Casamigo in Thiruvananthapuram serves a blend of international flavours in a cosy bistro setting

Casamigo restaurant interiors
| Photo Credit: Nainu Oommen

The wicker basket of toasted bread and butter placed on a table covered with a green plaid tablecloth at Casamigo transports you to an Italian supper setting. Resembling a European bakery, the bistro, located at Ambalathumukku in Pettah, Thiruvananthapuram, reveals a cosy interior with warm hues illuminated by lanterns. An abundance of imitation plants and flowers adorn the ceiling, while desserts gaze intently at the entrance through a misty glass case at the counter.

“It took us around a year to set this up,” says owner Anusha Ann Antony, who worked in the aviation sector in Africa with her husband earlier.

Casamigo owner, Anusha Ann Antony
| Photo Credit:
SPECIAL ARRANGEMENT

“I was in Africa for 10 years, but I didn’t feel like I fit into my job there. I was idle for a bit and then started baking for my friends and neighbours — a mixed crowd of Lebanese, French, American, and Europeans. They motivated me to start baking as a business, and I did that there for seven years,” says Anusha, who recently moved back to Thiruvananthapuram after her stint in Africa.

“When I got here, I wanted to do something more than baking cakes. I wanted to bring in the taste of my travels to the table,” says Anusha, attempting to showcase fusion food, combining elements of Asian, French, Italian and African cooking, with the help of her friend Roby Daniel. At Casamigo, cuisines blend seamlessly, from the sweet and spicy wings to fly to stewper boeuf (a version of French beef stew).

Roby Daniel and Anusha Ann Antony at Casamigo
| Photo Credit:
Nainu Oommen

Wings to fly is a rendition of the classic wings tossed into a wok with a sticky, sweet and spicy sauce, generously coated with chopped shallots, scallions, chilli flakes and so on. The baked wings are tossed into the sauce which is rich in aroma. It is a great start to a meal at ₹180.

Wings to Fly from Casamigo
| Photo Credit:
Nainu Oommen

While the name stewper boeuf might sound foreign, the flavours share similarities with the Kerala-style beef stew. The marbled meat is braised for six hours in the oven with mushrooms and Italian herbs. It is generously seasoned with powdered pepper and peppercorns. The beef fat from the braising, creates a rich gravy. It is pure bliss to scrape off the gravy with a piece of buttered bread, and a small piece of tender meat with a soft, fat lining. It is priced at ₹340 and is available with buttered bread and rice.

Stewper boeuf from Casamigos
| Photo Credit:
Nainu Oommen

Amigos spaghetti is a bowl of Italian pasta served with an array of luncheon meats and a fried egg. The long and thin pasta is tossed in a butter-based sauce and garnished with chilli oil, which breaks the richness of the butter. While tomatoes are used in the sauce, it steers clear of being the typical red-sauce pasta dish. The flavours of oregano and other Italian herbs sing through this pasta dish at ₹290.

Amigos spaghetti from Casamigo
| Photo Credit:
Nainu Oommen

Their menu also includes dishes such as amigos chicken, a plate of shredded slow-cooked chicken flavoured with African spices and Italian herbs. It is served with porotta or rumali roti and is available at ₹280. Belly belly bake (₹240), a baked and stuffed bell pepper dish, and paneer blanche (₹250) with mushroom gravy are available for vegetarians.

Desserts at Casamigo have gained social media attention since their opening in April. Their strawberry cheesecake with an Oreo biscuit base can be suggested for people who like their desserts, a little less sweet. The strawberry jam on top adds tartness to the dish while the crumb and cream cheese contribute to sweetness. However, this dessert was on the slightly heavier side and could be served in a smaller portion.

Blush milk cake from Casamigo
| Photo Credit:
Nainu Oommen

Blush milk cake from Casamigo is the star of the dessert menu. This rendition of a tres leches cake with rose milk is the perfect ending to a meal. The soft, spongy, moist cake soaks in the fragrant rose and saffron milk, which oozes out on a tender touch of the spoon. Topped with a white chocolate mousse, each bite is a contrasting sensation of textures — light, moist sponge with a slightly heavier but smooth mousse, dry rose petals and a few nuts too. It is inevitable to pour rose milk into the plate until you run out of cake and all you can do is drink it directly and count the calories. The dish is available at ₹180.