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The Hindu
7 days ago
- Entertainment
- The Hindu
Kalpaney, by the folks behind Soka, is an elevated vegetarian restaurant in Bengaluru
What do you do after your chic cocktail bar wins all the awards and charts on the list of best bars? Well, you open a vegetarian restaurant in South Bengaluru, of course. Avinash Kapoli and Sombir Choudhary, the duo behind Soka in Indiranagar, take a new direction with their latest venture. Kalpaney, meaning imagination, in JP Nagar is a global vegetarian restaurant that has inspiring interiors. Bengaluru is lacking elevated vegetarian restaurants with only a handful of names, so this is a welcome addition. As Avinash says, 'What if vegetarian food could feel comforting and yet completely new?' The space The 90-seater restaurant is designed to look like a South Indian home. An ornately carved wooden door welcomes you into the space, and the theme carries on inside with a dark wood colour scheme. Zari sari borders on the panels, a wooden boat, and brass lamps complete the look. The Kalamkari-inspired wall art and cutlery are my favourites touches. Kalpaney is designed by Bengaluru-based Studio Camarada. The menu The menu is extensive, spanning Indian, Asian, and European dishes. Kalpaney does not serve alcohol but has a mocktail menu that borrows from childhood favourite drinks. I try School Days, a pink guava drink with chilli-salt dust and lime, a nostalgic number. For something fizzy and refreshing try the Khatta Sharbat, a mosambi, orange and peach mocktail. The most unique drink I try is the Carrot Milk, made with carrot juice and condensed milk. Have it if you love carrot halwa. We begin with a number of starters. Sombir is known for his appetisers at his other establishments like Jamming Goat and Soka. And a lot of attention has gone into that part of the menu. The highlights were the avocado papdi chaat, a mix of creamy avo and crunchy papdi, and the Thai mala dumpling, that has a veggie filling and is wrapped in threads of deep-fried pastry. There is also vegetarian sushi on the menu; which while innovative, I would skip for some of their other dishes. For the main course, we decide to keep it simple. A narangi paneer mahkni, and a buttery garlic naan. The gravy is rich and creamy, and the soft naan is the perfect combination. Also on the menu are pastas, Asian noodles and gravies, and curries from across the country. I wrap up my meal with the carrot soft serve. Soft serve is the latest trend in Bengaluru restaurants, but carrot is not my favourite. Instead, I prefer the Kalpaney chocolate mousse; the chocolate sauce it is served with is divine. ₹1,600 for two. At JP Nagar. For more details, call 9380667830
Mint
25-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Mint
The secret sauce of an award-winning bar
"The people come back not just for the drinks but for the soul of the place and the warmth of the people running it. Kindness and genuine human connection are at the heart of building lasting relationships with our guests," said Lorenzo Antinori to me last year, soon after his new bar, Bar Leone, in Hong Kong, made a record-breaking debut on the list of Asia's 50 Best Bars, earning a trio of trophies: The Best Bar in Hong Kong, the Highest New Entry Award and The Best Bar in Asia 2024. And just last week, Bar Leone was once again crowned Asia's top bar at the glitzy 2025 ceremony held in Macau. Witnessing the ceremony live for the third time and having made rounds of countless bars across the world got me thinking about what makes for an award-winning bar and what people are really looking for. This year, India shone at the ceremony, with nine spots, a record number of bars, on the list. Five claimed ranks on the top 50 list: New Delhi's Lair (No.8), Bengaluru's Soka (No.28), ZLB (No.31) and Bar Spirit Forward (No.37) and Goa's Boilermaker (No.30) and four others: Bar Outrigger (Goa), Sidecar (New Delhi), The Bombay Canteen (Mumbai) and Hideaway (Goa) were on the 51-100 list. India's representation on the 2025 list outweighed traditional heavyweights like South Korea, which had eight bars on the 1-100 list this year. 'Just looking at the representation on this list will tell you where we're heading," Avinash Kapoli, Soka co-founder, told me at the ceremony. Kapoli doesn't judge a bar only by its drinks—that should 'be balanced and have repeat value"—but also, by its hospitality. 