Ipsita Basu

Chef Tresa Francis, who made her name in the city with her beloved catering service known for Kerala Syrian Christian cuisine, is back with her latest, Coracle. Refreshingly affordable for a café set within the premises of the Bangalore International Centre, the place serves mainly Malayali cuisine, with a bunch of dishes from Mangalore and Tamil Nadu thrown in. While the menu will guide you to seasonal vegetables you ought to try, my highest praise goes to the lappa with Kandhari chutney, beef ullarthu, raw mango curry, and pork roast paired with cloud-soft appams. The tender coconut pudding’s a big crowd pleaser too.  The space itself, done up in pale brown and generously windowed, sports great views of the greenery outside. Chef Tresa often stops by tables to chat and suggest dishes – it does loads in terms of heightening the nostalgia of the whole place and also allows you to get the best recommendations for South Indian food you may not have tried yet.  Time Out tip: Don’t miss their kids’ menu, their special breakfast menu (9.30-11.30am on Sundays) and special spreads for Onam Sadhya.

Inspired by the all-day neighbourhood cafés of Southeast Asia, Kopitiam Lah’s food leans pan-Asian and crowd-pleasing, but whatever you order, the kopi and kaya toast are non-negotiable. Co-created by pastry chef Joonie Tan, the pastry counter also deserves undivided attention. The space channels old-world Malaysian café charm with thoughtfully handpicked antiques. If you’ve never had Singaporean or Malaysian cuisine, this is a great place to start, though you should bear in mind that if you’re accustomed to strong Indian flavours, this may be quite the shift.  Kopitiams, or coffeeshops, became especially popular in Malaysia right after World War II, transforming into places Chinese migrants could meet, share meals and find comfort. You find remnants of that warm memory here too. Time Out tip: The carrot milk is particularly interesting here – it’s blended and strained carrots in honey-sweetened milk.