Cheeky Ciclo Café

Ciclo pronounced as ‘Cheekloh’, which literally means cycling in Spanish, is cycling themed café. Its aim is to bring bicycling enthusiast under one roof and raise awareness about the cycling lifestyle. But its strong suit is its food. We feasted there and tried not to eat our fingers, and sort of succeeded.

The first thing you notice when standing in front of Ciclo is that large ‘Ordinary Bicycle’. It is so impressive that you can’t help but take a moment to look at. When we entered the café itself a country guitar riff was just ending in the background. A waiter rushed to us and guided us to a table. On the way, we noticed more cycles. These ones were modern, with gears and other impressive bits. Cycling paraphernalia dominated the whole restaurant, even the chandelier over our heads, which was made out of a cycle wheel.

Read FHM India in the digital libraryEvery issue, every shoot, on TCG Media.

Just when things started to feel a bit cycling crazy. Chef Mrinmoy, the man behind the Ciclo Café menu, made his way to our table. After a brief introduction, he inquired about our preference in food. We decided to play coy and replied with a line from the Pixar animation Ratatouille, and said, “Surprise us, chef!”

He chuckled and walked away. We took that time to pick the brains of the helpful staff and get the story behind Ciclo. The café is a brainchild of Arun Alaggappan and Ashish Thadani, both of them are cycling enthusiast and believe in Good food and healthy lifestyle. They started the Ciclo in Chennai 2015 and decided to merge cycles, cycling merchandise with amazing food.

Before we could go any further our waitress connected us with the C.E.O. himself and served us with our first dish ‘Onion Rings stuffed with broccoli and mushroom served with homemade Mayonnaise’. While we munched Ashish Thadani explained that they opened the first outlet and because of the reception they got they decided to venture out to Hyderabad and now to Gurgaon. And they are hoping to open a new Restaurant in Bangalore in the next few months.

Chef Mrimoy peeped in then and decided we had talked enough. Out came a plethora of dishes as we looked on with wide eyes. The food ranged from authentic ‘Bombay Vada Pao’ in bite size to the confounding yet amazingly delicious ‘Boneless Chicken Wings’.

The conversation died almost instantly and before we could wolf down our appetizers came one of the stars of our chef, the ‘Ravioli of Artichoke’. The dish is a visual treat, striped orange and green, served with a creamy white sauce and garnished with a cherry tomato and twisty bread. The ravioli just melts in your mouth. Then there was the ‘Goan Chorizo Pizza’ with a topping of French Fries and onions. The dough of the pizza is made from sour dough and is softer than anything you can get from any ordinary café.

But what took our breaths away were their signature dishes ‘Telangana Mutton’ and ‘Barley and Cottage Cheese Construct’. The ‘Telangana Mutton’ is hot and spicy, served with a Nan Bread and Raita to cut the heat. The protein is cooked to perfection and is almost dropping off the bone. If you like your heat and meat, this one is a must have.

The ‘Barley Cottage Cheese Construct’ is simply put amazing. The barley reminds you of one of the best risottos you could have had and the Cottage Cheese is seasoned and spiced to perfection. It is served with a blueberry sauce drizzled around the plate which gives the dish a sweet depth which keeps you coming back for more.

Although we were stuffed, Chef Mrinmoy wouldn’t let us go without indulging our sweet tooth. He brought out a ‘Cheese Cake’ and ‘Baileys Ice Cream Pancake’. The cheese cake well was a cheese cake, good but nothing to write home about. The ‘Baileys Ice Cream Pancake’, on the other hand, was another one of those dishes which was not only good to look but also delectable. The ice cream is rolled into the pancake, drizzled with cream and chocolate sauce, and topped with chopped almonds. Spoon after spoon it went down our gullets and soon we were left with nothing.

In the end, we have to say, Ciclo Café is a must visit. So if you are in Chennai, Delhi, Hyderabad or Bangalore, and even if you are not into bikes, we suggest you take some time out and go for a meal there. You won’t be disappointed.

From the August 2017 issue of FHM India.