Popcorn Shake, Samosa Dessert and Woodfired Pizza At This Delightful New Café In Kilpauk

As you hit Vasu Street in Kilpauk, right next to the Ega theatre, you might notice a slew of high-end cars moving towards the affluent residential neighbourhood. Over the last six months, it has become a mecca for vegetarian foodies with many eateries mushrooming in and around the locality. The latest to join the party is Stuffles, a bright and perky vegetarian café whose tagline reads, ‘Eat. Love. Veg’. Started by young and dynamic duo, Akshay and Pranoy Bothra, this place is vibrant, serves delectable choices and makes you feel quite at home.

The place has lovely yellow and green interiors, bright lighting and a separate waiting area with comfy couches. The seating is spacious and well-thought upon. They also have a separate pizza and shakes and coffee counter. Do not miss the quirky wall-art as you skip along the stairs to the first floor, where the café is located.

The menu has a mix of Italian, Indian, Continental and Fusion cuisine. We started our meal with a Roasted Makai Shorba, a roasted corn soup with garlic chilli saute and quite liked it. It was wholesome and hearty. This was followed by Stuffed Tawa Paneer, absolutely divine melt-in-mouth grilled paneer stuffed with onion, capsicum and cheese. Every bite was a delight. This was followed by paneer bhurjee khakra served with two excellent and novel dips. We washed this down with a yummilicious Popcorn shake, where the sweetness of the milkshake is balanced by a slight saltiness from the popcorn, that is blend into the shake. This is definitely one of their star items. Also, if you like light and refreshing beverages, do give a shot to Red Hibiscus Iced Tea, prepared with the actual flower pulp. It was tangy and mild on the palate.

Maggi variations are currently in vogue across Chennai and we ordered their Creamy Cheese version and definitely didn’t regret our decision. Unlike many places that just top it with grated cheese, Stuffles prepares Maggi in a special white sauce, with a hint of spice. Sinful but satiating, nevertheless!

Classic wood-fired pizzas always evoke myriad emotions and Stuffles takes its pizzas quite seriously. The base is super-thin and has the right amount of crunch and they have a Half-and-Half version, where you can choose two toppings. We opted for Pesto and Cream and Broccoli and were unable to decide, which one was better. We also tried out Khameeri Roti and Paneer Lababdar from their desi menu. The roti is unique – it is fluffy and slightly fermented and is a delight to bite into even on its own. And once you pair it with the rich paneer gravy, you might experience all kinds of happy sensation in your mind and palate.

The place also offers waffles and a pretty interesting dessert menu. We personally fell for the coffee panna cotta – the strong flavour of coffee and the super-light and wobbly panna cotta was outstanding. From the desi mithai options, try their rich gajar ka halwa stuffed mini-samosa that comes with rabri and candyfloss. We haven’t tasted anything like this before and thoroughly enjoyed it.

Stuffles has something for everybody. If you are a veggie or actually, even if you are not; do try this one out.

Location: 8, Vasu Street, 1st Floor, Ega Theatre Lane, Kilpauk

Timings: 12 pm to 10.30 pm