Schengen boasts of some amazing European food, fabulous interiors besides a well-organised service staff
Covered in the soft hues of white, green and yellow, Schengen, the European deli-bistro-pub at Malcha Marg, offers you the quaint picture of what the traditional regional affair looks or probably tastes like. Erected sublime and spread over three floors, its wall decked with a wine rack is slowly filling up with the classics. The patio with white pebbled floor and street lamps compliment the sun-basked conversations.
But, Schengen has more to offer apart from its alluring decor. Flipping through the elaborate menu and finally settling with what head chef Piyush recommended, we embarked our gastronomic journey with the roast pumpkin and scarmoza soup topped with the slightly infused and yet not so overpowering cinnamon sticks with ground black pepper along with the zesty hearty chicken soup with its chicken mince balls poached in veloute.
With cold veggies or fruits preceding or garnishing the main course meals being a must, we got the refreshing watermelon, feta and pine nuts salad served in a watermelon bowl garnished with fresh mint leaves.Next in line were saffron and sumac crusted chicken skewers served with extra-lemony lemongrass hummus and crisp pita bread. The chicken though grilled to perfection missed the spicy tinge of sumac and the vibrancy of saffron. We also got crispy, flaky Spanokopita, a Greek spinach pie with feta and ricotta cheese served with a salsa-like dip. For the mains we picked the culinary speciality of France’s provence region, the succulent Ratatouille provencal with garlic spaghetti.
The fresh-tasting, crunchy veggies (zucchini, bell peppers, eggplant) cooked in tomato sauce fused with herbs, paired well with parmesan topped garlic spaghetti with cherry tomatoes. The fresh sole river fish with a crisp coating of tempura beer batter was tender and appetising. The saying about meals being incomplete without dessert is what we stringently believe in and we decided to go ahead with the fluffy blueberry cheese cake and Italy’s most popular coffee flavoured dessert Tiramisu which, too was a delight with its velvety mascarpone but with a slightly bitter bottom layer.
With many European cafes cropping up in the city, head chef Piyush said there is no competition. “Ours is a small town restaurant and I think we have our own charm. The people coming here wish to feel the European experience especially sitting in the small bistros where one would go chill-out and see the beauty of that town. We’ve tried to give the place a very domestic feel unlike other places in the city.”