The 78 Boulevard

I recently attended their new menu launch with my fellow bloggers at INDORE Bloggers Association & team Indori Zayka.

The name intrigued me, hence my first question to the owner was – why? Turns out, it’s because of the beautiful street outside this bistro cafe and 78 as it’s situated in Scheme 78, Vijay Nagar.

Not just the name, a lot of thought has been put into its interesting interiors too. The moment I entered this place, I was mesmerized with its theme. “Le le re selfie le le re!” 🎵 Yes, this place is a treat for selfie lovers like me.

Its theme is vintage new york style with a cosmopolitan vibe. I’ve never seen an apter industrial decor in Indore. Antiques on the weathered brick walls make for a beautiful rustic & mature interior. Dim lights just add to the feels. Wooden tables, colorful chairs, benches and sofas on a cemented floor completes the whole look. The credit for this goes to the co-owner and interior designer Miss. Anushri Jain.

📷 – burrp (link below!)

This is by far the best-themed restaurant in Indore. 
The V in bouleVard stands for Vegetables. Yes, it’s a 100% VEGETARIAN bistro & this place serves alcohol on weekends. If this isn’t a good news, then maybe the fact that drinks aren’t overpriced will be soothing to your ears.
It’s one of the first few restaurants to introduce the event culture in Indore. It not only hosts cooking workshops, but also meddles with open mic events (free entry for all! Best platform to feature local talent!!) twice a month, rock concerts, underground music nights, & yes, bringing a dose of STAND UP COMEDY shows featuring best of the best in India – Sorabh pant, Abish Mathew, Kanan Gill, Sahil Shah, Sapan Verma, Varun Thakur, Atul Khatri, Kunal Rao & Abhishek Upmanyu. 

These events are guaranteed to put you in a mood for riotous revelry. Oh yes, Rock and roll baby!!!

Don’t lose heart if you couldn’t attend Kanan Gill on the house, here’s another one you wouldn’t want to miss – 

In a Kamra with Kunal Kamra! #Sorrynotsorry 

Tickets available on bookmyshow & at the 78 Boulevard for Rs. 800/-

More on the event in my next blog. Don’t miss it! 

They usually play deep house in the background, which is a subgenre of house music, and a youth’s favorite.

A bistro is a place that serves a quick and simple meal at moderate prices & living true to its bistro cafe title, they have introduced a ‘happy hour menu’ that runs from 11 am to 6 pm. When asked about this special menu, Anushri says, “the items are more for students and we serve cafe style food like sandwiches, burgers, combos etc. The catch is that the entire menu is under Rs.99. Pocket-friendly for student crowd.”
Wait wait, don’t rush to this place just yet. Do it after reading the whole review! Okay?
Now let’s get to the part for which we were invited for. Their new menu launch!!
I was beyond excited. So will you be, once you see this place!
The menu is as quirky & varied as it’s interiors. Their philosophy is to have, ‘something for everyone.’ Chinese, Mediterranean, Italian, Spanish, Russian, Burmese, Indian and Thai, they serve it all.

We were welcomed with a mocktail called ‘sex on the beach!’ Since it wasn’t on the menu, we all started guessing its contents! It was like playing ‘guess what?’ game. Just like classic sex on the beach – virgin, it had cranberry & orange juice with a dollop of peach syrup. Rimmed with salt & garnished with mint leaves & lemon. A beautiful warm day & this tangy fruity mocktail as a welcome drink. Couldn’t have asked for anything better.

CREAM OF PEAS –

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I had a sore throat so this soup came like a blessing. I can totally call it my favorite amongst all the dishes I tasted that day. The twist was in its presentation, it was served in a shot glass with breadstick on top. SHOT SHOT baby. One sip and you’ll fall in love with its taste and creamy texture. Its vibrant green color is it’s another highlight. It’s a treat for your eyes and palate.

