This café had a wonderful aroma of freshly brewed coffee the moment I walked in. There was plenty of seating available, although most of the tables were occupied, which speaks to its popularity. Despite being busy, the service was friendly, efficient, and welcoming. The coffee was well-made and flavorful, and the pastries tasted fresh and paired nicely with the drinks. Overall, it's a great spot to enjoy a quality coffee break, whether you're meeting friends or just looking for a comfortable place to relax. I'd happily return. read more

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This indian cafe has no misses so far. Went with a friend and ordered the Salted caramel Jaggery latte with almond milk. She ordered the chai, and we split the Gulab Jamun cheesecake croissant as well as the breakfast sandwich. The workers were friendly and the space was busy, full of groups chatting or working. We both enjoyed our drinks. I'd say that my latte had a unique flavor that I hadn't tried before that complemented the flavor of the coffee, which is what I like about trying new coffee shops. I was very satisfied with my drink. The pastries/sandwich were also great. Even though I'm not usually a fan of cream/cheesy textures and flavors, the gulab jamun croissant was still very enjoyable. At the bottom of the torched cheesecake mixture, I was surprised to find an actual gulab jamun on the bottom. It was really unique. The sandwich had some spiced mayo, spiced potato (reminded me of potato samosa) and an egg patty. Overall, I'd definitely come again to try more. read more

Swadesi Cafe - Chai, Gulab Jamun Croissant, Salted Jaggery Caramel Latte - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This Indian cafe is BUSSINNN. The space is super spacious and a great WFH spot during the week, though it does get loud and they don't allow laptops on weekends. The banoffee croissant (9.8/10) might actually be one of my top 5 pastries/desserts ever. The croissant is flaky like puff pastry without being overly buttery, and the banana, cream, and caramel/toffee combo was PERFECT without being too sweet. Absolutely devoured it. The strawberry shortcake matcha (9.5/10) was amazing too. The matcha stayed earthy even with all the other flavors, which I loved. Strawberry syrup was great, and the foam tasted like corn in the best way possible everything together was heavenly. The salted jaggery caramel latte (8.5/10) had an incredible first sip because of the foam, but once the foam disappeared it started tasting more like a carrot latte to me. Espresso strength was perfect though. Service was fine, you order and pick it up when it's ready. read more

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Nice vibes and good selection of menu items. I was comfortable and enjoyed the ample natural light. read more

Swadesi Cafe - Malai Croissant - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Went here a while back, but I enjoyed my experience! Heard they have new matcha drinks on the menu, so I'll have to check that out next time I'm in Chicago. The rose and cardamom latte was better than I expected. I definitely finished my drink faster than I expected. The cafe also had plenty of indoor seating and was very clean. The service was pretty quick and the staff members were friendly. I recommend folks to swing by next time they're in Chicago! read more

Swadesi Cafe - Rose and Cardamom Latte - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

The pastries here are the star! You cannot go wrong with anything I have literally only gone when they have only one or two pastry options left. I get whatever is available. And every, single time it's been AMAZING! I love the South Asian flavors of malai and mango and rose. However, I don't love the drinks here. They're a bit too sweet and I don't particularly like condensed milk in my chai. Caveat, I also make a damn good chai at home so I have high standards. read more

Swadesi Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Showing up at 1:30 on a Sunday was a bummer because almost everything was sold out. And I mean everything. There were only two lattes available. Even their iced coffee was sold out. All of their pastries. Just one cookie left in the case. They close at 4 on Sundays, so being sold out at 1:30 was a bit crazy. Come early if you want to try anything I ordered a strawberry shortcake iced latte. I didn't taste much strawberry at all, but the coffee was good. I didn't really want the strawberry shortcake, but with such limited options, I took what I could get read more

Swadesi Cafe - Chocolate Chip cookie - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This cafe offers amazing combinations of bakery items with a desi twist. The Samosa Chaat Croissant and the Banana Cream Latte was super delicious. They had so many good options to choose from. Definitely going to go again to try some more options in the menu. The place is usually super busy on the weekends and the seating is first come first so plan your visit accordingly. The ambiance is quite cute. The service is good but if you're ordering a sandwich it might take some time because they prepare it hot. Definitely 9/10. read more

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I was finally able to try this spot after hearing a lot about their pastries. I had a delicious pistachio custard pastry, although maybe slightly too sweet. I was also surprised that they had hojicha but it was pretty good! I am definitely returning to try other items. It got quite busy very quickly so I'm looking forward to returning on a week day instead. read more

