A portrait of American guitarist and vocalist Kurt Cobain and his parting lines — It’s Better To Burn Out Than To Fade Away” (from Hey Hey, My My (Into the Black) by Canadian-American musician Neil Young), greets us as we enter Hodol’s, a cafe in Salt Lake that’s a dream project of actors Saurav Das, Sabyasachi Chowdhury and their friend Dibya Prakash Roy. Spread across 1,300sq ft, the 48-seater is spacious and will appeal to all with its balanced interior in white.
The name is inspired by ‘hodol kutkut’, an often used Bengali term. Saurav who turns a foodpreneur with this venture tells us, “My father used to call me hodol as I was plump and loved eating! Hodol kutkut is a phrase used for children who love to eat and are plump! This is the hodol kutkut’s paradise for us. And, we wanted to give good and healthy food so that people become hodol! Jokes apart, the name was actually Sabyasachi’s idea and we decided to open the cafe when we were tired of playing PUBG together during the lockdown.”
Saurav Das, co-owner, Hodol’s
Hodol’s will have musical performances on Saturdays, usually acoustic and three-piece ensembles. On Sundays there are plans to have stand-up comedy and other cultural events.
The menu is exhaustive. There are options galore in tea —classic Darjeeling, First Flush, Earl Grey and more. Coffee, soups, salads, sandwiches and delicious mains make the menu. Hodol’s in-house sauces, a speciality, includes White Wine Garlic, Whisky Caper Sauce and more, that adds a fresh edge to the dishes.
We also found The Beatles’ famous Abbey Road picture painted on one of the walls.
What: Hodol’s
Where: CB-66, Sector 1, Bidhannagar
Meal for two: Rs 600
Brownie with vanilla ice cream is a classic favourite.
Creating an ombre effect with two different types of aerated drinks, the bartender created this fizzy Twin Blast. The lemon added zest.
The presentation of this classic watermelon and feta salad reminded us of Christmas and filled our hearts with joy. It’s juicy, delectable and Instagrammable.
Out of all the dishes that we sampled, Fried Chicken with Loaded Cheese was the winner for a few reasons. In terms of quantity, it gets full marks. Around 15-20 pieces of chicken strips is perfect for a gang. Smothered in a mix of melted cheese, this snack is a must-order.
Hodol’s specialises in making sauces in-house and this Chicken Stroganoff is made with red and port wine. The sauce here is creamy and irresistible. The herb rice was perfectly flavoured.
Among its many options in the ‘chicken wings section’, Chicken Wings in Orange Sauce stood out for its strong flavours. We loved the hint of garlic that was served with slices of Malta orange and tomato.
Move over the regular mojito and try this Gondhoraj mojito made with green chillies. The refreshing drink that doesn’t hit the taste buds but can be felt while sipping on it, took over 10 days to perfect.
Rosy Affair is a perfect drink for summers. Lemon and mint adds freshness to it and it can be paired with spicy appetisers.
Grilled Chicken, slathered in a gooey Whisky Caper Sauce makes for a great meal. Served with sauteed vegetables, mashed potatoes and a sunny-side up, it’s wholesome.
Pictures: Pabitra Das