry, very hungry... so hungry that you may be called greedy. Yup, it's one of the deadly sins, but once you enter this funky, colourful cafe-cum-restaurant, replete with wall art, karaoke screens, cute props and desi motifs, you'd be forgiven for no-holds-barred (over)indulgence. The Bhukkad Cafe menu factors in a smattering of street food from all over India, and I am most pleased to note that the Kolkata "chilli chicken and chowmein" has made its way in. The menu, by the way, is creative, and gives concise insights (and history lessons) of the unique culinary adventure that is desi fast food.

Even on a weekday evening, the place is buzzing - it's clear that within a short time (The Bhukkad Cafe is a new entrant to Karama's bustling foodie scene), it's managed to strike a chord.
And why ever not? From keema pav and bread pakodas and Bombay frankie to Mithibai grilled sandwich (the wiches outside the legendary Mumbai college - stuffed with mashed boiled potatoes, veggies and Amul cheese - are The Best!) to an array of chaats and Mera Wala Maggi (2-minute mantra souped up with condiments and sauces), there's something for everyone. Add to that lively music and a general vibe of well-being, you have a winner!
Taste: The Mithibai grilled sandwich (first time for me) was great: simple, wholesome and tasty. The paani puris, chaats and vada pavs were pretty decent. I loved the Kolkata chilli chicken, which these guys had got almost perfect. The spoiler was the adrak chai - way too overdone.
Ambience: If you're in a bad mood or feeling low, you're bound to feel better. The best bit is, there's nothing intimidating about the place; it's cosy, relaxed and easy on the eye. For a Bollywood fan like myself, I spent all my time checking out brilliant posters and their quirky captions.
Service: Personally, I thought the service staff, albeit friendly, were a bit out of their depth - probably because they're still trying to find their feet. When we re-ordered the adrak chai because it was too overdone/strong, they got back with the exact same (tasting) thing.
Presentation: Full points for this as well. There's nothing fancy about presentation, yet every dish looked amazing. The paani puris came in a little thela (hand-drawn cart), with the spiced water below the puris kept in a little glass below. Space-saving and so innovative!
Value for money: Everything is priced fairly competitively - keeping in mind the "competition" from other like-minded street food eateries that abound in the area. Given the good food, thoughtfully-done-up interiors and how much fun you can have at this place, very good I'd say.