Swadesi Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Love Swadesi! They are an indian fusion cafe with amazing coffee and matcha options and the butter chicken croissant is delicious. I loved the banana cream matcha and cookie butter latte. They change out their drinks seasonally and will definitely go back to try more! They are pretty busy but it's a nice ambiance if you get go during the week and find space to sit, and the service is friendly. read more

Swadesi Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

absolutely amazing concept, from the masala chai to the breakfast sandwich it was delicious. I especially loved the gulab jamun croissant!! theyve really brought a desi twist to a coffee shop. There is plenty of seating available and its pretty spacious. We got our food within 5-10 mins and the service was fast. read more

Swadesi Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've only door dashed swadesi and every time I do, the food is amazing! One of my favorite places to order from. The chicken tikka and chili cheese toastie are soooo good; if I had to pick one, it would be the chili cheese toastie. The gulab Juman cheesecake and malai custard croissant are amazing as well. If anything there might be too much filling in both, but that's a better "problem" than too little like most desserts. Their specialty chocolate chip cookie was average, nothing tasted different than a regular choco chip cookie. Their masala chai is ok, just not my taste preference. Overall, I would definitely try the sandwiches and dessert, skip for drinks. read more

Friendly and welcoming coffee shop with a great drink menu! We ordered an iced banana cream matcha, an iced cookie butter latte, and their signature dirty chai -- and would recommend all three. The dirty chai was my favorite; I'd especially recommend getting it hot. It's rich and creamy without being overwhelming, and perfectly balanced. There are a bunch of street parking spots outside. read more

Swadesi Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Came to visit on a weekday at opening. Service was quick and the space was larger than I expected. There's a couple of booth seats with outlets and the window seats had outlets under the table. So great place to study or work with free wifi. I saw lots of people getting iced matcha to go. I tried the banana cream latte hot and the aroma was pleasantly like banana bread. The drink wasn't too sweet and you could still taste the matcha. The chai was very hot but tasty. The swadesi breakfast sandwich was soft and pillowy. I did find the texture a bit too monotonous. The crust on the potato patty was lost in the egg and bread. But the flavors were there. I enjoyed the chicken tikka toastie more since the inside was saucy and the outside was crispy but not hard. Would come back to try more options! read more

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Drinks ordered: * Swadesi Masala Chai * Iced Toasted Peanut Latte (roasted peanut praline, jaggery, brown sugar, sea salt, cold cream foam, cocoa nibs) Foods order: * Malai custard croissant (rasmalai, pistachio cream, crushed pistachios, rose petals) * Chicken Tikka & Amul Cheese Naanwich (shredded chicken tikka in kadhai sauce w/ onions, tomatoes, bell peppers, ginger, garlic; layered w/ amul cheese and wrapped in naan; served w/ mint chutney) * Samosa Chaat Croissant (spiced potato, peas, tamarind, cilantro, mint) * Butter Chicken Croissant (burrata, picked onions, red pepper makhani) The drinks were unfortunately disappointing. Chai tasted watered down and I tasted literally none of what was listed for the Toasted Peanut Latte. They also ran out of cold foam. All the croissants were good! Favorite was the samosa chaat. The naanwich was so-so. I would come here again to try more even though the drinks weren't so great. The croissants and the welcoming staff were enough to make me want to re-visit. read more

Swadesi Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Swadesi Cafe is an absolute gem in downtown Chicago near Union Station! Even though the place was packed, the service was quick, friendly, and well-organized. My wife, sister, and I tried the Swadesi Chai, Chili Cheese Toastie, Butter Chicken Croissant, and the Samosa Chaat Croissant -- and every single item was bursting with flavor. The fusion of classic Indian street food with café-style pastries is done perfectly here. For dessert, the Jaggery Cookie and Malai Custard Croissant were the perfect sweet ending -- rich, unique, and not overly sweet. The vibe, the creativity, and the quality of food make this place a must-visit. Totally worth the wait and already planning our next trip back! read more

Swadesi Cafe - Swadesi Chai Malai Custard Croissant Jaggery Choc Chip Cookie - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

A cute, Indian style cafe and bakery. It's a little in the pricier end with $10-14 baked goods, but it's a really nice, special treat since you won't see many of these kinds of baked goods elsewhere. The chai was perfectly sweet and pipping hot for a cold Chicago day. The butter chicken croissant was my favorite thing. Perfectly flakey croissant with savory chicken on top. It was a little messy to eat because of the shape of the croissant. The samosa croissant was good! Potato was seasoned well and it was easier to eat. Service was efficient and friendly. I went on a Monday during opening and it wasn't crowded. It did take about 10 minutes to get my food and drink. Highly recommend giving it a visit! I'll definitely have to be back to try the breakfast sandwich. read more

