A Café Style Treat: Ahavaa

When she was in the 10^th grade, Kavya Abraham visited the Kashi Art Gallery Café in Fort Kochi and knew from that moment on that she wanted to one day run a café much like this one. Fast forward a few years later and she has achieved her greatest dream by opening Ahavaa, in Kilpauk, which is a café, a boutique and a dance studio rolled into one.

In Hebrew, Ahavaa means ‘love’ and as this venture is made from love, the name is appropriate. The café is set up in an old house on New Avadi Road in Kilpauk and the ground floor has the café, while the second floor is for the boutique and the top floor is a dedicated dance studio where Kavya – a trained Bharatanatyam, Mohiniyattam and Kathak dancer – takes classes as well as gives the space out for dance rehearsals. The café even has an outdoor seating area, which will be perfect for when the weather cools down.  

The kitchen has been set up and is run by Chef Shriram Rajendran of The Table fame, and they pride themselves on serving you absolutely fresh food. How does that work? Once you’ve placed your order, the kitchen starts preparing your dish from scratch. No frozen food is used in their cooking and you can taste it in everything you eat.  Between Kavya and Shriram, the desserts are also taken care of, giving it a delicious and homemade feel that will satisfy your sweet tooth.

Here’s what we were treated to…

Served in a bulb shaped glass, the Mixed Berry Milkshake tastes a lot like bubblegum, but was a great beginning to a hot afternoon in the city. Combine that with a tall bottle of Paan Mojito and you’re set for the day. Even those that don’t like pan, this interesting mocktail will leave you wanting more.

French fries have gone through many transformations and avatars but at Ahavaa we were introduced to two more – Hariali Chicken Fries and Tandoori Paneer Fries. A bed of seasoned French fries covered in chicken and sauce and paneer and sauce, making them really great starters.

A little messy when you get down to eating it, the Crispy Chicken Wings were  delicious nonetheless. And when deep fried and drizzled with sweet chili sauce, it is a delectable treat.

For everyone craving a great beef burger, Ahavaa have it. Made in the Japanese Teriyaki style, the beef patty is soft and the bun soft and not too large, making it a delicious and easy burger. Very often Teriyaki dishes are served as pork, but their Teriyaki Beef Burger hits all the right spots.

Don’t be confused by the green in the Chicken Sausage Ravioli, they use spinach instead of egg to make their pasta, giving it the green colour. But it retains the taste and shape, with a piece of chicken sausage in the center, covered in white sauce.

This was our first time trying the Ghee Cake and it did not disappoint. The cake is infused with enough Ghee to make you happy, but also balanced out with salted caramel icing to give it the sweetness.

You can’t go wrong with a Chocolate Cake and this one is not just any simple chocolate. Think of it as an overdose, but in a good way. Loaded with enough chocolate to make any chocoholic happy, this cake is a must try. Did we mention that it’s really chocolatey?

And that’s not all. For the health conscious, Ahavaa has a diet menu where you can eat your favourite dishes, but made with natural ingredients. Guided by a nutritionist, the menu is carefully selected and prepared by the kitchen. Soon, they hope to launch seasonal and special menus for weekends, focusing on specific parts of the country, but serving you food café style. With Kavya’s dreams already achieved, now it’s time to go bigger!

The café has only been open since April 9^th, but they’ve had a steady stream of patrons every day since the launch and all this without any promotions or marketing.

The café is located on New Avadi Road, Opposite Lifeline Hospital and just before Pachaiyappa’s College. They’re open from 11am to 11pm and you can call + 91 7092040556 for more information.