Mocca Karachi - Ramadan Coffee Run

Mocca Karachi - Ramadan Coffee Run

I've liked the Mocca vibe ever since it opened in Karachi a few months ago. The layout is spacious, with a reasonable space between tables (something not to be sniffed at, given Karachi real estate prices), the place itself is clean and brightly lit, and the staff are friendly. I've visited it a few times since its opening, primarily because it is a fairly inoffensive spot (not the most ringing endorsement, I know), tends to not be that crowded and, being farther away from the Espresso / Lal's area, is easier to find parking. 

Last night, my daughter and I decided at short notice to hop out for a cup of coffee and something sweet. She's got very definite opinions (at 4 years old, can't expect anything else) and decided that she must have a macaron, so off to Mocca we went. It wasn't that late in the evening by Ramadan standards, around 9 pm, so we found parking very easily and the place was maybe half full. 

We were seated quickly, and ordered even faster. Abeer selected her macaron (blueberry Mojito) from the available selection of 6 or 7 flavours. In terms of cakes, there wasn't much to select from; a couple of variants on carrot cake and a couple of pies. Having had their apple pie before, I decided to try the lemon tart, and asked for an Americano to accompany it (my second cup of coffee for the month so far, a bit of an achievement given my normal levels of caffeine consumption).

Order was taken promptly and efficiently. Once again the staff was impressive in their training and efficiency. However, once the food arrived, things took a decided turn for the worse. 

Let's start with the good. The macaron was extremely well cooked - crunchy top, gooey heart and a nice topping. It's size is a lot larger than what we would normally expect in a macaron, comfortably 50% bigger than the 'standard' size. Abeer enjoyed it thoroughly, and I only managed a small bite to get a taste. So that was nice. 

Blueberry Macaron. Rather nice.

Now to the not-so-great. The lemon tart was actually quite promising. The pastry was nice, quite short and easy to cut into (although a little blond), and the lemon curd was nice and tart. it was served with a scoop of ice cream, though, and that didn't make any sense because the tart itself was chilled. The sweetness of the ice cream (it was generic, if I was to guess I would say probably Hico)  helped to balance out the sourness of the lemon curd, but then for some inexplicable reason the ice cream was drizzled with a disgusting yellow syrup of some description, which tasted like, and I am not exaggerating here, a really sour sharbat. That element, totally unnecessary and probably done just for the sake of 'presentation' pretty much ruined what was otherwise a fairly acceptable dessert despite the rather unusual choice of accompaniment for the tart itself. 

Lemon Tart with gross yellow drizzle. Note the shape of the spoon

And, finally, to the coffee. It was served in a clear cup (the whole place has a Scandinavian design aesthetic) and looked a little pale to me, but I thought nothing of it until I took a sip. Wow. It was the weakest, most under-brewed of coffee i may have ever had in my entire life. It was like drinking warm water with a couple of drops of coffee flavouring stirred into it. 

Americano. Nice crema, but that's about it.

I really don't know what went wrong. I have had coffee at Mocca before, and while not memorable, it has never been offensive. This was, frankly, an abomination. All the more disappointing given how Mocca's menu goes on and on about the gourmet roots of their coffees - a marketing proposition that I am yet to see executed, given that their much-vaunted range of beans is yet to hit their Karachi outlet. 

Before I close, though, there has to be special mention of their flatware. Mocca has, by far, the most impractical and annoying cutlery I have ever used. It is oddly shaped (that thing in the picture of the tart is the business end of a spoon, believe it or not), and difficult to both hold and wield. With anything even slightly robust, it becomes almost impossible to manage. What a nightmare. 

So this post holds more negatives than positives, when it comes to Mocca. That said, I would still go back. Primarily because the place itself is welcoming and the staff are nice (and my kid loves the macarons). They do need to raise their game when it comes to the quality of their beverages, but it's still a serious option when it comes to a cup of coffee with friends, given the fact that you can actually have a conversation there without feeling like the entire cafe is listening in.

Total cost was Rs 1,300 approx. Mocca is located on Khayaban e Shahbaz, DHA