New Bandra-based dessert shop, Love & Cheesecake has already created waves on social networking sites. Dev Goswami finds out what all the hype is about
Jugaad (out-of-the-box innovation), has a strong connection with India and especially with our city. The ‘will make do with what I have,’ attitude may have its supporters and detractors, but no can argue that it is popular in Mumbai.
Love & Cheesecake is a result of this spirit. Located in a ground floor house in a building on Linking Road, there are no glass displays or dessert counters that you associate with dessert shops. They haven’t found a location which suits them as yet and as a result, Love & Cheesecake operates out of a small kitchen.
The Love & Cheesecake sign can be seen from the main road and it invites you to go around the building. Once you do, you’ll come across a red door, with a neat nameplate. Ring the doorbell and either of the owners of Love & Cheesecake will open the door. As soon as you enter, you will be treated to the sweet scent of baking, which is pure heaven for cake lovers and bakers. It is a pick-up place (if they do not zero down on a retail location soon, they plan to start deliveries), so there is not much sitting space within the room.
Quite obviously, the menu is filled with various kinds of cheesecakes. From cheesecake flavoured with berries to more ‘potent’ forms of the dessert, such as the Baileys Cheesecake and the Tequila and Lime Cheesecake, there are a lot of options to choose from at Love & Cheesecake. The most notable among the flavours we tried was the Original Philadelphia Cheesecake. The perfectly textured cake was soft but at the same time, firm enough so it did not break apart. This cold cheesecake is a must-try.
While we’ve had coffee flavoured desserts before, the Cappuccino Cheesecake had a whole other dimension to it. Coffee lover or not, you will adore this cake! The Chocolate Cheesecake was another treat as it was a delightful contrast of soft, gooey chocolate on a firm base.
The Red Velvet Cheesecake had my friend going gaga and not without reason. It is another must-try at Love & Cheesecake. However, the discovery of the night, and my personal favourite, was the Orange & Honey Cake. In terms of flavour, the cake is stripped down to help highlight the orange flavour. At first bite, your tongue will be left hunting for flavours with just a slight cheesecake taste to satisfy it. However, towards the end of the morsel the subtle orange taste kicks in… you have to bite it to believe it.
You can pick up a wedge for `180 onwards while full cakes are priced at `1,200 for a kg (`700 for 1/2kg). For the whole cakes, ordering a day in advance is recommended. All their cakes hold their own and they have a menu to satisfy everyone’s taste.
Where Shop with the Red Door, Ground Floor, Kusum Kunj, Next to Guess Showroom, Linking Road, Khar (W)
Contact 9819935135/9819938377