Kipling Cafe

It's like being transported into an oasis of tropical delight. White muslin curtains edge the corners of palm-fringed cabanas. A South Indian Gothic mansion serves as an anchor at the end of a vast green lawn. The choices range from pastas, pizzas to seafood to starters. There are crunchy starters such as Garlic Bread that come with herbed butter spooned into small turbans, Japanese-style Vegetable Tempura that has a delicately creamy wasabi dip that does not knock your tonsils off and all manner of soups. The Prawn Bisque is superb but the lobster one is to die for. But since the dishes depend on the catch of the day, you sometimes might have to settle for the second best. The main courses are superb, a creamy Risotto with Chicken, a King Fish Platter, that is sumptuous and a wonderful Greek Salad, and the Pepper Pizza, that is lean, mean and awfully good. The portions are satisfyingly huge. But the desserts are the best things yet. The tender coconut-flavoured Pannacotta with strips of fresh mango fruit is fabulous. Chinese too is on offer here.