Xin Den restaurant in Bengaluru offers an Asian twist to the traditional coffee house culture

Benglauru’s Xin Den restaurant blends Asian cuisine with intellectual engagement, offering diners thought-provoking challenges and a space for creative dialogue

Traditional coffee houses, often called “third places,” have served as more than just places to consume coffee. They’ve been cultural hubs, intellectual forums, and social gathering spots for centuries. These establishments have played a crucial role in shaping societies, fostering creativity, and facilitating intellectual discourse. From the bustling coffeehouses of 17th-century London to the cosy cafes of modern-day Europe, these spaces have provided a unique atmosphere for individuals to connect, learn, and be inspired.

These third places have often been associated with a sense of community, where people from diverse backgrounds could come together to share ideas, engage in debates, and simply enjoy the company of others. This sense of camaraderie and shared purpose has made coffee houses enduring symbols of social connection and cultural exchange.

The MindEscapes group (an ideation hub that also owns several restaurants) wants to recreate this with their recently launched Asian restaurant, Xin Den, in HSR Layout, a startup hub in Bengaluru.

So, why start an Asian food joint instead of a coffee house?

“Because our generation seems to have a strong affinity for Asian cuisine,” replies Aditya Sikand, the director of sales and marketing at MindEscapes. “We noticed that younger people were drawn to these dishes, while older patrons preferred continental options. For them, we are planning to start Xin Fine.”

As we entered Xin Den, located in the Synerge Workspace building, on a rainy afternoon, we were greeted by a well-lit dining space with an open kitchen — a unique feature for an Asian restaurant. The place, just three weeks old, was relatively empty, allowing us to quickly settle into a table. Unlike many other Asian restaurants, the menu was concise and easy to navigate, with only six sections, four of which were customisable, similar to places like Subway.

Despite the rain, we were in the mood for something refreshing, so we started with the Mandarin Sunrise, an orange-flavoured cold coffee topped with orange ice cream. We began the meal with the savoury Bing (Chinese flatbread) with Xin BBQ Sauce, a flavorful combination of lemongrass sauce, lettuce, Xin BBQ Sauce, roasted lamb (which was a tad too chewy), cucumber, fried wonton, and coriander.