Divya Arthi has had enough of cinnamon rolls. Though the bright yellow-and-grey interiors of her new café is heady with the scent of cinnamon and warm dough wafting in from the open kitchen, and though rows of round rolls and square donuts (yes, square donuts) line her shelves, she refuses to take even a bite. “We have been running trials of different flavour combinations, stuffings and glazes for two-and-a-half months now. I have tasted more cinnamon rolls than I can count,” she says with a laugh, gesturing to the creations that have passed her taste tests and made their way into the final menu.
Comparisons with Cinnabon are inevitable, and make Divya say with a laugh, “I actually used to miss the options that Cinnabon offers, every time I came back home from vacation. So, I decided to come up with a few of my own.” The result is a comparatively more humble — but still tempting — array: two classic cinnamon rolls (one with a cream cheese glaze), two chocolate flavoured ones, a raspberry, a blueberry, rum and raisin with a caramel sauce and cream cheese frosting, white chocolate, Oreo-stuffed with a chocolate glaze and Oreo bits topping, coffee-filled with milk chocolate on top... the list is an indulgent one.
“We have 10 flavours ready now, and 10 more will be coming in soon,” she says. And that is just a part of the menu at the two-week-old Cinnamon House on College Road. The former home chef is playing with a number of other items as well, though the rolls, of course, hold pride of place. “I used to make them back in my home chef days too, but never experimented with flavours and glazes as I did for this project,” she says.
All desserts are egg-free, including the three jar desserts and the slew of square donuts with the usual frosting options, from chocolate to rainbow sprinkles. “The children usually go for the donuts — I think they find the toppings attractive,” observes Divya, “It is the adults who love the cinammon rolls.” Not surprising, since the team behind them includes the people who used to handle the popular chain Donut House till it changed hands in 2017. Divya herself used to handle the overall management for the chain, and her current chef was also part of the operations.
Aside from the sweet treats, there are sweet and savoury donut burgers, slated to make their entrance early in October. “It is basically a sugar-glazed donut sliced into two, with a vegetarian patty and pineapple on top,” she explains, “There will be a few other sandwiches soon.”
For now, guests can order some coffee and tea to pair with the burst of sweetness that the spongy rolls give out. The cold drinks section includes milkshakes, ice teas, cold coffees, paan fizz and some virgin mojitos. There are also four kinds of hot chocolate to choose from. The team at Cinnamon Roll is still taking things slow, and is open to feedback — “Last week, a customer said that it didn’t taste of enough cinnamon. So we made the dose generous.”
Cinnamon House is located at College Road, Nungambakkam.
