A soul retreat

The magical thing about home is that it feels good to leave and it feels even better to come back. That’s the kind of vibe ‘Orzuv Hub’ gives you, except that you won’t really feel like leaving at all.

This Kashmiri cafe is a beautiful bungalow in Whitefield with wooden accents, glass and Kashmiri decor elements. This little piece of Kashmir in Bengaluru is exactly what Saba Bhat had in mind when she decided to open the restaurant.

Orzuv, which means wellness of soul in Kashmiri, stays true to its name in terms of ambience and food. For those who want to sit indoors, there are seating options upstairs. The house is designed in Kashmiri style. Everything from the wooden tables and benches to the reading area and the balcony, resemble a house. The slight chill in the air while you are seated in the balcony transports you to Kashmir in everyway. The trees outside add to the experience.

To give the cafe a quintessential look, there is an old radio that plays popular Bollywood music.

Now on to the most important part, the food. The meal starts with a Kashmiri speciality ‘khewa’, a sweet tea. Have it with ‘mith kulcha’ which is to be broken with the palm of your hand. It might seem like a hard job, but it’s worth your effort as the biscuit melts in your mouth when you bite into it. Dunk it in your tea, if that is to your liking. The ‘Mutton kebab with lavassa’ is a good option for meat lovers.

The accompaniments of ‘munj chzetin’ (radish chutney) and ‘gande chzetin’ (onion chutney) completes the dish. However, if the ‘lavasa’ is not hot, you might find it a bit challenging to break and eat it. The ‘mutton kebab’, on the other hand, is almost paper thin but has the right texture for you to have more.

Breads are their specialities though. That’s why even the ‘bakarkhaniwala’ aka the bread-maker is from Kashmir and are very secretive about the recipes. You can’t blame them, the final product comes after hours of hard work.

So try the ‘girda’ which is a crusty, golden bread with delicate indentations made by hand, served with ‘harissa’, a mutton dish, slowly cooked through the night and tempered with onions and butter.

Don’t worry, they have something more than breads too.

One of their speciality is the ‘rista’ which is mutton pound to a smooth pulp and then made into meatballs. You’ll see it as a red curry when presented to you.

The ‘Gushtaba’, on the other hand, is a velvety-textured meatball in ‘yakhni’. Both of these curries can be enjoyed with either bread or rice.

Though many have the misconception that Kashmiri food is all about meat, ‘Orzuv Hub’ leaves no one disappointed. Vegetarians also have plenty of options to choose from, both in terms of breads and main courses.

Whatever you eat, make sure you don’t fill yourself. Keep some room for dessert because the ‘phirni’ offered here is not something you would want to miss. It’s definitely the best way to end your meal.

Though the cafe is away from the heart of the city, coming here is worth your time.

Take a book along with you or pick one from the library and it will be great to hang out here. After all, it’s more like homecoming.

The cafe is located at 62, SH 35, Brooke Bond First Cross, Palm Meadows, Narayanappa Garden, Whitefield.

For details, call 48543206.