Le Cafe on Pondicherry Beach

I spent one of my lunchtimes in Pondicherry at Le Cafe. This quaint sea-side cafe exposes tourists and locals alike with cafe culture, a way of life that Pondicherry is synonymous for.

Neither one of my grandparents or my grand-aunt (who is a local) have experienced this before, and hence, they were quite eager to try it. Le Cafe's address is very prestigious as it is located along Goubert Avenue, right next to the Ghandi Statue.

In the summer weather, each of us ordered cold drinks.My grandmother ordered herself a cold Plain Lassi worth Rs50 (RM3.50). This chilled Indian yogurt drink was loved by my grandmother who drank every bit of it up.

I ordered my grand-aunt a Vanilla Milk Shake worth Rs65 (RM4). My grand-aunt, absolutely loved it, and so did I. The ice-cream, which was homemade, combined with the fresh cow's milk gave the shake more quality and taste than it was worth.

I ordered myself an Iced Latte worth Rs90 (RM6). To my surprise, it also came with a scoop of ice-cream, an interesting addition. The latte however, was a let-down. I could not taste the coffee at all, and it ended up tasting a lot like the milk shake we ordered. There's something about Indians and weak coffee I do not understand.

To eat, my grandfather ordered himself a Sauteed Mushroom Sandwich worth Rs105 (RM7). This sandwich was an interesting one, as it was filled with mushrooms and raw cucumbers - a combination of which I did not understand, but worked. Nothing big about this dish, but it was tasty nonetheless.

My grandmother and I shared a Grilled Chicken with Mustard Sauce worth Rs170 (RM11). A few problems with this dish: Firstly, there was no mustard sauce. Secondly, the chicken was rock-hard. The only thing I enjoyed were the fries and salad. The portion was quite small too.

My grand-aunt ordered the Chicken Salad with a Mayonnaise Dressing worth Rs105 (RM7). Again, there was no mayonnaise in sight, but there was quite a bit of chicken in the dish, which made it worth it's money. The dish was also cooling, with it's various different types of veg, making it an ideal dish for this weather.

For dessert, we ordered Madeleines priced at Rs30 (RM2) each, and Ice-Cream priced at Rs35 (RM2.50) for two scoops. The madeleines were delicious, with a subtle yet evident hint of cinnamon, and the ice-creams (homemade) were incredibly decadent and creamy. I absolutely loved it.

In conclusion, Le Cafe does not serve the best food, but they do serve greed drinks and pastries - some of which are on display (such as the croissants and pain du chocolat). If ever you decide to visit this small but bustling city, stop by this joint for some sea-breeze, a coffee and maybe a madeleine or two.

Presentation: 4/10

Ambiance: 7/10

Service: 6/10

Overall Taste: 4/10

General Impression: 6/10

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Cheers,

BrianandRepublic