Price – Rs. 180/-

Verdict – must have.
FATTOUSH SALAD –

Okay, I’m not big on salads but this didn’t disappoint. Fattoush salad is a Mediterranean dish & it’s big on vegetables. Lettuce, tomato, radish, bell peppers, parsley, you name it, this had it. Tossed in lemon, garlic & oregano dressing giving it a sour taste. A perfect starter for health conscious people. Fried pita bread tasted like namak pare & Uff that crisp gave it the oomph factor.

Price – Rs. 220/-

Verdict – Do try. Less on calories, big on taste. Although, if you’re not a salad person & don’t like to experiment, avoid this.

CAPRESE SALAD – 

It’s a simple Italian salad, typically made of fresh mozzarella, tomatoes & basil. However, mozzarella the chef used here wasn’t really fresh, but it did taste good. The hero of this dish is the honey balsamic dressing. It’s sweet and tangy & it can be regarded as a perfect salad dressing. Its presentation gets full marks & who says no to cheese?

Fun fact – this dish has these ingredients so that it will resemble the Italian flag which has red, white & green color.

Price – Rs. 240/-

Verdict – Do try.

DIMSUMS –

This restaurant doesn’t have bright lights because of it dim sum. This Taiwanese dish is my favorite. Looking at dim sum, I got all excited. Served in steamer baskets and oh so colorful. However, my excitement was short lived. It had a filling of shredded cabbage & carrots & they were steamed, not fried hence making it a healthy choice. Although it was more on the spicy side.

Price – Rs. 240/-

Verdict – Avoid.

THAI SPRING ROLLS – 

Thai spring rolls had capsicum, cabbage, & carrots infused with Thai flavors. It’s crispy & if you like lemongrass, this is for you. However, I found it to be pretty mundane.

It’s served with Thai sweet chili sauce, & to be honest, it made normal Thai spring rolls, extraordinary.

Price – Rs. 260/-

Verdict – can be avoided.

EMPANADAS – 

You can never go wrong with a combination of corn and cheese. First look, and I shouted – ye to ghujiya hai! Lol. Empanadas are Spanish appetizers & are traditionally baked/Fried. This place serves the baked version with a filling of potatoes, corn, onions, garlic & mozzarella cheese. I totally loved it. It’s served with sweet chili sauce, which to be honest was an irresistible combination.

Price – Rs. 240/-

Verdict – Do try.

CHEESE FONDUE PLATTER –

It’s a cheese lover dream. Colorful fondue prongs & a small lamp below the fondue pot were very appealing to my eyes. It’s said there are 246 varieties of cheese in France alone, and this dish had a beautiful amalgamation of three of them. This dripping, melting, yummy cheese fondue is served with grilled veggies and bread croutons.

To be honest, I think it will taste even better on a rainy day.

I wish they also had a cranberry walnut loaf in the pattern. That would have been majestic.

Using the fondue prongs, dip the bread cubes/veggies into the cheese and experience the magic.

Price – Rs. 500/-

Verdict – worth it.
TANDOORI PLATTER – 

Fir bhi dil hai hindustani. Finally an Indian dish.

This platter had Paneer Tikka, makkai seekh kebabs, bharwan achaari aloo, tandoor ke phool (cauliflower!) and shabnam ke moti (mushrooms!)

And the winner is – bharwan achaari aloo. It’s lip smacking good. If you love mushrooms, you’ll enjoy shabnam ke moti too.

Price – Rs. 500/-

Verdict – if you’re a tandoor fan, this dish is for you. Although I think with this price range, you’ll get better options.

NAANZA –

A big NAA NAA to NAAnza from my side. It’s basically a NAAN BREAD SPICY PIZZA. The highlight of this dish is house style basil pesto sauce & it contains salad greens, roasted tomatoes, toasted nuts and mozzarella cheese with a drizzle of balsamic glaze. However, even balsamic glaze couldn’t save it. The crust was thin but chewy. Also, this pizza was more on the sweeter side.

Price – Rs. 360/-

Verdict – Avoid.

