Found in a small corner of level 5 of One Galle Face between a shop for socks and the rest of the mall resides Chesma's. A tiny haven of space dedicated to cookies that aren't like the ordinary cookies we've gotten so used to.
The Store
Just a sliver of space of the colossal building, Chesma's Natural Cookies is essentially a tiny space with a whole wall featuring tiny peach coloured tins with cashew shaped cookies inside them.
It actually fits the bill to perfection. There's just enough space for maybe 5 people to stand and try out their giant range of cookie options, and if you're too tired to stand from walking, they've got a few stools to sit on while whoever you're with goes full-on at it with the cookies.
One of the best parts of Chesma's Cookies is the sheer range of cookie options they have. From cherry to Nutella to rosemary to brown sugar and jaggery, the list ensures that you'll be leaving with at least 2 tins after being able to try every single one they have at the store.
A tin of cookies goes for between Rs. 320 and Rs. 360. And while the options are quite vast, the staff is pretty chill with you trying everything before you make your final decision. To be honest, we give them a solid 10/10 for service because of it.
Cookies
After going through almost all the cookie types (the Red Velvet had finished), we decided to go with these ones.
The most basic of the 4 options we went with was the Nutella (Rs. 375 a tin). The cookies themselves are hella soft and melt in your mouth buttery. However, the Nutella, in this case, was mixed into the batter. So, while you could get a nice chocolatey effect from it, it didn't have the Nutella punch you really look for when you order anything Nutella.
The Rosemary (Rs. 320 a tin), on the other hand, was brilliant. Packing bits of rosemary inside the cookie, the biscuit smelt amazing and had an almost overpowering amount of rosemary in it, but we mean it in a really good way. It had the buttery base to add a foundation till the rosemary bits kick in with a sharp acidic taste to get your tastebuds spiralling.
If you're looking for a cookie option that's not your everyday cup of tea, we say go with this. It'll pair beautifully with a cup of light mint or even normal green tea.
Looking like a cashew nut on steroids, the Almond (Rs. 360 a tin) flavoured cookie was just the same batter with almond essence in it. But, proving to have a very balanced amount of sugar and butter to make it a pretty good cookie in general, it was taken to a whole new level with the almond flavouring. Giving off strong Christmas vibes, this was a beauty.
The Green Tea (Rs. 375) was my favourite. Soft and buttery with a light bitterness from the green tea powder, we loved it. The light bitter kicks tend to up its game when you bite into it and the powdered sugar makes contact with your tongue.
However, it might be a bit of an acquired taste kinda thing, so if you're not a giant fan of green tea, we suggest checking it out before making your purchase.
Conclusion
We liked it. The packaging is ideal for when you want to make a hamper or something and the cookies themselves are pretty stellar themselves. We'd recommend it.
