Hoppipola- Good time are Hoppitimes

We, as a family have been to malls so frequently, we have begun to consider it to be some sort of exercise rather than recreation. Infiniti 2 at Malad has been the getaway on one occasion too many and the last time we went there my husband vowed to revisit only after a pre-defined mall-free gap. Well, at least that’s what he had said before we went to Hoppipola!

Overlooking the food court on the top floor of Infiniti, replacing a popular football club pub is a new joint called Hoppipola. It had apparently been around for more than a year in Malad, and we somehow seemed to have completely missed it all this time. Set against a backdrop of what seems like Jewish architecture (star of David) Hoppipola is refreshingly different from the pubs we’ve been to in the past. For one, it allowed us to take our kids in, which for us is a big plus point. My parents and in-laws are both out of town and our young ones have been tagging along for most of our jaunts. In addition there was a play area to keep them busy while we got the chance to explore!

The place has a very mediterranean feel to it, probably encouraged by its rustic wall architecture, playful embellishment and colourful variegated seating arrangement. The word Hoppipola means “jumping in puddles” in Icelandic, which reflects in the embodiment of this in its seating arrangement. Different areas of the restaurant have a different disposition allowing for “puddles” of activity to fill in. We were told that there are a lot of adult fun ventures like Beer Pong and Chuggathon, Foosball and board games that take up the latter half of the days on the weekend, and would definitely love to come back to witness that.

Now getting to the reason we were there – Sunday brunch! First came two cocktails – Blood bank and IQ. Full marks to Hoppipola for grabbing imagination by the hilt and bringing out some impressive drinks. The Blood Bank is a unique drink presented exactly like the way a blood transfusion is taken with a nimble regulator which helps pace the flow of the drink. The slightly metallic taste is also remarkably blood like which I would attribute to the combination of Kaffir lime and pomegranate juice it contains.The IQ cocktail is crisp with a mild tangy sweetness of the passion fruit. Its thickness settles at the bottom of the bulb. So, make sure to frequently give it a swirl before sipping, which will make it look like you are having an Edison moment. Next up was the Da VinciTini which was beautifully presented on a pallete with a paint brush. The Vodka-Bailey mix seemed to bring out my hubby’s pseudo artistic brilliance. Finally I tried the OrangePiroskha which was refreshingly bubbly! 

We moved on to appetizers. First up was Khari Khari chicken and cheese – Crisply baked khari biscuits with a kernel of a non spicy chickand cheese mix. Next were Korean Fried Chicken Wings, which I must say are probably the best chicken wings I have ever tasted! Juicy to the core with even the bones seem like they were flavoured. The Harissan fish had chunks of white fish in a tangy harissa sauce, while Chicken Trilogy had skewered chicken pieces marinated with three different flavours from bland to spicy. Next up were a Morrocan styled spicy Morish Chicken served with a bland Tzatziki sauce, and Chiseled Prawns which are tiger prawns deep fried in batter and sprinkled with sweet and spicy mix of basil and chilly powder. The rear of the starters came up with Sanskari Tacos and Nacho Libre. Both dishes do justice to the Mexican tortilla family by being delightfully crisp, naturally spicy and complimented by minty sauce in one and exquisitely sour cream in the latter. 

The main course was the Bangkok Bento Box – thick green thai chicken curry with steamy basmati rice and freshly prepared ultra soft bao bread with a small mixed salad serving. For desert we went for the Vanilla Panna Cotta. This creamy milk desert was moderately sweet with a gelatinous consistency and dressed with a  thickly stewed delicious strawberry laden syrup. By the end of our two and a half hour meal we were more than satisfied with the experience with Hoppipola scoring high not only with outstanding ambience and service but also with lip smacking food. Looking forward to jumping into another food puddle soon!