Inside Brew’d: The Palavakkam cafe where pickleball meets matcha by the sea

Account subscription benefits alongside Premium Stories, Editorials, Opinions and more. Unlock these with Subscription

In a treasure map, ‘X’ often marks the crudely covered spot where the bounty lies. On Palavakkam beach , one need not try to look for obscure ‘Xs’ to find treasure. The breeze, even during Chennai’s strangely searing September; and the aquamarine blue sea; is light and rewarding enough for those who choose to make the hike.

Residents of the locality who have shifted as Chennai expanded its peri-urban and urban boundaries have struck gold in recent years. Palavakkam seems to have steadily become the preferred choice for a number of restaurants and cafes to begin their East Coast Road sojourn.

Arun Bharadwaj says that it was about time that there was a spot in his neighbourhood where one could eat, play, and work too. It is why he and his school friend, Murali Ravikumar, founded Brew’d, a cafe inside the two-month old Scor’d, a sports facility with turfs and courts. Although the cafe is tucked among courts, operating like a one-way privacy tint, the facility itself is impossible to miss. On its wall, is a paati playing pickleball. Did they begin with the intention to stand out?

“We [Murali and him] were ready to begin Brew’d and Scor’d a year ago. We are two boys from Chennai who grew up by the beach. I am interested in hospitality [he runs Miththam, a wedding venue] and food, and Murali works with Adidas in Germany. With both our combined prowess, we wanted to create a third space where people could come through the day, play a game, work, workout, and mingle. You do not have to know anyone when you walk in but you could leave, making friends,” Arun says.

Brew’d offers coffee, croissants, and a view | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

This aspect of friendship seems to be a consistent feature of the cafe. Brew’d’s beverage and branding consultant Nishanth J and chef Shyam Sundar, came onboard after meeting through mutual friends, eventually establishing a connection with the founders. This comes through in the way they communicate too. Everyone here, evidently enjoys a good meal, even though Arun says that he will eat most food items without a word of complaint.

Shyam and Nishanth on the other hand, say that they have been precise while coming up with this cafe menu. I sample their katsu chicken sando (priced at ₹350 served with potato wedges) which is a solid, and easy meal to eat, especially while working. Their bread, buttered and toasted well, deserves special mention. I also enjoy drinking their signature drink When Matcha Met Malli (priced at ₹400). Made with ceremonial-grade cold-whisked matcha, jasmine tea, oat milk and wild honey, this drink disallows the jasmine notes to overpower the matcha. The two flavours with the oat milk as base, come together with no real effort.