Situated right opposite The Wall, Hola offers a menu which looks slightly confused, thanks to its rather quirky mix of Indian, Chinese, and Italian fare. Chicken Tikka fights for space in bowls filled with salads, while risottos nudge their path into the table with daal makhni. Arunima Dhawan, who runs the show with her husband Ankit, was candid with her choices: “We picked what we like eating outside, and I am vegetarian, while he’s not, so we made our own choices and stuck to it.”
Following this particular trend, the ninety-seater consists of different sections, and depending on the number of people in your group, you can pick a place to sit. Currently, alcohol is being served and they also have all-you-can-eat brunch options on weekends.
Hola is rather spacious and quite cosy, the music low-key on a weekday afternoon. A couple of drinks appeared, and I did enjoy drinking a rather simple drink – chilli and guava juice over some ice. A trio of baos appeared, and I leaned towards the chicken teriyaki bao, and longed for a porky version of the same.
The chicken tikka from the Indian part of the menu was quite interesting, with a dash of Oregano giving it a rather interesting twist. I also was quite happy with the dal makhni, which came with thick Keema Kulchas, generously stuffed with well-seasoned mince, straight off the heat.
The Lahori Gosht came in a rather rich gravy, and while I did enjoy it, I found the mutton to be a bit more chewy than I would prefer. The Cheesy Risotto with a Tomato Base, I felt, needed no tomatoes, because it held on its own. I did agree with the consensus that a large number of people liked the combination of the tomato base with the cheesy risotto.
I have to admit, I did enjoy the brownies served for dessert. Neither too cakey, nor too fudgey, the serving size was generous, topped with a good dollop of ice cream, and the warm brownie was just what I needed to end this meal. I found the food at Hola a fun mishmash of different cuisines, and while I felt it might be slightly confusing, it does have its priorities straight as a restaurant: a space which provides good food and is good for a casual dine out.
Disclaimer: Poorna Banerjee was invited to Hola by the management.
