JOIN USWe are not married to each other,” is the first thing Peter Laass laughingly says when you ask him about his partnership with Shweta Gupta.
“I met Shweta through her husband, who I know really well, and we decided to something we were really passionate about — good food. It was just one of those things where you meet the right people at the right time to do the right things,” he adds.
And the right thing it certainly was when they took over Cafe Max. Having revamped the place and menu, they are rightfully proud of the restaurant which serves some of the best European cuisine in the city now.
“Both of us don’t have any professional background in the food industry,” explains Shweta. “Peter has always been interested in food and I have done a few short courses and also used to do desserts out of home but that’s about it. But this is something we really enjoy doing,” she says.
This is evident in the food menu they have curated. From the initial menu which was a small list of items on an A4 size paper to the present one which is the size of a small textbook with an extensive series of delectable items, it has been an impressive growth. The salads are enough to delight even the hardest of hearts.
The ‘Quinoa sundried tomato and feta salad’ is a mix of lot of greens like mint, coriander, basil. Combine this with quinoa, feta, sun dried tomatoes and olives, and you have a exotic appetiser. The ‘Spinach orange and caramelised almond salad’ is another favourite which can tease your tastebuds with its delightful mix of flavours. The ‘Barbeque chicken salad’, which is chicken marinated in a spicy gravy and served with lettuce, is a great choice for non-vegetarians.
The main course will leave one spoilt for choice with options like ‘Mediterranean crepes’, ‘Spanish prawns coastal style’, ‘Aglio olio’‘Gnocchi in green pesto sauce’, ‘Tarragon chicken’ and so on. Every dish has been carefully constructed to preserve the unique tastes and colours of the ingredients; something which makes for a visually appealing platter that is filling yet light.
The desserts are masterpieces as they are Shweta’s recipes accumulated over the years. No matter how full one is, they will have to make space for the delicacies like the ‘Chocolate walnut pie’ and the ‘Chilled lemon pie’. The desserts are not listed in the menu but are instead displayed in a cabinet in front as these change everyday.
Talking about the food, Shweta says, “It is essentially European cuisine with a lot of German influence as Peter is a German.”Asked about customer feedback, Peter says, “Even on a weekday evening, the place is filled to capacity which, according to us, is the best feedback we can get. But some people do say that they find the food a bit bland so maybe what we should do is provide a little bowl of chilli flakes and some tabasco which I personally hate to give on the table,” he says laughing.
“There is no Indian cuisine or anything else here,” chips in Shweta. “We started it as a European restaurant and we want to stick to that. People come to try authentic food. They don’t want to eat food which has been Indianised or changed. Though some people do say it’s bland, majority of them love the food,” she elaborates.
The restaurant is located at 3rd floor, Maxmueller Bhavan, CMH Road,