Koffee at Kleio

A Guns n Roses styled dark brown coloured ‘chocolate’ rose was definitely not what I was expecting to see at Chennai’s newest cafe (am almost growing tired of this word). Christened Kleio, this snazzy one thousand sq. ft. eat out immediately conjures up positive vibes as you enter its bright, naturally lit interiors. Stylish cane furniture (needless to say, chocolate shaded) don’t look comfortable but pleasantly surprise.

Food: Impressive arrays of quick eats (sandwiches, rolls, wraps, pastas etc) complement a selection of cakes, beverages and other interesting dessert.

My first experience to the outlet was rather surprising with almost everything I tried flooring me. But I decided to go back a few times before writing this and boy, am I glad I did. Glad we left behind love-at-first-sight in school.

All the food fare sampled till date has never disappointed - the chicken mayo sandwich, the Cole slaw sandwich (innovatively shaped like a pastry), paneer wrap, veg pasta (mixed on-location). Special mentions due to the Paneer wrap which unlike most wraps around the city, was actually palatable.

The beverage menu seems strongly “inspired” from another city cafe though the concoction is anything but borrowed. The Snicker bar shake and Dream shake (Toblerone) are easily the best around town while the Oreo shake fell short of its contemporaries. The iced lemon tea was a hit as was the Cold Coffee Lite (sugarless).

It was the dessert department that interested me the most, especially thanks to the recent proliferation of dessert options in the city. The first dessert I sampled was the white chocolate muffin and I am still quite mesmerized by it – the white chocolate itself to be precise, was absolute heaven while the muffin could do with a better bake. The Nut corner was delicious, a biscuit made up of a mixture of nuts and served (on request) with ice cream, the apple pie was awry. My biggest disappointment was undoubtedly the Death by Chocolate. Along with Chocolate Truffle, any outlet that attempts to serve up the DBC will have to live with being benchmarked by these two landmark desserts. It was one of the poorer renditions of DBC I have come across, to be kind. The feedback was well received by the people in charge and they’ve set to work on getting it right.

Brand story: Kleio’s tag line, Sinfully Expressive explains the chocolate rose. “We want Kleio to be a destination where people head to express themselves. The rose is synonymous with expression and served in chocolate, it was a perfect fit” explains Rajesh. Taking forward the theme of a destination cafe, a lot of space has been left underutilized to make space for a dais of sorts. Rajesh plans to use the venue to organize Stand up comedy, karaoke sessions, activity for children, etc to help keep the crowds enthused beyond just his food – not a bad plan on paper but time will tell its success. The in-store and display branding is very refreshing for this space. Credit to their design agency, Whoa Mama.

Location:
Kleio operates from a centralized kitchen that caters to its 2 locations – opposite The Residency’s in-gate on Dr. Nair road, T. Nagar and DLF IT Park, Porur. My four visits before penning this review have all been to the T Nagar outlet. All the food is made by an in-house team with its owner, Rajesh Bysani (31) himself assuming the role of Chief Taster & QC Head.

Staff: Courteous and friendly though finer knowledge about the products are limited to the seemingly experienced.
Facilities: The toilet is usable and hygienic, for men and women alike.
Cost: Very reasonable, almost under priced. Only the special shakes are in excess of Rs. 120. All else average around Rs. 40 each.

Date: 13th August, 2009
Place: Chennai, India
Reviewed by: Harish Anand Thilakan

Must Order – Paneer wrap, Chicken Mayonnaise sandwich, Dream Shake, White chocolate muffin.
Average Cost per person - Rs. 135

Address- Dr. Nair Road, T. Nagar, Chennai - 600017
Driving Directions -Opposite the in-gate to The (old?) Residency hotel, at the junction of GN Chetty road and TP Road.