What: Hola — Cafe Lounge & Restaurant Where: 40A Dr Sarat Banerjee Road (Opposite The Wall) Timings: Noon to 11pm Meal for two: Rs 1,100 (Cocktails available on Saturdays)
TT Bureau
Published 19.01.18, 12:00 AM
An installation at the entrance.
What: Hola — Cafe Lounge & Restaurant
Where: 40A Dr Sarat Banerjee Road (Opposite The Wall)
Timings: Noon to 11pm
Meal for two: Rs 1,100 (Cocktails available on Saturdays)
Southern Avenue gets another fun dining space as Hola — Cafe Lounge & Restaurant opens its doors today. With provision for both casual dining and private dining, this 3,000sq ft dine den promises a mix of cuisines from across the world, with some tempting drinks. Conceptualised by the husband and wife duo of Ankit and Arunima Dhawan, the menu at Hola is a reflection of their common passion for food and travel.
“We were in Spain and the word hola is something that kept popping in almost all conversations. Hence when we decided to have our dining space, the term hola sort of stayed with us, because of its easy recall value and also because it is a natural conversation-starter,” said Ankit and Arunima.
The 90-seater space is divided into two sections. The first (above) is a space for casual dining, done up with comfy seats, high stools, fun lighting and multiple charging spots for those who want to come in and get some work done along with their grub. There is a raised area for live performances.
Done up in shades of ivory, the other section houses the bar with chic sofas and private-dining cubicles. Each cubicle has its own TV set for guests to operate. “We want to use this section as more of a fine-dine space,” said Arunima.
SIP & BITE
Ebony Ivory Veg Balls @Rs 275-plus: Manchurian balls are stuffed with cheese and coated in three different types of mayonnaise (honey lime, Sriracha and mustard). For someone who’s not a fan of veg food, the same can be ordered in a chicken version.
Wasabi Prawns @Rs 425-plus: Prawns golden-fried in tempura batter are smeared with a mild wasabi sauce that has just the right sting; it’s topped with a Thai chilli salsa for a tangy taste. “Wasabi can be a pretty tricky ingredient and in this dish, keeping the balance is mandatory else the flavour could get too overwhelming,” said Supratim Das, head chef, Oriental.
Four Style Mushroom Teriyaki Bao @Rs 375-plus: Straw, button, shiitake and fungus mushrooms come together in flavourful teriyaki sauce over a bed of soft and fluffy bao made from lotus stem flour. It’s a fave from the vegetarian section. Non-vegetarians can try the Chicken Teriyaki Bao
@Rs 325-plus.
Drunken Tiramisu
@Rs 200-plus: Coffee lovers can root for this rich tiramisu-based shake, with oodles of whipped cream to give you that funny milkshake moustache.
Chicken Tikka Salad @Rs 275-plus: The salad gets a tandoori twist with this one. “We add chunks of chicken tikka to fresh lettuce and the dressing is a mix of mayonnaise with tandoori spices along with some cherry tomatoes and crushed peanuts for texture,” said Goutam Chakraborty, head chef, Continental.
