A few
weeks back, while I was browsing the internet, I came across this website that
gave offers or deals that would allow the user to avail a discount at the place
offering the deal. The deal for the day was of a restaurant called café 17, and
it offered a plate of burger with fries and iced tea. Being the foodie I am, I went
to check it out and was blown away by the burger. It was simply magnificent and
so delicious that it was to die for. And this is the reason this new post was
made.
Café 17.
One of the first restaurants of its type in Kochi, it is located opposite Sreedhareeyam
hospital on Kaloor-Kathrikadavu road. It is a place where people can hang out,
chill, and go on dates to. It is open from 11a.m to 11p.m every day.
Speaking
of its menu, café 17 offers a lot of burgers, sandwiches and what not. It has
steaks and pastas which are newly added to the menu and much more is to come
soon. It also offers a wide range of cold drinks, coffees and desserts like
pastries and cakes. It has vegetarian food too, so vegetarians won’t feel left
out either.
Now talking
about the service. The service is totally exquisite and elegant. The waiters
are very polite, and make sure the customer is having a good time while dining.
The order was brought out slowly, but that is understandable due to the time
that the food takes to cook and also since all food is freshly made from
scratch even the topping sauce for the steak!
The interiors
of the restaurant were as beautiful and magnificent as the food. The ambience
is totally breath-taking and I loved it. The dining area is low lit and there
are always some good songs playing in the background. The wall is decorated
with chalk art, various abstract posters, and a book shelf full of books that
the customer could read. There are round tables to dine on plus a few long
sofas with low tables where a group could sit and hang out or eat. The area
also shows off a display of various pastries served at the joint. There is also
a window through which the kitchen can be seen where the chef would be
preparing the order. Just sitting in the restaurant gives a sense of peace and
calm that I really enjoy.
Now finally
speaking of the food, the food ordered was a plate of Grilled Beef Tenderloin
steak, a serving of Agua Fresca, and a piece of Death by Chocolate. There was a
choice of 2 sauces for the steak. Out of the pepper sauce and mushroom sauce
offered, I picked the peppers sauce. The Agua Fresca was a sprite based drink
whose fruit flavour changed according to the flavour of the day. Now speaking
of the steak. The steak, oh my god!! It gave off so much aroma that my mouth
started watering and I couldn’t wait to dig in. It was a plated with a side of
mashed potatoes, grilled carrots and broccoli, and was topped off with the
pepper sauce. There were around 5 pieces that were at least 2-3 centimetres
thick and 4 centimetres wide. In short, they weren’t bite sized. The beef was
medium done, and was so moist and smooth. There was no flavour of uncooked beef
at all. The surface of the steak was the perfect combination of crispy and soft
with a few delicious charred parts. The mashed potatoes were well seasoned and smooth.
I am not a big fan of vegetables, so I would say they were not bad. The sauce was
very smooth and had an impeccable texture. It complimented the steak very well
and enhanced the overall taste of the dish. It wasn’t overly spicy so there
were no problems with it. I loved the steak so much that for a moment, I forgot
that I was reviewing it and simply enjoyed it with closed eyes. 
Now talking
about the Agua Fresca, it was a very simple drink. All it had in it was sprite
and the fruit of the day which was watermelon. Even though it was simple, it
was nothing short of being as good as the steak itself. Now finally coming to
the dessert, the Death by Chocolate! Up until I had this piece of death by
chocolate, I was a fan of it from Chaicofi, but no more! This particular piece
of Death by chocolate was so magnificent and tasty that I just ate it without
even thinking about anything else in the world. It was smooth and just melted
in my mouth. It had four thick and consistent layers that were so fluffy and sweet.
The only problem I found was due to it being cold on the outside, the inner portions
were a little bit harder than the outer parts. But in total, the food was
better than awesome, and was to die for. The price is reasonable when compared
to that of steaks at other joints. But, for those of you who think it is
pricey, believe me. The food is worth every single penny that you spend! I can guarantee
that.
All that
I would say to sum up this experience is that, café 17 is a complete package where
you can hang out with friends, eat food, and have fun or you could have calm and quite time for yourself here with
books and food.