A new Instagrammable community cafe with a Desi twist has come to town - and I went to see what all the 'gossip' was about.
Aura Cafeteria on Victoria Street in Chadderton officially opened to the public on Saturday, February 17, this year with an ambitious promise of serving up delectable Desi food while providing a hub for the community to chatter in.
The premises, which sits opposite a school, has completed a dramatic transformation since it last operated as a convenience store, with fresh and modern interior and Instagrammable decor.
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I couldn't stay away for much longer and decided to pop in one lunchtime to give it the ultimate taste and experience test - and this is what I found.
The decor and welcome
The cosy cafe has been kitted out with the best of the best - sleek new floors, LED lights, a grass and flower wall, marble tables and shell seats and its popular 'gossip corner' booth, which is lit up in purple lights.
I was promptly greeted by a friendly staff member - or rather a family friend who was helping out amid the chaos of its launch week.
It was busy with families tucking into their hot drinks and South Asian-inspired dishes, and I couldn't resist trying out its recommended Desi breakfast and latte.
The food
I confess, I've never had a Desi breakfast before, so I don't have much to compare it to.
However, the dish came in an array of bright colours and flavours with a hot Asian omelette, fluffy and crispy paratha bread and three different dishes to indulge in - from Chaana Daal and vegetable dazi to a signature Bangladeshi potato dish, each with fresh herbs on top.
Although the vegetable dazi came with a slight kick, I enjoyed each dish for their powerful, distinctive flavours and was impressed by its overall freshness. Even the side salad came with a chunky wedge of lime.
As far as Desi breakfasts go, this has got to be up there as one of the best in the borough - if not blowing the competition out of the water as I overheard several customers make the same revelation on their tables.
A man said his family were happy they no longer needed to travel as far as Bradford or Manchester to get their Desi fix and another woman said she was delighted she had somewhere local she could take her children for a fresh and tasty meal.
I honestly felt like I had been missing out on this breakfast my whole life and I'm already planning when I can go back for another round.
Meanwhile, my latte came fresh off the barista coffee machine.
The meal was generously filling and for £8.50, an absolute bargain to boot.
The story
Shahidur Rahman, who has poured love and labour into his dream cafe, along with his childhood friend Farhad Choudhury, told me he's had his heart set on the building for as long as he could remember.
The cafe owner said his father used to work in the nearby Manor Mill and would come to the convenience shop to buy cigarettes in the 1970s and 1980s.
His family eventually came to own the building but rented it out as an off licence.
When he was made redundant from his job in retail at Littlewoods, and the tenant was struggling to keep the shop afloat after the pandemic, he said the opportunity presented itself to bring his vision for a community cafe to life.
Mr Rahman explained: "We were lacking a cafe in the area and I thought we needed something different.
"It all worked in my favour, I thought I've got to do it.
"I planned it out, from the interior to the decorations. We had designers in and I looked at Instagram pages.
"I wanted to go for a look that gives it the wow factor that you can see when you walk past it outside.
"We did it ourselves and I'm so glad to see all the hard work has paid off."
The purple 'gossip corner' has already proved a hit among customers which Mr Rahman said was inspired after he spoke to mums dropping their children off at the school opposite who said they were desperate for a place to stop and "have a chit chat".
He added: "It's ideal where we are because you don't need a car, you don't need to travel far to get here, especially if you've got children.
"We're right here on your doorstep - and we keep prices competitive while the food is also fresh and authentic."
When asked if he was pleased from the response from customers so far, he beamed: "We've had such a good response, but I couldn't have done this without my wife and friends. Everyone contributed really, I couldn't do it alone.
"It's been a community effort."
Overall experience
If you haven't swung by Aura yet, I highly recommend a visit.
The cafe made sure I was well-fed and had a sensational tasting experience.
It's very reasonably priced (how often do you get to eat a freshly made hot meal with a drink for less than £10 these days?) and has a menu to suit everyone - from Desi breakfasts to the traditional full English breakfasts and even French toast toppings and protein bowls for gym-goers.
It has such a relaxing and welcoming character to it too - Aura couldn't be a more fitting name.
Thank you for having me, Aura, and for setting the bar so high as to what a real Desi breakfast should taste like.
Got a restaurant you’d like us to review, a business shout-out or another story idea? Email me Olivia.bridge@newsquest.co.uk or send me a message on Twitter @Livbridge
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