RATATOUILLE –

Well, this dish reminds me of that cute little rodent chef. Only 90s kids will remember him. It’s a French dish that originated in Nice & has Rice. A fresh medley of vegetables like tomatoes, onions, eggplant, zucchini, bell peppers & topped with herbs infused tomato sauce. The texture of the vegetables are creamy, and the sauce is rich, but it still lacks any real depth of flavor.

Price – Rs. 340/-

Verdict – if you like authentic French food, this is for you but if you’re a chatora indori like me, avoid ordering this.

STROGANOFF – 

It’s a Russian delicacy. Another dish that stands out. Rice is served with a consomme of exotic vegetables, sour cream, and mustard. It’s delicious and height of luxury. It’s creamy and cheesy. Its traditional version is served with beef and given the cow vigilantes, even writing about beef is scaring me! However, it’s a 100% vegetarian restaurant & they have succeeded in making it an eight on a delicious meter. You can ask for flat pasta instead of Rice.

Price – Rs. 380/-

Verdict – worth a try.
KHOW SUEY –

I can never appreciate this Burmese dish as I’m not big on coconut and although I saw my fellow bloggers taking a dig at its pungent taste, I somehow liked it. Perfectly blending in my taste buds with its vibrant flavors, this dish has noodles and vegetable curry made with coconut milk, medium spicy & served with contrasting condiments of spices, cashew nuts, fried onions, fried garlic, spring onions and zest of lemon. My favorite being fried onions & peanuts. These condiments gives away a unique flavor to the dish. It’s an Indian version of this Burmese dish, so if you’re a fan of authentic Khow Suey, I’ll suggest you to ignore it.

Price – Rs. 380/-

Verdict – with this price range, I’ll suggest you to try other things then experimenting with Khow Suey.
DUM BIRYANI –

Biryani is my go to dish and the chef didn’t disappoint here. It gets its flavor and aroma as its cooked on slow fire or dum. Well if you’re a hard core non vegetarian like me, you’ll think twice before ordering this royal dish but the moment its aroma reaches you, all your doubts will vanish away. A medley of basmati rice, vegetables, saffron, whole spices, are slow cooked to perfection in dum pukht style. It’s served with plain curd and this dish will surely blow your mind and taste buds away.

Price – Rs.300/-

Verdict – must have.

CHOCOLATE FONDUE WITH ASSORTED DIPPERS –

A chocolate lover’s delight, this dessert is served with array of DIPPERS like mini brownie bites, waffle sticks, kiwi, bananas and different flavors of mini ice cream balls. Dark melted chocolate alongside cream makes for an irresistible dessert.

Price – Rs.500/-

Verdict – if you love chocolates, this is a perfect dessert to end your meal.

GULAB JAMUN LEMON CHEESECAKE –
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​This is the cheesecake I want after dinner. It remains true to its description which goes like – “This rich sweet-tart is made with cream, Philadelphia soft cheese, and a zest of lemon waver a crumbled biscuit base bursting with delicate flavor and sweetness of Gulab Jamun.”

It’s sweet, not too sweet & the lemon brings out the natural tartness of the cheesecake. It’s smooth and creamy & trust me, one bite of those, & you too will sound like Meg Ryan in that famous “When Harry Met Sally” deli scene.

Price – Rs.320/-

Verdict – must have.

My ratings –
Taste – ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5
Presentation – ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Service – ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Value for money – ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Ambiance – ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5
Overall – ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️.5
Address: Gf 69, Opposite Prestige College, Vijay Nagar, Scheme 78 Indore.
Open time: 11 am to 11:30 pm

In short, this cafe is an experience in itself. From local to global, I loved their new menu. Happy hour menu is a value for money. Events like rock concerts and stand up comedy are like a cherry on the cake.

 

 

https://www.zomato.com/RevaParihar

For any queries, you can get in touch with me at Revaparihar@gmail.com.
Till next time,

Xoxo.
Sources –

(Picture credits – https://www.google.co.in/amp/m.burrp.com/indore/the-78-boulevard-bistro-cafe-vijay-nagar-listing/428401%3Famp%3D1)