European themed cafe opens in Coimbatore where you can enjoy seafood mezzaluna pastas, harissa marinated chicken drumsticks, lamb burgers, labneh platter and more

A creamy lump of burrata, gently broken open, and soaked in fiery chilli oil and spiced honey, is piled atop a crispy crostini. With a drizzle of nut crumble and fresh basil on top, every bite explodes with flavours, textures, and tastes in my mouth. “The sweetness comes from the balsamic vinegar and the honey glaze. It’s like a classic caprese sandwich served on open toasties, staying true to the original preparation with fresh ingredients. There is no drama, just natural flavours. That’s our vibe,” says Kirthana Sendhilkumar, founder of Bizou Cafe & Grill located at Alagesan Road, Saibaba Colony. I am lunching at her newly-opened restaurant and cafe that serves up everything European, from decor to food.

Over a bright drink that combines fresh orange juice, crushed rosemary and tonic water, Kirthana talks of her time in Switzerland where she completed her Masters at the Culinary Arts Academy. “I interned at hotels in Paris and also in the US before coming back to start Bizou. What you see here is a slice of my experience: European cuisine with an Indian twist, and having a good time,” says this young entrepreneur who comes from a family that is into the engineering industry. “I did chemical engineering as my father runs an industry unit here and it made sense to take that path. Culinary field was never a career option until I realised my passion at a college event. I had to sell a product, and I promptly chose cupcakes. I built a brand around it and realised that my passion lies in food.”

Bizou’s menu, curated by Chennai-based M &N Consultancies, also includes an exclusive cafe section featuring Mediterranean eggs and labneh platter to name a few, besides grills, pastas, sandwiches, and pizzas. “ I share my idea and they curate the menu after many rounds of trials. When I was abroad, every weekend I would try a new cuisine. Now, you can catch me restaurant hopping in Bengaluru often,” says the entrepreneur as I bite into chicken karage, fried Japanese style chicken thighs marinated in equal parts of mirin and soy sauce. Once deep fried, it is tossed with chilli powder or peri peri and served with Kewpie mayonnaise, a Japanese style dip made with egg yolks instead of whole eggs. The bite-sized chicken pieces are crisp, juicy and surprisingly light.

Kirthana picks Italian cuisine as her favourite, drawing on her work experience at an Italian restaurant called Princepessa while in the US. “The chef there also taught me about understanding cuisines from the traditions and culture point of view. We have to choose spices that suit our palate. We have tweaked a few dishes like Gochujang chicken with familiar flavours, as there is huge craze for Korean food. Some of our pastas are high on spices. Our pizzas are a combination of Middle East, Indian, and Mexican flavours.”

While I try ravioli pasta, a simple house-made dish that has silky cheese and pistachio stuffed into ravioli, a new addition to the menu, Kirthana says she turned her family’s heritage building where her grandparents once lived into a 120-cover restaurant. “We retained the personality of each room. For example, one of the rooms has a higher ceiling while the outside area has a Parisian, bistro vibe to it. We have Mangalorean style roofing that filters in natural light.”

While the menu keeps changing every four months with additions based on seasonal vegetables and fruits, experiments with plating and presentation with micro greens, edible flowers to name a few is also a constant. “In one of the chicken dishes, we tweaked the sweet profile by replacing maple syrup with peri peri and it became fast moving. We have added seafood mezzaluna, crab and prawns mince stuffed pasta tossed in crustacean sauce. We have also added lamb burger which is much loved by our customers,” explains Kirthana.

The desserts platter looks inviting with red wine poached pear, tropical panna cotta and chocolate fondant. I keep that for another day and round off my meal with a comforting plate of grilled harissa marinated chicken drumsticks served with a side of herb rice and tossed vegetables.

Bizou Cafe & Grill is located at Alagesan Road, Saibaba Colony. A meal for two costs ₹2500 approximately. For reservation, call 8925905037