We have seen the food scene evolve in Bengaluru from a very nascent stage. In this long journey, we have always strived to do something different as food bloggers, critics, writers or influencers. We have always believed in creating experiences.
Nowadays we see how the system has completely changed and moved towards people sucking up, those not having knowledge about food has entered this industry giving a bad name to others.
These days when a PR firm or a restaurant invites you for a tasting, many are obligated to write good about the place with a fear that if they write the truth, they will not be invited again.
This led to the creation of our new style of reviewing ‘Uncensored Reviews’, in association with the mighty The 3 Hungry Men.
It is simple, we won’t tell you that we are coming, we won’t tell you who we are, we will order from the menu, eat whatever we want and most importantly PAY THE BILL! No bullshit just true, uncensored reviews!
For our first ‘Uncensored Review’, we chose to visit an all-vegetarian café quietly settled on Church Street – LITTLE GREEN CAFÉ.
A brief introduction
Little Green Café, almost a year old now comes from the family of Green Theory Café located on Convent Road, Richmond Town. Living to its name, LGG is all about healthy or rather clean eating and drinking. It is a small, quiet and cosy place with plants and flowers all around.
What we ate?
What we like about the menu is they are not trying to oversell anything, very neat and limited menu on offer for the diners here. Let us take you on an unfiltered and uncensored ride.
SOUPS & BROTHS
Vietnamese Pho with Soba Noodles
Our eyes just lit up looking at Vietnamese Pho on the menu but again there is always a question, will they be able to do justice to a legendary Vietnamese soup. After much discussion, we decided to try it and it surprised with an almost perfect Vietnamese Pho. Full marks to the chef for not trying to flirt with a classic dish as this and keep it simple to the point. It has all the elements that sum up for a perfect Vietnamese Pho, right from the flavours to brilliantly cooked soba noodles, everything right on point.
We scored this Vietnamese Pho: 4/5
Mushroom Cappuccino
Well, do not get smacked by the name. If you at any time have ordered a cream of mushroom soup, this is a better version of it. Nothing wrong with it, ticks all the boxes for a good and warm mushroom soup. However, there is nothing that wows us about this soup, it’s the good old creamy mushroom soup.
We scored this Mushroom Cappuccino: 3/5
SALADS
Pear and Beetroot Salad with Greens, Walnut, Feta and Quinoa
Think Green and this salad must top the list. Pear, beetroot, walnut, feta, quinoa and loaded with vegetables, what is not to love about this dish. This is a bowl of freshness, which will keep your hands, and mouth busy until it is whipped clean. There is something so unique about this salad, all the elements perfectly sync in to create magic. There are salads and then there is this.
We scored this Pear and Beetroot Salad: 4.5/5
APPETIZERS
Little Tikkis: Beetroot, Quinoa and Feta / Ricotta and Vegetable
These are tiny wonders of joy. You would not believe if we said these tikkis are made without any oil. Yes, you read that right but does it compromise on the taste? HELL NO! These are undoubtedly one of the best tikkis we have ever tasted.
We scored this Little Tikkis: 4/5
Mezze Platter
This was definitely a class apart, who would have ever thought that beetroot and hummus could have made such inseparable combinations. The Chia seed Hummus was another beauty on that platter. The multigrain bread too was a great accompaniment. Overall, this was one power-packed surprise.
We scored this Mezze Platter: 4/5
Semolina Waffles with Mint Chutney and Tomato Relish
You might have under-estimated upma all your life but the Semolina waffles at Little Green Café is a crazy surprise in waiting for you. Savoury waffles that tickle your taste buds, leave you mesmerized and before you can realise what you just ate, it is vanished off your plate in your stomach. Topped with nice spicy mind coriander chutney and spicy mayo, the waffle is your dish for the rainy day with a cup of tea or coffee.
We scored this Semolina Waffles: 4/5
MAINS
Pearl Barley, Vegetables, and Roasted Tomato Risotto
Risotto is one hell of a tricky food, you really do not know whether to love or hate it. Having said that, we have been fortunate to taste some wonderful risotto in few cities. Coming back to Little Green Café’s risotto, this is an experiment gone wrong-whacky version of the humble risotto. It is prepared with barley instead of the usual risotto rice. The flavours are confusing and give you an impression of red pasta meets sambhar rice. On the positive side, it is one wholesome meal in itself. On a wonderful journey of flavours, this Risotto was a roadblock.
We scored this Pearl Barley: 2/5
Cottage Cheese Steak with Mexican Rice
This has to be the best choice in the main course. The Cottage cheese was well marinated with salsa and blended very well with the rice. Healthy too! This was prepared with brown rice and though brown rice is not really the ones to retain flavours immediately, this one stuck. We must admit the quantity was beyond satisfactory too! Therefore, if you are in a hurry and want just one dish, this is your answer!
We scored this Cottage Cheese Steak: 4/5
Thai Green Curry with Semipolished Kerala Rice
Just like Vietnamese Pho, when you see Thai curry on a menu – you just order it and pray that it turns out as good as your personal benchmark if not better. Again, Little Green Café manages to surprise us with this power-packed bowl of goodness. What we liked about this Thai green curry is the balance of flavours unlike few other ‘renowned places’ where it is dominated by basil, kaffir lime and coconut milk. If you are a Thai green curry fan just like us, remember this, you will not be disappointed.
We scored this Thai Green Curry: 4.5/5
STAFF & SERVICE
In the service industry, especially F&B, we strongly believe that a place is as good as its people. A good team and a happy customer is what makes a successful business. Talking about Little Green Café, they have three serving staff controlling a seating capacity of 30 people (approx.). The serving staff is polite, keeps a smile on their face and is ready to answer your query, if any. The approx. waiting time from the order placed to serving the first item on the table is 10 minutes.
FOOD PRESENTATION
This is one area Little Green cafe needs to improve on, we believe it is average at present.
COST
Moderately priced. INR 800-900 for two people (approx.)
RATING (1 to 5): 1 – Avoidable | 2 – Poor | 3 – Average | 4 – Good | 5 – Exceptional
- Food: 3.7
- Staff & Service: 4
- Value for Money: 4
- Ambiance: 3.5
- Presentation: 3
Little Green Cafe has some kickass food on that menu with very few flops. This little, cozy place is an absolute delight for vegetarians and people who are on a healthy/clean eating drive. It would be interesting to see how they fare over the next few months. Next time you want to eat some high-quality vegetarian food, do not forget to give them a try.
