When Chef Shriya Shetty and husband Varun Shetty visited a potential site for a cafe in the bylanes of Indira Nagar, the two towering rain trees caught their attention. “We are nuts about trees! And we knew the bungalow had to be the spot to launch BuCo. in Bengaluru,” says Shriya, of her Mangalore-based artisanal bakehouse that opens its doors in the Garden City today, November 2.
Chef Shriya Shetty | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Yashwin Dev, the architect who designed the Mangalore outpost has brought in BuCo.’s trademark design sensibilities to the new cafe: the arch, terracotta accents, and large windows. “When Yashwin saw the trees, he decided to cut through the structure’s first floor to ensure diners on the first floor can also see the trees,” explains Shriya, as we walk through the new space. The new outpost features the brand’s trademark arch, terracotta accents, and large windows | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement A slice of MangaloreA vibrant portrait of Baby Akka — BuCo.’s brand ambassador of sorts,greets us at the entrance, and paintings of her brother, Babanna, and two soon-to-be-named fictional characters greet us on the floor above. “Babanna used to manage a coffee plantation.
Since moving to Bengaluru, he’s transformed into a gym bro with noticeable muscle definition, and he is depicted enjoying a Mr Bob’s classic fried chicken burger,” laughs Shriya, of the fictional characters that have become synonymous with BuCo. The bean millet bowl | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Alongside the brand’s design explorations, Shriya is bringing her much-loved burgers, indulgent desserts, and a filter coffee-first beverage programme.
Classics such as the Mr Bob’s classic fried chicken burger with buttermilk fried chicken thigh and jalapeño aioli; and the BuCo. hummus with black chickpeas and a Byadagi chilli crisp remain, with a Bengaluru spin. Think breakfast waffles like a Benny dosa waffle with house-kasundi, a creamy, rich ghee hollandaise with poached eggs; and a miso mushroom dosa waffle with glazed mushrooms, miso-sesame cream.“We’re launching a full breakfast menu with toasts, savoury waffles, and sandwiches, alongside the all-day menu with our signature bakes, bowls, and desserts,” says Shriya, who has brought in her love for Asian cuisine in subtle ways, like in The Asian Situation that has a delicious gochujang cream, and a Congress peanut garnish.
The pad krao pao omlette | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Dosa waffles and chicken pupsWe kickstart the meal with a red amaranth Danish that has a generous filling of greens in a flaky Danish shell topped with crumbled feta and chilli oil; a motte bun with spicy motte roast masala, and a soft boiled egg perched atop the soft milk brioche bun; and pepper chicken pups.Alongside the Benny dosa waffle and creamy BuCo. hummus, the thecha theory burger arrives with a spinach and veggie patty layered with a jalapeño mayo and thecha, and the standout side: honey-glazed hot chips. “Bengaluru is a more experimental market, and we’re excited to launch more meat variants and combinations in our offerings,” says Shriya. Iced filter coffee | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The beverage programme is a reflection of BuCo.’s coffee philosophy that spotlights filter coffee. “We only work with filter coffee,” says Shriya, explaining, “It has long been seen as a local beverage option, a Darshini offering, and we wanted to change that perception.
Filter coffee is more than just degree coffee; we make cold brews and kopi peng with it too. We want to own our heritage and make it premium,” explains the Chef who uses single-estate Arabica. “It took us four months to get the blend right.” Mr Bob’s Classic Fried Chicken Burger | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement Brews and moreHighlights from the coffee section include the not an iced tea with filter decoction, fresh lemon juice, sugar syrup, and soda, a refreshing lemon-soda-meets-coffee that works brilliantly; kopi peng with filter decoction and condensed milk; Andres passion with filter cold brew, and passionfruit pulp; and Orange Is The New Black with a 16-hour malta orange-infused decoction.
The latter, Shriya says, was “created by mistake.” “We once had too much decoction and too many oranges in the Mangalore kitchen, so we mixed the two and it turned out well! It’s been on the Mangalore menu since day one.” Tiramisu at BuCo. | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement The indulgent array of desserts feature the cash-choux, which Shriya said was essential as the team needed something that represents Mangalore and “our eternal love for cashews”, pointing to the pastry sitting alongside a generous dollop of cashew cream.The til-good slice is inspired by the til laddoo, and the citrus circus is an ode to the orange cream biscuits Shriya and the team grew up eating. “Orange is a nostalgic flavour, and a lot of people don’t work with it nowadays.
I love orange as a flavour, rather than just in beverages, and this is a reflection of that.”BuCo. is at 6th Cross Road, HAL 2nd Stage, Indira Nagar