With their new menu, Fresc Co adds a range of dishes to its already extensive menu

Inside Fresc Co’s Janpath outlet, the ambiance is refreshingly cool and calm. The colours are bright without becoming overwhelming, there is enough seating to almost ensure an available table, and the staff is both prompt and courteous. All these things, combining with a new menu on offer, bring us to this restaurant, and we find ourselves a table large enough to hold all the good food the afternoon promises.
The new menu has added a number of flavours and dishes to an already dauntingly long list, and we take our time perusing. After a lengthy back and forth, assisted by Khem Chand, the Restaurant’s manager, we settle on a seafood bouillabaisse and a portion of the Caesar chiffonade salad to begin with. The service is prompt, and both dishes arrive within a few minutes. The soup is heavy on the seafood flavour, and might not suit every taste. For those who enjoy their fish, its a good fit. Thick and wholesome, it is a bit on the heavy side, and sits a bit uncomfortably in the stomach, considering the meal has just begun.
We move on to the salad, which is good, though nothing spectacular. It is a Caesar salad, and it tastes like most Caesar salads. It is definitely fresh and light, and the dressing satisfactory. We don’t dwell too much on the salad though, because a few starters have appeared to distract us. The pizzalio bruschetta is interesting, bite sized bursts of flavours and textures, it is a combination of crispy garlic bread, cheese and tomato not the ideal start if you are looking to have your fill of the starters and mains too, which is just what we do, and serves us well as a good antipasti to kick off the meal. The other two dishes, a plate of stuffed mushroom caps and chicken shish taouk, present a mixed bag. While the mushroom caps turn out to have a good texture, soft and fresh, but the taste is almost non-existent, which is a disappointment. With the chilli pepper aioli, it does muster up some flavour, but otherwise, the dish is forgettable. The chicken shish taouk, though, is both well plated and well made. The grilled chicken on skewers are beautifully flavoured and marinated, and the garlic dip, albeit on the strong, almost sweet side, brings the entire experience alive.
Finally, it is time to taste the hearty healthy pizza. Honestly, we are a little unsure of the experience, since pizza usually means cheesy, unhealthy goodness. Instead, we find ourselves facing a thin crust topped with spinach puree, beetroot, corn and sour cream.
We pull out slices with some hesitation, and find ourselves pleasantly surprised. Okay, so it isn’t the most delicious thing I’ve tasted, and the beetroot will have either lovers or haters, but the crust is divine, the sour cream delicious, and the puree surprisingly good. In fact, you know with every bite that you are eating something quite clearly healthy, and that seems to make the experience even better.
Almost like we want to compensate the good eating, we turn to some grilled pork chops, and since this does take a little long, we get ourselves a cup of coffee. When the pork chops come, they look beautiful. Two delicious looking chops topped with thick sauce and a mound of French fries –– perhaps the pizza was a good idea after all.
We tuck in, and the chops are well done, tasty but not the best we have had. Even so, with the sauce, flavoured well, they pull together a decent dish, and we are satisfied.
Of course, the meal doesn’t end here, and we get ourselves a lemon tart to share. A beautiful dish, really, this tart is a shame to break into. The crust is a tad too hard, but not so much that it ruins the dessert. The filling is tart and sweet, and this is, on the whole, a superior dish. Our meal at Fresc Co is over, and it ends on a good note.

Source : The Hindu