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The samosa chaat croissant is incredible!! The chili cheese toastie is also very solid and I'm not a fan of very cheesy things. Chai definitely had condensed milk in it, which is sad, but maybe the non-swadesi version doesn't?? not sure but I'll definitely be going back to try the butter chicken croissant now. read more

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Wow oh wow! This gem is a must see in your next trip out to the city. If not, make it a priority. This chef-inspired vision behind Swadesi starts at the top with the Michelin-starred chef Sujan Sarkar and his vision for the mix between Indian culture and modern day coffee. He has perfectly blended the two into the items here within the cafe. You walk into a seemingly unique cafe setting with "SWADESI" written in big bold letters across the windows inside. The furniture reminds you of a traditional Indian home. The wallpaper is colorful and artful like back home in India. Hats off to the idea behind these minor features that help make the environment soothing. I ordered the Jaggery Chocolate Chip cookie, Chili Cheese Toastie and the breakfast egg sandwich along with a simple cappuccino. Let me start with the coffee: they use metric beans and the light roast was a nice fruity blend that was smooth and fruity and overall solid. Next, the jaggery cookie: this texture was out of this world. They captured the essence of a crispy outer edge with gooey inside while maintaining shape and managed to get chocolate in each bite with different types of chocolate as well plus the jaggery. Next, the chili cheese toastie: best item I had this day with a chili paste with Indian spices and a perfectly melting cheese that sits between two pieces of toasted toasts that just brings the whole dish home. A++++ (perfection) Last, the breakfast sandwich: the fluffy egg and cheese are a nice parking with the two ingredients. You can tell the use a fine egg based on the taste of the fluffy egg alone. They use a pillow soft bun and the patty inside is some sort of vegetarian patty that is panko crusted and the crisp is unparalleled. This whole experience was beyond anything I thought of with an Indian fusion cafe with so many failing the concept; not this time. Well done team! read more

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Mid size space inside lots of tables. Service was good Vegetarian food review out of 5 point Chili cheese toast- 4.5 - good amul cheese with chillies. Not spicy. I might be OK with more chutney Masala chai - 3 Verhonala chocolate almond milk - 4 Veg egg sandwitch - 5 Samosa croasaint- 5 Jaggary chocolate chip cookie - 4 Halwa tart - 5 read more

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I got the butter chicken croissant which was highly recommended online. I'm not sure if this is because I ordered it to go, but I received it lukewarm/almost on the cold side. I feel like it might be the same if I ordered it for here since it's topped with burrata. I feel like I enjoyed it more when I warmed the rest of it up later at home. The chicken had good flavor - rich and buttery, but I wish it was more incorporated into the croissant rather than just sitting on top of it. The croissant was nice and flaky, though it felt a little too crisp on the outer edges and a bit hard to bite through. I didn't order a drink here, but my friends ordered chai lattes and they were great! It was a nice space and we were able to find seating for our group of 6 on a Saturday afternoon, but it was crowded while we were there and our table was immediately claimed as soon as we stood up. read more

Swadesi Cafe - butter chicken croissant - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

This time around when I went to Swadesi Cafe I ordered the Gulab Jamun croissant and the chilli cheese toast. They slapped. Super delicious and absolutely amazing. The banana matcha cream was a pleasant surprise! I did not expect it to taste so nice. And the jaggery latte was decent as well. It takes a little bit to find a table cause it's always super crowded but definitely worth a nice breakfast! read more

Swadesi Cafe - Chilli cheese toast - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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We happened to park across the street from Swadesi on our way somewhere else. I pointed it out because I recognized it from an article I read recently about coffee in the city. Naturally we decided to stop in before heading back to our car. The place was packed so it was a little hard to get a read on the vibe other than popular. I opted for a dirty chai and my husband got a flat white. We also ordered the malai custard croissant, the Meyer lemon and white chocolate cookie, and the jaggery chocolate chip cookie. The drinks were good, but the pastries stole the show. The custard croissant was our favorite - the croissant was crisp and flaky, balanced out with the sweet creamy custard. I was worried the rose petal would dominate, but it was subtle. Great little stop on a Saturday adventure! I hope to go back and try some of the savory items on the menu. read more

Swadesi Cafe - Malai Custard Croissant - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Heard a lot of great things about the menu, so expectations were pretty high going in. Unfortunately, by the time of the visit, a lot of the items that were being looked forward to were already sold out, and there was no time to go back again, so definitely go early if trying to get the more popular items. Got the strawberry shortcake matcha, and something about the drink felt a little off, although the strawberry part itself was good, but overall it was a bit of a miss. The jaggery chocolate chip cookie was exactly what the name suggests, a really big cookie that tasted great, but it was hard to finish. Also got the chicken tikka toastie, which was enjoyable. read more

