JULY 29, 2018 • THE WEEK 9110-15 fl avours, we want you to make a
decision,” he says.
At Th e Kettlery, emphasis is given
to the way tea is served. Care is taken
in choosing the right fl avour, brewing
it right and serving it in the right
crockery. If you enjoy the teas, you
can also buy them, the accessories
and the kits at a boutique inside. “In
that sense, it is a complete off ering.
We are trying to build a complete tea
ecosystem,” says Kotecha.
“Th e Kettlery sits between a cafe
and a fi ne dine,” says Kamdar, of
the 45-seater tea bar. “It is not your
regular cafe but a premium cafe, not
too swanky or in your face.” Th e inte-
riors, done by Dhruval Kanani, boast
a charcoal grey ceiling, brick walls,
and beige-coloured upholstery. With
the soft lights, the place emanates
a warmth and an old-world charm.
Th e tea bar also has a separate
private dining area, apt for corporate
group presentations or for creative
writing students to discuss work.
Interestingly, Th e Kettlery does not
serve coff ee. However, keeping coff ee
lovers in mind, they serve beverages
that are mate-based—’mate’ being
a South American plant that has
caff eine. “We developed some in-
teresting beverages like baclava and
chocolate mate, which will appeal to
coff ee lovers. It will be a good change
from going to a regular coff ee bar,”
says Kamdar.
“Tea is the new coff ee,” says Rat-
nani, reminding us how friendships
gether with saff ron and rose. It is said
to have palate-cleansing qualities.
Th e Kettlery has almost 20-25 dif-
ferent kinds of green teas alone, and
all are in-house products for which
they have tied up with tea gardens
and blenders in Darjeeling, Assam,
Meghalaya, the Nilgiris, China and
Sri Lanka. Th e Kettlery has its own
blends, too, like their take on thandai
(oolong tea mixed with thandai
spices) and golden twist, which has
a fruity aroma with a peppery fi nish
to it. Also, for those seeking makai-
bari—the famous Darjeeling tea
supplied to the Queen—they have
a similar product called Darjeeling
Spring Beauty.
“Because the whole city is into
wellness and fi tness, everybody is
looking for an alternative beverage to
follow the trend,” says Ratnani. “We
have a nice mocktail menu, as well.
Hopefully, someday, we can add a
shot of vodka to that.” Th e Kettlery
has tied up with renowned mixolo-
gist Shatbhi Basu.
What is standard though is the
transparent brew maker, into which
tea leaves are put and hot water add-
ed. A timer is also provided to brew
your tea leaves right. “We do not have
ridiculously expensive products,”
says Kotecha. “People should be able
to buy tea.” Th e lattes start at 1150
and the average price of the teapots
is between 1 220-250. Ratnani’s dish-
es are a big draw and the food prices
average between 1 250 and 1 300.in India have been traditionally
formed by inviting a friend over for
a cup of tea. “Th e benefi ts and the
versatility of tea are being portrayed
world over and one of the main
things at Th e Kettlery is to share the
goodness of tea,” he says.
Among Ratnani’s signature dishes
is chai puchka, which is paani puri
infused in tea. It is a recipe devel-
oped by the chef using diff erent teas.
Instead of the tamarind chutney and
the mint-fl avoured water, we get two
kinds of tea. Maldives, a fruit blend,
is the chef ’s version of a sweet condi-
ment that has chaat masala added to
it. Along with it is a tea called amus-
ing peppermint, which is a herbal
blend of lemon grass, rose and pep-
permint. Next, we try khachos, which
is a mix of khakra and nachos, served
with salsa, guacamole and sour
cream dip. Th e beetroot shikhampuri
kebabs they serve are inspired by Hy-
derabadi cuisine, and are similar to
Galouti kebabs, but a delicious vege-
tarian version. “As compared to items
on most cafe menus, we use fresh
vegetables in very high proportions,”
says Ratnani. “Th ere are also a lot of
fabulous salads, and we even have
dishes for the 11-18 age group, whose
palates are very diff erent. Th e dishes
are very light and inventive, keeping
in mind urban India, seasons and
palatability.”
Secrets of the East, one of their
green teas, has eight diff erent teas
from diff erent countries, blended to-