Hoppipola, on the fourth floor of Acropolis Mall, has reopened after three months with a new look and a new menu. The mall, and the restopub, were shut following a fire in June. The mall reopened on August 3, and the Kasba hotspot is now all ready to welcome back guests. My Kolkata tried some of the new items on the menu such as (in picture, clockwise from top left) Dynamite Prawns, Spicy Peruvian Potato Burger, Cream Cheese Avocado Sushi, Hoppi Sampler Platter and the OG Smashed Lamb Burger
All photos by Soumyajit Dey
Hoppipola plays tribute to Kolkata’s iconic cricket ground with (top) a purple drink called Eden Gardens made with blue tea infused gin and dragon fruit (Rs 425). We also tried Pushpa, a Scotch whisky cocktail made flavoured with Schezwan pepper corn shrubs and served with a cloud of apple wood smoke — the drink comes with the tagline ‘flower nahi fire hain’ (Rs 375). An intriguing arrangement of drinks known as a (below) Cocktail Tree comes with two red wine sangrias, two white wine sangrias, four cosmopolitans and four daiquiris, making it the perfect order for an evening out or brunch with a group of cocktail loving friends (comes at Rs 2,295)
The interiors have been redone while keeping the original, signature charm of Hoppipola intact. Some new details like small bamboo light shades give the place a nice and soft look. “Because of the fire there was a lot of damage including to the upholstery. We wanted to retain the essence of Hoppipola with a touch of new aesthetics” said Debashish Ghosh, the GM of Speciality Restaurants
If you like Korean delights and cheesy garlic bread, the (top) Korean pull-apart Garlic Cheese Buns are recommended. Stuffed with four types of cheese which ooze out when you pull the garlicky bun apart, it comes with salsa and cheese topping. The (bottom) Hot Fried Chicken Burger was probably the best thing served up, with the soft buns that perfectly complemented the crispy fried chicken pattie — crunchy the outside tender chicken on the inside. Topped with piri piri seasoning, the burger had everything one would expect the perfect bite of chicken burger to have, and it comes with a side of fries
The (top) Sriracha Chicken Dumpling is another must-try item on the menu with these four generously stuffed chicken dumplings served on a bed of sriracha sauce. The (bottom) Blue Pea and Spicy Dumpling was another solid item from the new menu. These pretty blue dumplings with a vegetable filling were served on some soulful Thai red curry sauce
Speaking to My Kolkata, Debashish Ghosh reflected on the challenges faced after the mall fire on June 14. “We were not sure how and when we would recover,” admitted Ghosh. “Thankfully, all our staff was safe and the mall management has done a fantastic job of bouncing back from the incident. This last Saturday and Sunday, we had packed houses, which is a promising sign of what’s ahead. We expect to be at our peak this Pujo, welcoming both our loyal patrons and new faces to Hoppipola. While we’ve added a few new items to the menu, the idea has been to keep the essence of Hoppipola intact, as it’s always been a hot favourite amongst the younger crowd.”
The bar is stocked and the bartenders are back, shaking and stirring up delectable cocktails for the patrons. The white background of the bar adds to the soothing atmosphere at Hoppipola making it the best place to get a drink after a long week at work. With new cocktails to try the bar at Hoppipola should be on your list of things to do this Puja
Along with the food and drinks, Hoppipola is also great for a game night with friends or family. From a foosball table to stacks of Cards Against Humanity and Jenga, Hoppipola has several games for you to play including drinking games like this one which requires you to take a shot if the other person gets the ring on the hook. Sounds fun!