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Swadesi is located in the loop and is easily accessible by public transport. I got the banana cream matcha and while a little indulgent it's really yummy! I also got the breakfast sandwich which is vegetarian and absolutely flavor packed!! There's not too much place to sit so it can be tough to find a spot to sit and it takes a little while for food to come out but was overall great! read more

I have mixed feelings about Swadesi. I like some things a lot and then some others just miss the mark. What I do like - the breakfast sandwich, paneer croissant, chai Miss- the Kathi roll was chewy and not flavorful, toastie (very dry), the date cake was way too sweet, the malai croissant while good in theory was also a miss and lacked depth. That being said I do want to try more things. It's exciting to have these options. read more

Swadesi Cafe - Malai croissant - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Fresh, decadent, delicious and filling. Everything you would ever want a breakfast sandwich to be, and so much more. On a recent trip to Chicago, my wife, daughter and I stopped for breakfast at the Swadesi Café. Boy was that the right move. I enjoyed their featured breakfast sandwich and a gulab jamun cheesecake croissant. I think I could just stop here, because the menu speaks for itself. The service was excellent, the price is fair and it's a wonderful place to enjoy breakfast and a good conversation. The dining area is both comfortable and quiet. Be prepared to have your socks knocked off, because this is not your average breakfast sandwich. Your breakfast is going to be an experience. The Swadesi Café is on my list as a "must do" for my next trip to Chicago. if you live in Chicago, run, don't walk to the Swadesi Café for breakfast tomorrow morning. You can thank me later. read more

Swadesi Cafe - Gulab Jamun Cheese Cake croissant - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Was recommended this place by TikTok - the concept is great, and I'd come back to try more pastries like the gulab jamun croissant. The pastry in the butter chicken croissant is flaky, but the chicken itself can be more flavorful. The salted jaggery latte is decent but not outstanding. The service can be more friendly as well. read more

Swadesi Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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Not a big coffee drinker but the coffee i had here was really good. I recommend going for the pastries because they were delicious. A bit noisy on the inside but I'll chalk that up to being crowed. But highly recommend visiting read more

Swadesi Cafe - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

I've ordered from Swadesi a couple of times and have been satisfied each time. I've only ordered to go, but even with the trek home, my food is warm, crispy and delicious. Their breakfast sandwich is one of my favorites in the city. The light, airiness of the egg is such a nice balance with the crispness of the patty. The cheese and aioli also add amazing flavors to the sandwich. Their paneer wrap is also very tasty. Highly recommend. The banana cream matcha with oat milk is probably some of the best matcha I've had in a long time. It was so creamy, and the banana flavor paired really beautifully with the rich, earthiness of the matcha. I've also had their iced chai, and that is pretty spectacular as well. While I can't speak to the ambiance or service, the overall experience as a takeout customer has been 10/10! read more

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Great cafe that totally knocks it out of the park! Came with my wife one weekend morning and had a great time. The indian fusion flavors are unique but approachable and all well done. I got a salted caramel jaggery latte which had a delicious rich but not too sweet caramel flavor, and my wife got the swadesi masala chai which was packed full of flavor. To eat we split the chicken tikka toastie which was amazing - all the creamy savory flavor you'd expect in a well made chicken tikka, condensed a bit to put into a sandwich without leaking everywhere, complemented by perfectly toasted bread which help up to the fillings and maintained a nice crisp. We also got the malai custard croissant, a beautiful well made croissant cup filled with ras malai and topped with a layer of pistachio cream and topped with beautiful crushed pistachios and rose petals. The cafe a no frills, clean and cozy shop packing some amazing flavors that I highly recommend visiting and trying! read more

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I'd been wanting to try this place for a while, and we finally made it on a packed Saturday afternoon. Despite the crowd, we luckily managed to find a seat. We started with the jaggery latte -- it was a bit watery for my taste, but still decent. The chicken tikka toastie was the standout for me: perfectly crispy with a flavorful filling. We also tried their popular butter chicken croissant, which definitely lived up to the hype -- rich, flaky, and delicious. For something sweet, we went with the gulab jamun croissant. If you're a gulab jamun fan, you'll love this one. The gulab jamun itself was soft and tasted authentic, and it paired surprisingly well with the pastry. read more