'Bars are where people come to unwind after a long day. If you bore them with the technicalities of how a drink is made, it's no fun." In an increasingly competitive F&B world where good drinks are the bare minimum at a bar, drinking establishments are setting themselves apart in other, softer ways that go beyond clarifying and fat washing cocktails. At New Delhi's Lair, crowned India's best bar, the staff goes out of their way to make single women getting a drink by themselves feel comfortable, by care and consideration, excellent cocktails and attentive service that keeps an eye out for unwanted attention. At Goa's Boilermaker, I've been saved from a hangover thanks to the team's training and eagerness to serve all customers water as soon as they sit down and in between cocktail orders. This teensy touch that goes a long way in making a customer feel taken care of and ensuring the vibe at the bar doesn't get too rowdy. Boilermaker's Pankaj Balachandran believes that cocktails, while important, are the least important aspect of a bar. 'When we build our beverage programmes, we're looking at the music, the energy, the camaraderie between bartenders, the ability for the folks behind the bar to churn out drinks quickly. The most important denominator in a bar is that you are a great drinking destination with a great vibe," he says, while telling me how jokes between the team are often practised in advance so they land well on a busy night. 'Bartenders are supposed to be charming, and sometimes, it takes some practice to get there," he says. Hospitality goes a long way in making a customer comfortable but it should extend to the team as well. Abhishek Tuladhar of Kathmandu's Barc, the winner of the Michter's Art of Hospitality Award at this year's ceremony in Macau, explained that the true longevity of a bar comes from the team. 'Only if your team is happy and inspired to be there night after night can that extend into your drinks and hospitality. My number one advice to bartenders? Take care of your teams." While hospitality, personality and vibe are important, it falls flat when it feels inauthentic. Per Jen Queen of Hong Kong's vibey Pontiac, says if a bar feels like it's trying to be something it's not, the customer can feel it. At the Pontiac, rock and roll blasts from the jukebox and dancing on tables is actively encouraged—Pontiac's deliberately grunge aesthetic makes it a unique place to let your hair down amid Hong Kong's upscale cocktail scene. Authenticity is also closely connected to a bar's concept. At Fura in Singapore, which won Asia's Most Sustainable Bar Award last year, sustainability is baked into every aspect of the bar. With thoughtful takes on the use of insects, invasive or abundant plant species, and fermentation in their creations, to their active participation in the local community to promote sustainability, Fura aims to make sustainable dining and drinking enjoyable, accessible, and approachable. And then there are those bars that transport you, with their sense of place. Bar Leone does just that. An homage to Italian pop culture, it draws from owner Lorenzo Antinori's Roman roots with design elements of Italian cinema, music, football, and cheeky nods to cultural pillars like religion. Step into the buzzy bar that serves up a mean mortadella focaccia and a deliciously savoury Olive Oil Sour, and you'll find yourself instantly transported to a neighbourhood bar in Rome. You'll feel a similar sense of place at Montana, Antinori's new bar in Hong Kong that is a tribute to the Miami dive bar, as well as Boilermaker, where Goa's laidback vibe translates into a fun night out and Soka, where local Bengaluru flavours meet new-age tastes. At the end of the day, what truly makes an award-winning bar is its ability to create a memorable experience that resonates deeply with its guests. Bars that prioritise kindness, attentiveness, and authenticity, while staying true to their vision, stand out in a crowded world of trends. As the global stage recognises the best in hospitality and craftsmanship, the common thread remains clear: it's the heart and soul poured into the space that earns lasting loyalty and, quite often, recognition. Word of Mouth is a monthly column on dining out and dining well. Smitha Menon is a food journalist and the host of the Big Food Energy podcast. She posts @ on Instagram
