There are quite a lot of new restaurants springing up in Trivandrum. One of the most popular among these seems to be The Supreme Upper Crust Café and Artisan Patisserie. Located at Kuravankonam Main Road, the place is very easy to find, although parking seemed to be a major problem and I was almost on the verge of dropping the idea of dining here and exploring some other restaurant. However, the café looked way too tempting to give it a miss.
After finally finding a parking spot, my friend and I walked into the café with much excitement. As we walked in, I must say, it was love at first sight – beautifully done green and brown interiors that, true to it’s name, gave a patisserie feel to the place, along with the feel-good, cheery ambience and the comfortable seating. What really caught my eye and impressed me though was the bread counter that had the most diverse varieties of bread, which is rare to find in Trivandrum, and the dessert counter that held quite a few mouthwatering desserts, which included Red Velvet Cake and Spicy Chocolate Cake.
It wasn’t difficult to get a seat, although after we were seated the place started getting crowded and there was a bit of waiting time, since they have a limited number of seats. As we made ourselves comfortable, I couldn’t help but notice the ‘Story of Food’ on the side wall, which detailed how man progressed from a food gatherer to a food grower and how feasts became a part of our folklore, and I fell instantly in love with it. We were provided with the menu as soon as we were seated and it was a pleasure to check out the menu that was a pleasant deviation from the usual Trivandrum food scene.
The place serves only Continental cuisine, and if, like me, you are a fan of Continental food, then a glimpse into the menu would make you feel like you are in food heaven. The Herb Roasted Potato sounded tempting and we decided to place an order for a plate of those for starters. It didn’t take much time for the starter to be served and as compared to the usual portion of sides that you get in a restaurant, the portion size was commendable. The plate in front of us and the aroma that was wafting in the air was so tempting that we couldn’t wait to dig into it. As I took a bite of the Roasted Baby Potatoes with Herbs, I loved the fact that the potatoes were cooked with the skin intact (I love potato skin), giving the dish an extra crunchiness. However, the dish would have been better off with a generous dash of seasoning. The potatoes felt a bit bland with the lack of seasoning and salt, as well, but tasted much better with a generous addition of salt. That said, I loved the sauce that accompanied the dish – not the usual tomato sauce, but a thicker variant that had a jam-like consistency and was quite tasty too.
For the main course, we ordered a Classic Grill and an Exotica Pizza. This too, was served without much delay and this time, the food didn’t disappoint us! The Classic Grill was a mildly herbed grilled chicken served along with bread, sauce, mayo and vegetables. The chicken, soft and succulent, and perfectly drenched in the accompanying sauce, was well flavoured from the marinade mix as well as the sauce and grilled to perfection. It was not too spicy, yet seasoned well for the palate and was a hit among us. The vegetables – chunky pieces of zucchini, carrot, baby corn and broccoli – that accompanied the grill, were sautéed well despite maintaining their natural crunch, and seasoned perfectly with salt and pepper. I must also mention that the potato wedges that came along with the grill were perfect – fried to perfection and seasoned well, as compared to the roasted potato starter that we ordered.
The star of the day, however, has to be the Country Choice Pizza – the best thin crust pizza I’ve ever had in Trivandrum. Generously topped with onion, capsicum, mushroom, sweet corn, jalapenos and tomato and sealed with cheese, it couldn’t have been tastier! The thin crust ensured that the pizza was a pleasure to have and given a chance, I would have definitely had the entire pizza all by myself. The melted, stringy cheese on top of the pizza elevated the flavour and I am still drooling thinking about it.
By the time we were done with the main course, we were too full to order dessert. We ended our meal with a strong and mildly yet perfectly bitter cold coffee, leaving us with a desire to come back again to try out the remaining dishes, especially the desserts.
The food is slightly pricier here, but considering that the portion size is huge, it is definitely value for money. However, the vegetarian options are limited and restrained to just one or two under each meal option. Apart from what we had, I’ve heard good reviews from friends regarding the burgers and sandwiches as well, although pizza is definitely the star here for many. The service is quick and prompt, and the staff is friendly. I would love to go back here, but next time though, it would be great if they could provide a valet service, considering the lack of space for parking your vehicle and the resultant traffic on the road.
By the end of our lunch, I left the place promising myself to come back soon to try the remaining dishes that I missed out this time. This place has indeed left a lasting impression on me!
