THE FOOD COURT: VALUE FOR MONEY

 

 

Kanika Jhajharia  (far right) and husband Vikash (far left) bonded with friends Vikash and Manjari Kedia over Sour Cream and Onion Pretzel and Cinnamon Pretzel from Auntie Anne’s in the food court of Acropolis mall. “I tasted Auntie Anne’s pretzels first at the Bangkok airport many years ago and fell in love with them. So, when we heard that an outlet had finally come up in Calcutta, we were ecstatic and had to check it out! We haven’t been to the other restaurants yet but they’re definitely on our list,” said Kanika.

 

 

 

Whenever Aayan Mukhopadhyay’s parents bring him to the food court and order south Indian food from Vaango, the Class I student from Garden High School opts for Domino’s Pizza. #eatsmart

 

 

A pop pick: Bhuna Gosht and Lachchha Paratha from Mughal Sarai.

 

 

 

(L-R) Friends Sneha, Srijita and Nupur had come to Hoppipola but could not resist the Cinnabon lure. “They are so yummy!’ said the trio, while sharing a Mini Cinnabon.

Special mention: Coffee Tree

 

The fact that the Cinepolis cafeteria Coffee Tree serves non-veg was the biggest draw for friends (l-r) Rumela, Kaustav, Kingshuk and Rupak, who grabbed a quick bite before watching Neerja. “We get Chicken Sandwich here, not at the South City plex. So, we come here often!” said Kaustav.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

HOPPIPOLA: GAME FOR A GULP

 

 

For friends (l-r) Debottam, Abhineeth, Sourav and Debrishi the ambience and the drinks are the biggest draw at Hoppipola. “This is a cool place with great booze. Also, the music is good and here we get this 3litre beer tower. You don’t get that everywhere,” said the four, who often come to the Acropolis mall, as they find “several pocket-friendly options” at one place.

 

They all are from Calcutta but presently settled in different cities. Back in town on vacation, where do they meet up for a fun reunion? “Of course Hoppipola! We love the Bangalore and  Mumbai Hoppipola. So we came here,” said Mumbai resident Souranil (third from left), while sipping on his red wine.

 

 

 

Friends Swagata Guria (second from right), Souparna Banerjee (far right), Sudip Sen (far left) and Subhankar Sinha headed straight for the foosball table after a round of drinks. “We’ve been to other Hoppipolas around the country and wanted to check out if the Calcutta one was just as good. So far we love it! The food is great, good drinks and the games make it even better,” said Souparna, a market researcher.

 

Siblings Aritra and Disha Sinha were at Hoppipola with Aritra’s fiancee Shikha (centre). “I’ve eaten at all three — Asia Kitchen, Chili’s and Hoppipola. The vibe is very relaxed and young. It’s almost like the fifth floor of Quest yet not as intimidating. We spend a lot of weekends here now,” laughed Disha, a second-year student of Jadavpur University. 

 

 

 

Bird Cage:  White rum + orange liqueur + pineapple chunks + hazelnut + kiwi + pomegranate.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“Hoppipola remains chock-a-block on weekends. On Valentine’s Day, there was a long queue and people had to wait for more than an hour to get in. I think the eat-drink-play concept has really clicked with Calcuttans. At Asia Kitchen, people are enjoying the wide spread from across south Asia. Many enquire about reservation, which we do not take,” said Debasish Ghosh, general manager, eastern region, Speciality Restaurants. 

 

I become very happy when I go to Hoppipola. The fun ambience, books and board games, food, drinks and music — everything together makes it a very cool place to hang out with friends.
— Ridhima Ghosh, actress

 

 

 

 

ASIA KITCHEN BY MAINLAND CHINA: EAT EAST 

 

 

When it’s a birthday party, the place not only needs to be the best but should also pack in some surprises. So the Doshi family and their friends chose Asia Kitchen by Mainland China to make it a memorable evening for birthday girl Pushpanjali Doshi (head of the table). “This is a new mall and this is the first time we are coming here. We have heard so much about Asia Kitchen and hence thought this was the right moment to dine here. So we waited for one hour before getting a table,” said Pushpanjali’s husband Samir (right).

 

 

Another special meal at Asia Kitchen. This time t2 spotted Tolly’s top editor Arghyakamal Mitra and family celebrating wife Deblina’s “Happy Birthday”!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Friends Shivesh Agarwal (right) and Vijendra Gupta (left) decided to give Quest and South City a miss to try out something new with wives Rachita (second from right) and Tanvi Shah Gupta. “The food tastes different and exotic! I think we’ll be regulars here,” said Shivesh, an entrepreneur. 

 

Colleagues Nikhil Keshav, Deotima Saha and Chakita Sarkar (far left), all Mainland China fans, loved the open kitchen at Asia Kitchen. “The open kitchen is what we liked the most when we walked in. The rest of the mall is not as crowded but here you can have a luxurious meal without anyone rushing you,” said the trio.

 

 

 

Indonesian Pepper Crab.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Asia Kitchen menu is like a box of assorted chocolates. The whole South East Asian cuisine is thoroughly explored. Also, a good food place that serves drinks is the best place. That they do and at a very reasonable price
— Shaheb Bhattacherjee, actor

 

 

 

CHILI’S: CHOMP AND CHILL

 

t2 caught up with a big, happy bunch of computer science students from Heritage Institute of Technology who were there to celebrate the success of their college cultural programme. “We love to come here because it’s so close to college. It’s like our hangout zone. We’ve been to Hoppipola also and the ambience is very young and fun. We chill at Acropolis after college and sometimes even during!” laughed Vikrant Dubey (far right).

 

(L-R) Attreyo Saha, Moushumi Roy and Souvik Khan were on a “mostly liquid diet” when t2 caught up with them at Chili’s. “We’ve been to the other Chili’s but I must say, this one is amazing, especially upstairs, which has these plush sofas. It has a very pub-like feel,” said Attreyo, an IT professional. 

 

 

It was an easy decision for the Banerjees and Chakrabortys from Jadavpur. Two couples in the family have their wedding anniversaries this month and the 12 members needed one place to celebrate. “We all like the food at Chili’s and had never come to this mall. So the idea was to check out the new mall as well as celebrate with the entire family,” said Ahona Banerjee (second from right), a student of Future Foundation School. Their pick from the menu? Calamari, Pork Ribs and the Tripple Platter.

 

The waiting time was at least 30 minutes but Subir Bose (left) and family happily waited outside Chili’s because, after all, it was his Happy Birthday! “Only at Chili’s will you get food of international standard. I love their food and Acropolis is our favourite weekend destination,” said the IT professional.

 

 

Mexican Sangria Red and Blackberry Smash.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“The mall is in a great location and there’s a steady flow of people throughout the day. The bar on the mezzanine floor is especially popular and most people want to sit there,” said Pradosh Pati, assistant general manager of Chili’s, Acropolis.

 

My favourite F&B place in Acropolis is.... Tell t2@abp.in