The interiors of Gossip. Picture by Rashbehari Das

For want of a better word, we often use gossip as a translation of adda, whereas in fact it is quite an inadequate substitute.

In a good adda, for example, the discussion of an individual’s personal affairs and morality or the denigration of someone’s character plays practically no part.

In a good adda, people will air their views about practically every topic under the sun, from the weighty to the insignificant; they will hotly debate a point as if the future of mankind depended on it; they will make observations on the pageant of existence with the profundity and neutrality of a Greek chorus, and there will always be an eye open for the humorous side of things.

There are addas for every phase of existence, from the time of being footloose and fancy free as a student or as a to-be-employed youth, when the adda can last the better part of a whole day, to the quick chinwag at the coffeehouse or regular watering hole on the way back from work to the post-retirement adda on a park bench during a morning walk.

There are variations and nuances that would fill the pages of a book, but suffice to say that addas enrich, stimulate and entertain and are an intrinsic part of our way of life.

Who knows, if gossip is used frequently enough as a substitute for adda, it may even lose its unsavoury connotations and acquire a meaning which is, well, adda!

Perhaps this is what Pradip Paul had in mind when he set up a compact 40-seater place called Gossip (your neighbourhood restopub) at the Unnayan Complex, off the Bypass on the south-eastern fringe of the city.

Essentially a place for a light bite and a drink, it opened on June 16 and in an area that is rapidly growing with shopping malls, residential and business hubs coming up, it fills the need for a comfortable watering hole in the locality.

The ambience is warm and inviting. Wood and leather and yellow lighting give it a cosy informal feel.

In the centre stands a large pillar with quotations and other graffiti scribbled upon it.

Guests are encouraged to air their witticisms too ? you can scribble your thoughts on tablemats and if interesting enough, they will find their way on to the Gossip pillar.

Some of the nuggets already on the pillar are “No one gossips about other people’s secret virtues” (Bertrand Russell), “Whoever gossips to you will gossip about you” (Spanish proverb) and “What you don’t see with your eyes do not witness with your mouth” (Jewish proverb).

On one wall there is even a short and funny history of the bikini.

The food at Gossip is under the charge of Pradip Rozario who has made a mark on the city’s culinary map with two branches of Kurry Klub and the innovative KK’s Fusion restaurant already being run by him.

It is mainly finger food and grills but it is marked by the readiness to experiment and improvise on the spot ? in the true spirit of adda.

We were chatting about interesting items such as a samosa with salmon in it that I had somewhere when he suddenly disappeared.

When he came back there were some deep fried fish snacks on a platter for sizzlers. He poured a dash of brandy over them, flambed them and a new dish was born ? thin fillets of bekti wrapped around a stuffing of Mediterranean-style rice, butter coated, deep fried and flambed...

Another unusual fish item they do is sliced fish marinated in beer, oregano and seasoning, dipped in a batter containing beer, cornflour and spices and then deep fried.

A nice vegetarian item is poppadom wrapped around a dough made with besan (unroasted gram flour), chopped vegetables, coriander leaves, green chillies and seasoning and deep fried.

The Asian Italian Chicken Kebab is chicken marinated in olive oil, cream, cheese, rosemary, oregano and salt and pepper and cooked in skewers in a tandoor.

It is served with the Indonesian Sambal sauce made with red chilli paste, yoghurt, mustard seeds, curry leaves and seasonings.

For seafood lovers there is grilled prawns served with a sauce made by sauteeing chopped onions, garlic and oregano in olive oil and adding chopped blanched tomatoes and green olives and cooking these together very briefly.

The wackiest thing I’ve had at Gossip is phuchkas served with combinations such as vodka and lychee juice and Bacardi and black currant juice.

Regular phuchkas with the potato stuffing are served with fine water!

The wine and spirits selections is quite comprehensive and there are cocktails and mocktails on offer, with the cocktails selection divided into Shooters, Club Cocktails, Heritage Traditional Drinks and Temptations.

About 20 options, and most of them tried and tested combinations.