Odd Culture

From the folks behind Holi Crop in Sydney is this latest offering to Gurugram's overzealous café landscape – Odd Culture. And I'm pleased to report that it gives all competitors a run for their money. 

The owners are obsessed with fermentation. Miso, kimchi, koji, you name it. Even your coffee isn't safe. And I love when cafés take their coffee seriously. There are Kalita manual brews and cold brew on rotation, alongside the usual espresso-based options. The more interesting stuff, though, is on tap. The miso brown butter iced latte with oat milk is divine, while the Mont Blanc, topped with an airy orange cold foam, delivers equally good flavour.

My friend, an out-and-out matcha girlie, went for the Matcha Rani with coconut water, rose, dragonfruit and freeze-dried raspberries. There’s a lot happening in the glass, but the fruit and rose take some of the edge off the grassy matcha flavour. I didn’t mind a few sips.

Also on offer are smoothies, hot chocolate, and more fermented drinks, including tepache. A cocktail menu's in the works. 

The food 

Odd Culture wins brownie points for serving breakfast until 3pm, and options go beyond the usual egg dishes. The scrambled egg roll, with its very soft bread and dashi butter, is a favourite; the butter gives the creamy eggs a savoury hit. The Okonomi omelette with seared tiger prawns, green onions, pickled ginger and crispy garlic chilli is another good one, with just the right amount of heat and tang.

More bready stuff is on the way. The fish burger with crumb-fried sea bass, sambal matah, tartare and cheddar is a hotseller for good reason. The fish is crisp on the outside and tender inside, while the sambal matah adds a spicy kick without overpowering it.

Don’t leave without trying the bang bang prawn donuts. They’re choux pastry donuts filled with prawns and served bang bang sauce. 

Save some space for dessert. The scroll with cream cheese is soft, sticky and has a generous amount of cinnamon, and easily enough for two.

The space

The 80-seater, designed by Meta Noia Designs, swaps the city’s favourite beige-and-brown formula for ice blue, red and a fair amount of attitude. The colours take their cue from the painted signs you see on Indian shops and streets, while the furniture has been designed specifically for the space. 

There’s counter seating if you want to watch what’s happening in the open kitchen, tables in the dining room, and a lounge at the back that feels a bit like a PDR. The alfresco section is lovely, but understandably a winter-only option. 

One corner is stacked with vinyl from the Makhijas’ own collection, from Donna Summer to Jimmy Cliff, with music evenings in the works. The merch sits alongside it: T-shirts, diaries and tote bags, for anyone who decides the coffee and food aren’t enough of a souvenir.

The verdict 

Odd Culture lives up to its name (#IYKYK). The food is playful without being gimmicky, the coffee has a few tricks up its sleeve, and the space has enough personality to keep things interesting. Come for the miso coffee, stay for the prawn donuts. The tote bag is optional.