Business
Keralam’s favourite bar snacks reinterpreted in refreshing ways at Repeat, Kochi’s newest restobar
Some new openings create a stir much ahead of the official launch. Repeat, “the friendly neighbourhood bar”, on the fourth floor of Cochin Palace Hotel on KP Vallon Road, has achieved that. Their beef taco is already the talk of the town. A Spanish interpretation of Keralam’s BDF (beef dry fry), the tiny chunks of beef, wrapped in taco, have to be dunked in a flavour-bomb of gravy before you eat them, suggests Antony Jose, founder of Tony’s Kitchen, who brings his magic to Repeat. The taco hits all the right notes and I cannot stop talking about it for the rest of the evening.
The drinks at the bar | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Designed as a lounge bar with laid-back seating and dim lighting, Repeat exudes the warmth of a familiar space. With a seating capacity of 75, it is well spaced out. “That is what we want our guests to feel — a sense of familiarity. A watering hole that grows on people and soon becomes a favourite spot,” says owner Nitin Simon, whose chain of cafes, Coz, is a much-loved haunt in the city. Repeat is a partnership with Shouri Akkineni of Yaegar Hospitality.
A Malayali from Chennai, Nitin rediscovered his roots while on a business trip to Kochi. “I fell in love with Kochi. The water and Nature did something to my brain,” he laughs. “Though Kochi is now brimming with drinking and dining options, it still has the space for more.”
As we settle in with the tacos, house-made kappa crisps and Antony’s take on the egg bajji, the first drink arrives — Repeat’s signature — a gin, gooseberry and lime cocktail so smooth, it makes the flavours of the side dishes pop. Instead of a sweetened slice of gooseberry, we get a raw slice, which packs in a punch.
Grilled tiger prawns | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The idea was to create something based on flavours, says Nitin. Strawberry, guava, ginger, jasmine, coffee, peanut butter, gooseberry, pineapple and more became the starting points. “We experimented with with clarification, infusions, textures and techniques to push each flavour while keeping the drinks easy to understand and enjoy,” he adds.
Steak and frites | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The bar also has the basics — margaritas, diaquiris and negronis — served without fanfare. “This is intentional. We wanted the menu to be approachable enough for someone to walk in and order what they already know,” adds Nitin. And the result is a bunch of playful, flavour-forward cocktails.
Look out for the zero-proof cocktails and the low ABV drinks. We go for Reverse Back Track, a zero proof with cold brew, jaggery syrup and tonic, which cools the insides and the refreshing Orange martini, a low ABV drink featuring orange, vermouth and tonic.
Antony checks in to see how his dishes are faring, and warns us about the spicy fermented hot sauce served with the egg bajji. A take on the street-side bajji, these are bite-sized dynamites that could make your eyes water, but in a good way. Even the beef taco is a play on the Malayali’s love for porortta-beef.
The minimalist interiors of Repeat
The food menu has shared plates, which a small group can enjoy. We try chicken karage, a spiced chicken inspired by the Kerala chicken fry. “Here again, we wanted something that a bar in Keralam would offer, but with a few tweaks,” says Antony. Most of the dishes are local bar staples, elevated with contemporary technique and quirky combinations. We try the crackling pork belly, which Antony recommends. With a layer of crispy skin and succulent meat done well, it is a clever play on textures.
Crackling pork belly | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Mains include a fair balance of comforting food such as mac & cheese, chicken sando, burgers, pasta, steak and noodles. As of now, vegetarians don’t have much to choose from except the Charcoal grilled cauliflower with zaatar butter, cilantro aioli and quinoa salad and the mac&cheese.
Nitin has many plans for Repeat. He envisions it as a “shapeshifting space” for artists to host karaoke nights and vinyl evenings; even pub quizzes.
It is time for us to leave, but we are already planning our repeat visit.
Repeat opens to the public on October 4. For reservation, log on to bookings.airmenus.in/repeat/order.
The Hindu·7 hours ago·4 min read
