You don’t need to be an entrepreneur on a trip to have business at Four Points by Sheraton Kochi Infopark. You just need a palate to enjoy some small plates with a drink of your choice. Caper, located right next to the hotel’s lobby, is Kakkanad’s latest watering hole. Merely days after its launch, the 44-cover space already has a few connoisseurs as we walk in.
Though it looks a little cramped in places, the lounge has been designed for large and small groups, and solo diners, as well. You can pick your seating from wide couches set against the posterior wall, low tables with comfortable chairs, a long community table with high stools or a semi-circular bar counter with a modern chandelier hanging above it.
“The beverage concept is to offer twists on classics like our lemongrass and galangal mojito,” says executive chef Saurabh Singh, as he joins us, pointing at the menu that fits on two sides of a card. “However, if our customers need something that suits their personal palate, our mixologist would be happy to whip something up. The food is served as small plates, to go with the drinks and have been curated from multiple cuisines—from continental and North Indian to South Indian and Asian,” he adds.
Mix ’n’ match
What we try first is their South-East Asian take on a mojito. The vodka drink leaves behind a citrusy flavour of lemongrass and we pair it with a sweet and spicy naadan beef preparation with roasted coconut shavings. If red meat isn’t your deal and yet you crave for a local touch, their fried chicken with garlic and chilli flakes might suit you.
As the barman Ramachandra Barik gets busy behind the counter, he tells us about how they prepare syrups using greens grown in their own garden. So, we try the Kochi Martini with vodka, curry leaves syrup (made in-house) and triple sec, only to be disappointed with the excessive sweetness of the syrup. However, the super-crunchy calamari rings served alongside it saves the day.
Carefully crafted
If you have a designated driver in your squad, they don’t have to go for packaged fizzy drinks here. The mixologist has blends like berry sunrise (raspberry, orange, lime and sugar) and coco mojito (lime juice, coconut syrup, grated coconut and mint leaves) to keep the teetotallers happy.
Dim sums are regulars at food festivals in the city, but this outlet’s menu has a spot for it. The dish is brought to our table in a bamboo basket and the soft texture and well-cooked meat inside the steamed delicacy entices us. To wash it all down before we hail a cab, we pick something strong—a Four Points punch with four spirits with high notes of dark rum and raspberry cordial.
Open from 11 am to 11 pm.