With a small team of chefs and staff, Bijoy Kumar Majhi (Director and Chef) and Bhupesh Jain (Co-partner and supervising Chef) opened a bakery in Delhi in 2008 that dished out delicious cakes and pastries for people stopping by. After a few years of operation, the duo felt the need to make it bigger and more inviting. Ca Va was thus born early 2012. From a humble bakery, it matured into a Bistro Bar and Grill. The bakery is where it was, except now; it had a sibling on its roof.
Decor re-vamped, re-visitedThe ambiance radiates the casual attitude of a cafe shop where a bunch of college-goers would gather late afternoon; and keeps up the warmth of a family restaurant where the attendant would in a jiffy turn up with a choco-muffin to pacify the nagging kid at the table. "The architecture is not intimidating but inviting. Earlier we had light-sucking interiors that we reworked to a light-reflecting decor. Our purpose is not to replicate a high-end fine dining aura with uptight hostesses lurking around or be in tune with nightclub cacophony. Our motive is to make sure that diners and the restaurant team mingle in a way that encourages an atmosphere of friendliness and enjoyment."
Ca Va: All is well, all is fine
Ca Va is a French phrase (pronounced Sah Vah) which is a form of greeting that comes as a response to 'How are you?'- "I am fine". "Since our restaurant wanted to propagate the spirit of friendly chats, discussions and meetings we named it Ca Va," informs Bijoy. It is often mistaken for the Kashmiri 'Kahwah' which has a different interpretation altogether. Ca Va (or Ka Va) finds its roots in Spanish language too that comes to represent the 'Cellar' or Spanish sparkling wine made in the traditional champagne style from Xarello, Macabeo and Paradella Grapes. Ca Va is synonymous to earthiness, humility and greetings exchanged between people over a common factor; i.e. food.
For a true Med-European experience
As our conversation continued, we were served with pretty-looking rectangular pizzettes (beautifully cut small portions of pizzas) in two varieties in appetizers. One with burnt corn and pesto and the other topped with German pork Krakow sausages and cheese. These thin crust pizzettes can surely be an ideal snack pick with a complimenting beverage during evenings. The cooking is uniformly done on Italian stone oven and not smoked to retain the authentic flavour. Burgers and sandwiches are popular among the youngsters and expats, the runaway hit being the minced tenderloin patty burger. Accompanied with honey mustard mayo and potato wedges the 'short eats' at Ca Va include club sandwiches with grilled bacon rashers, hand-ground lamb with slow-roasted tomatoes and grilled breast of chicken burger among others. Pizza lovers can choose from a score of options comprising- Four cheese with cheddar, mozzarella, blue and Edam; roast chicken and basil on marinara and pork pepperoni with chilli flakes in a bundle of choices. Do not be taken aback by the strong pungent flavour of crunchy bell peppers and pesto in fillo shells on your starter platter. The tanginess is just to kick-start your taste buds for the ensuing main course. "The structure of the dish is a tart look-alike and the layered Italian pastry shell is Ca Va's innovation hard to find anywhere else," confirms Bijoy.When at Ca Va, it would be quite a loss if you miss the roast lamb kafta part of the menu since 2007 and still rules the roost. The Norwegian salmon steak with sun-dried tomato pesto and the leg of chicken steak with green pepper sauce are the signature steaks in this restaurant.
On 'Indianising' Italian dishes
On being asked how far the Indian palate has adapted the taste of the Mediterranean vis-a-vis Italian risottos or the Spanish Paella (pronounced Paaya), Bijoy explains, "It is true that we temper certain dishes according to the taste preference of the clientele. The Spanish Paella for instance hits the throat initially for someone who is not a regular but the same may come across as bland with a foreigner who probably has the dish four times a week at home. To conclude that international food in India is modified to a 'desi' flavour is not true. People are travelling more; they are familiar with the culture of other countries and appreciate their food choices too. There are customised alterations but not at the cost of jeopardising the authenticity of the cuisine."Make way for River Cobbler
Once through with the precursory salad bite with watermelon, green apple and roquette leaves with feta and pine nuts in a wine balsamic dressing, we patiently waited for the main course to arrive. What a pretty picture did the fillet of River Cobbler (imported Basa fish) with tossed fennel shoot in white wine sauce strike atop our table. The melt-in-mouth dish is rendered a chewy texture thanks to the accompanying fennels your teeth would otherwise not be required to exercise much. The next surprising dish was the Grilled Jumbo Prawns with lemon and garlic sauce. What can I say; the plating itself seemed a work of art. The gigantic prawns staring at you can be quite intimidating at first; but soon after you have wrestled with it to scoop out the meat; you would want to befriend the fish immediately!
Drinks galore
You can choose your favourite drink from a variety of martinis, beers, whiskeys, malts, cocktails and mocktails and add a zing to your meal. An Angel's Devil for instance (a vodka-based cocktail with orange juice, strawberry crush and vanilla ice cream) proved to be a refreshing pick in the hot afternoon for me.
Volcano on your plate
However full you might be, it is always a miracle how we manage to create space for desserts at the curtain call of an elaborate meal. An audacious choice it may seem but to see something like a 'Chocolate Volcano' on the dessert menu is good enough reason to turn blind toward other options. As the name suggests, the volcano is an explosion! With every cut and slice, the thick brown chocolate sauce oozes like lava out of the centre much to the delight of the diner. The host too confesses having a sweet 'denture' for chocolates and the 'volcano' proves to be one devil of a dessert.
Where: Ca Va Bistro Bar and Grill, 7, Defence Colony Market, Ist Floor, New Delhi
Timings: 12pm-12am
ipshita.mitra@indiatimes.co.in
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