Food & Drinks

The Hookup is mostly about meat and all the fun things you can do with them. A variety of meats can be spotted here - chicken, beef, pork and also seafood, paired with different carbs. They've got a few breakfast and veg-based dishes too, and a range of some interesting drinks. 

First up, we tried the Kalu Pol Pork with Pol Roti (Rs. 300). Two pol rotis embedded with bits of onion and green chillis, and topped off with a generous helping of kalu pol pork arrived in this one.

Kalu Pol is used as a thickening and flavouring agent in Sri Lankan culinary fare, and the unique whiff it produces is enough to make you fall in love with it.  Made with dark roast coconut scrapes infused with a blend of well-grounded spices like cumin seeds, dried chillis, and mustard seeds etc., The Hookup's take on this delicacy is a treat to devour. 

Each and every chunk of pork in this curry was smothered with kalu pol goodness, while the meat itself was beautifully cooked to retain its juicy and soft qualities. At Rs. 300, this is a pretty solid deal. 

This is the Giant in the Cloud (Rs. 460) - a fluffy, half foot bun stuffed with a beef brisket cut into pieces and drizzled with garlic mustard mayo and cheese sauce. 

This is some brilliantly executed local beef right here. Local beef tends to get tough while involving a lot of chewing, but this one was soft to the bite, gloriously juicy with shades of pink spreading through it. 

All the sauces they use here are homemade, which helped to elevate the flavours of the beef, without holding them back. The French Fries they served on the side was crispy, had a hearty middle, and was adequately sprinkled with salt. 

The Voyage in the Garden (Rs. 240) was a salad dressed in their special Asian flavoured sauce and featured pieces of cucumber, onion, pineapple and lettuce. With a tang lent by the sauce, the veggies were fresh and crunchy.  

*Pictured above - Mocha Frappe (left) and Pineapple Shake (right)

As for drinks, we got the Mocha Frappe (Rs. 300) and Pineapple Shake (Rs. 300).

• Creamy in texture, and deliciously chocolatey, but not in a manner that it'd shield the hints of coffee emerging through the milk, the Mocha Frappe was brilliant. It's refreshing, and perfect for anyone who loves both chocolate and coffee. 
• Pinapple-y as promised, the Pineapple Shake shared the same thick texture as the Mocha Frappe. The acidity of the pineapple was nicely toned down by the fluffy milk but wasn't overpowered, and had a few pieces of actual pineapple swimming about. 

Service & Ambience

We were greeted with a warm welcome as we enter the restaurant, and the staff was pleasant throughout. The head chef/owner seemed quite enthusiastic about what they do, and was happy to give us tips on how to cook a good steak with local beef and such. 

It's a tiny food joint with a few stools aligned with enough space for around 3/4 people. You can always opt for takeaway and delivery too. 

Conclusion

We loved our experience at The Hookup. It's a good place to grab some delicious meaty delights for wallet-friendly prices. From what we gathered, they're planning to add more stuff to the menu as they go on. Plus, every once in a while, they have BBQ Nights which you can drop by if you're around.