Brews and beverages shine at Pandhal Coffee & Brew in Thiruvananthapuram

Pandhal Coffee & Brews in Kowdiar, Thiruvananthapuram
| Photo Credit: SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Against the backdrop of overlapping coffee fragrances, blended with a sound track of grinding, whistles of steam and keyboards clicking, barista Afeef is calmly preparing a slow brew coffee called V60 tableside at Pandhal Coffee & Brews at Kowdiar, Thiruvananthapuram.

Cakes, pastries and other sweets inside the illuminated glass shelf overlook as Afeef wets a folded filter paper, placed inside a funnel. Coincidentally, it is the angle at which the filter paper is folded and kept that gives the coffee its name.

This contraption is then placed atop a glass coffee pot, set on a weighing scale for accuracy.

Hot water being poured into the ground coffee while preparing the V60
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SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

“Four things are important while making a V60— temperature of the water, grain size, pour timing and the ratio between ground coffee and hot water,” Afeef says, putting 18 grams of medium coarse ground coffee from medium dark roasted Arabica beans on the filter paper. He slowly pours around 40 ml of water, 85 degrees Celsius hot, on the ground coffee and waits for a few seconds. This is called the blooming period as the coffee releases carbon dioxide making it more flavourful. Water is poured three or four times at regular intervals leaving around 270 ml of coffee in the pot, before being served.

V60 coffee being made
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SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

It is important to rinse your palette with hot water before you taste this manually brewed beverage that is ideally consumed without any sugar. The rising steam carries an earthy fragrance, which disappears almost instantly. The first sip of the V60 has a mellow bitter taste that does not overstay its welcome on your palette, as a hint of sweetness slowly comes through. A sip of water and the sweet note sings sweeter, leaving your palette clean. Even if you are not a “coffee lover”, the V60 is worth a try at ₹200.

The menu at Pandhal Coffee & Brew also features other slow brews such as French press, American drip and a 24-hour milk brew, all exclusively available at this outlet. This lone branch in the State capital is the Kochi-based brand’s sole outlet focusing on coffee and beverages. “We wanted to do something beyond cafes and cake shops, which brought us to this concept,” says the branch’s assistant manager Giby Varghese.

Their menu also has plant-based and non-plant-based shakes, exclusive to the branch. These include salted caramel, cheesecake, banana foster (available in both options) and blue spirulina and pineapple, with rates starting from ₹250.

The Blue spirulina and pineapple shake is a plant-based shake containing spirulina, a type of blue-green algae, rich in protein, vitamins, minerals, carotenoids, and antioxidants. It also has pineapple, coconut milk and coconut puree, which act as a base for the beverage. Served on a glass rimmed with sugar crystals and a pineapple wedge, the drink is not a typical milkshake. It comes off as a cross between a slushie and a smoothie. The blue spirulina used in powdered form does not add any flavour to the food, allowing tropical fruits like pineapple and coconut to shine. The shake is refreshing and can even be a meal on its own.

Blue spirulina and pineapple shake from Pandhal Coffee & Brew
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SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

Their signature brews also include South Indian filter coffee, cinnamon latte, hazelnut latte, and salted pistachio latte, starting from ₹120, and are available with dairy substitutes like coconut milk and oats milk.

South Indian filter coffee from Pandhal Coffee & Brew
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SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

“One of our most popular coffees recently is the South Indian filter coffee made with coconut milk,” says Giby. The filter coffee is served in the typical metal filter coffee tumbler set and has a thinner consistency compared to its classic version. However, the coffee is stronger and does not need any additional sweetener. It has 20 ml of decoction and 100 ml of coconut milk, resulting in an unfamiliar, yet welcome fragrance from the hot beverage.

A fudge tart with a caramel filling containing peanuts and raisins and a buttery, biscuity, flaky crust can be a good combination with the beverages.