First published in Bangalore Mirror
It’s not often that you see a Volkswagen van on the first floor of a building in Indiranagar. That, requires a Hangover. Inspired by Thai cocktail trucks, this is one of the bright spots in the latest addition to Indiranagar’s pub scene. (map) The ground floor seems a little drab compared to the first floor, which thanks to the van, chalkboard and some fancy lighting creates a peppy ambiance.
The place seems to have a lot in common with a similarly named movie. For one, this seems to be a third edition – the promoters have a history of Tycoons and Desmond’s behind them. And just like the sequels, the experience is inconsistent – from reservations to food to service.
Since we’d heard that it was usually packed, we tried to make a reservation, and were told that the last slot available was 7PM. And yet, we saw tables kept reserved at least until 9PM. When we asked for a table with the same seating capacity but more comfortable chairs, the request was declined rather rudely. Maybe we seemed too lowly to be allowed high tables! But then, a few minutes later, our uncomfortable stools were replaced by chairs! A lone man sauntered in a while later, took one of the 3 table options we preferred, and after nursing a beer for half an hour, left! We concluded that the table must be for seriously reserved types!
Fifteen minutes after we got a table, we still hadn’t gotten a menu. A quick scan of nearby tables gave us the impression that we’d have to apply for one! Thankfully we got one, upon asking. Only the drinks menu, that is. Well, duh, you obviously have to ask for the food menu separately!
The music was very good, and involved a bit of time travel – I heard ABBA, Ace of Base and Avicii in the space of a few hours.
It took us three attempts to order a round of drinks! It played out thus – we first asked for a drink each – house cocktails. A couple of minutes later, we were told that two of them weren’t available because (and this was delivered in a very “you need to understand all this” tone) some ingredients hadn’t been available since morning! This was repeated when we tried to replace the unavailable drinks. Rosemary was the villain in the first round and Campari in the second! We had smartened up by the third attempt and this time, we first asked if the ingredients were available, and then ordered the drink! Pro tip : Check the menu, if you find a drink you particularly like, carry the ingredients with you! You have to work for your hangover, is that too much to ask?
The Ricy Spicy was a potent mix of white and dark rum with chillies adding a neat spicy zing. The Perfect Lady, with Vodka, Gin and a fruity crush wasn’t too bad but the White Wine Sangria (not on the menu) was the clear winner. The Wolfpack I tried had no trace of Whiskey, but as though to make up for it, the Buddhi’s bomb was a strong drink that had an abundance of alcohol! The house specials are very interesting drinks on paper, sadly many of them can only be seen there!
There are Pan Asian, Indian and Continental starters, we found the first most interesting. The Sugarcane Chicken –lollipops on a sugarcane stick – was a flavourful mix of sugar and spice. Shaking Beef was a curious name, even more so when the bill carried it as Shaking Tenderloin! The dish itself had well cooked meat but the sauce was a bit underwhelming. The Pork Bao was delicious, but our favourite was the Spicy Asparagus Sushi – excellent texture and the asparagus, wasabi and ginger delivering the punch really well.
Having given the Pan Asian dishes a chance, we moved on to Continental and Indian for the mains. It helped that the one dish we wanted to try – Lamb Shanks in Massa man (sic) – had been “moved from the menu because it was not moving”! The Hangover All Meat Pizza Is a meat extravaganza – chicken, beef, ham – and shredded mozzarella if that weren’t enough! But though the ingredient promise was kept, it failed a bit on flavour. The Fish steak had a flavourful chilly-pepper-garlic sauce and a rather sweet mash served with it. Someone obviously told the Pandi Curry it could be whatever it wanted to be – it chose to be a sad mongrel of two Kerala dishes –theeyal and Kadala Curry!
What would have been truly consistent would be having desserts on the menu, but them being unavailable. But the section, thankfully, doesn’t exist.
The cocktails range anywhere between Rs.250-550. Starters hover around Rs.250 and mains around Rs.350. A meal for two would cost around Rs.2200 including taxes. Judging from the huge crowd – inside, as well as waiting to get in – the place has generated quite the buzz, and if the teething problems can be handled, it might live up to the hype. For now, if you drink enough, maybe the unavailability of items and the lacklustre service will be the least of your headaches!
Hangover, 1080, 12th Main, HAL 2nd Stage, Indiranagar, Ph: 9886200070