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Definitely on the pricer side of coffee shops but I would definitely come back! They have free wifi, tons of seating and outlets for WFH. I came 30 min before closing so they were out of their super popular items like the butter chicken croissant and summer corn latte but the sesame orange one I had was delicious. One of my pet peeves with lattes is that it tastes too milky but you could taste the espresso in this one. The date and plum cake was moist and not too sweet but just overall ok for me. Staff were all super nice too, overall a good first visit! read more

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(4) ~ very good overall food & service w. plenty of indoor seating. MENU: ** Bacon, Egg & Cheese Croissant = (4.15) Very tasty ** Paneer Kathi Roll = (4.15) Very savory Tasting ** Gingerbread Latte (hot) = (4.15) Very good ** Jaggery Chocolate Chip Cookie = (4) very good & "jaggery" is unrefined sugarcane;) ** Gulab Jamun Cheesecake Croissant = (4) very unique * Chicken Tikka & Amul Cheese Naanwich = (3.75) Good, but needed more flavor... * Malai Custard Croissant = (3.75) Looked better than it tasted... read more

ASH & JESSE'S COFFEE CRAWL '25 Ranked #8 out of 15 Let me paint a picture: After 4 12 hour days at Lollapalooza & another week of non-stop exploring, we were beat. For our last full day in Chicago, we had plans to get up, get dressed, get coffee, go to the beach, etc etc. Those plans never came to fruition and instead the bed sounded too nice. So we're doomscrolling on TikTok and we come across @mattandomar (cutest couple ever) trying this place out and you see the most mouthwatering thing to ever grace your eyes. A Butter Chicken Croissant. But you come to realize they close soon and you won't make it in time--within 5 minutes, we're ordering everything off doordash. Everything is delivered and wow. Wow. Wow. Everything was so good. We got the Butter Chicken Croissant. Obviously. But We also got the Veggie Samosa Croissant. Guys. I am still dreaming about these croissants. I mean just melt in your mouth, burst of flavor and goodness experience. No way you can come here and not get them. We also ordered some iced lattes: Sesame Blossom & Salted Jaggery Caramel-- that were a bit melted by the time they came because obviously qualms of delivering iced drinks but still so good and so unique. I forgot to mention we also got their Jaggery Chocolate Chip Cookie that was rich and thick and just insane. A chocolate chip in every bite. We will visit the actual storefront next time we're in Chicago, especially if delivery was this good. read more

Butter chicken croissant was very yummy and definitely worth coming back for! The cafe is nice for getting some work done or meeting up with friends since there isn't loud music just blaring all the time. Service could be slightly friendlier but understand it's a cafe so you aren't there for the hospitality read more

Giving 4 stars because it is a 50% chance if they have matcha. They are out of it a lot. But the banana cream matcha is unreal. The best I have found in Chicago, I am obsessed with it. read more

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Reddit to the rescue! I was looking for a place to grab some breakfast while in Chicago and stumbled upon a Reddit thread of someone asking for "non-American breakfasts"... perfect. The many comments were wonderful and I noticed someone mentioned an Indian-inspired cafe. Very intriguing! Nate and I took the blue line to Swadesi and got there right after they opened. The space is super cute and airy, with comfortable seating. We ordered the breakfast sandwich and the paneer bhurji puff to share, and I got the sesame blossom latte. Everything was incredible. The breakfast sandwich has an egg patty, crispy potato, American cheese, and spicy garlic mayo. It came with a ketchup packet, which really did add the perfect amount of extra flavor and sweetness. The overall texture of the sandwich is pretty soft, but I really loved it. The paneer bhurji puff was awesome, with a little bit of a spicy kick. The pastry was flaky and flavorful, and I loved the sesame seeds. Speaking of sesame... the sesame blossom latte was so tasty. Black sesame seems to be trending in coffee shops right now, and I'm here for it. I love the nutty and slightly savory element it gives to drinks. Shoutout to dancinghugs4all on Reddit for introducing me to this place - if I lived nearby I'd probably be here weekly, and I'm hoping to stop in again the next time I'm in town! read more

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The pastries were delicious, especially the malai one. The croissant almost tasted like a cake/tea rusk and the filling was soooo good. I personally couldn't really taste the jaggery in the Jaggery Latte. Food came out really fast and the atmosphere is nice to hang out or study. read more

Swadesi Cafe - Caramel Jaggery Latte, Samosa Chaat Croissant, Malai Croissant, Dirty Chai - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

Great Indian inspired cafe and bakery in west loop! Got the chicken tikka toastie, breakfast sandwich and the butter chicken croissant. I loved the croissant and they also have really good iced chai! Great environment to do work at (looks similar vibes to tary cafe) read more

Swadesi Cafe - Butter chicken croissant - Bakeries Near Me - Chicago, Illinois

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