A viral video of cricketer Virat Kohli listing down all the things he would eat on a cheat day starting from Chole Bhature to ending the night with potato chips, is good enough to justify how food is not just fuel for him. It is an experience—something he associates with his finest memories—that you can feel while you scroll across the elaborate menu of his culinary venture, One8 Commune — which just opened its doors in Bengaluru.
The Mumbai spot is often frequented by celebrities like Shahid Kapoor, Mira Rajput, Rakul Preet Singh, Mouni Roy and others for its luxurious feel and an ingredient-forward menu — overlooked by Virat himself. The branches in Kolkata, Pune and Delhi embody the same spirit and the Bengaluru claims to be no different. The panoramic view of an azure sky across Cubbon Park and Chinnaswamy Stadium is just an added bonus.
The brand ethos of One8 Commune is to build a community of people who look forward to sublime gastronomic experiences whilst clinking glasses and sharing anecdotes that even the table adjacent to you can hear. Even the expansive interiors, meant to bring friends-of-friends-and-family reflect that motive at this three-storied dining and bar. We picked a table at the rooftop in a quiet corner and minutes after soaking in the view of the city with the crisp winter breeze caressing our faces, we started the night with one of the most talked about drinks from the menu — The Collective Quaff.
Made using peach gin, blueberries and a pinch of naruneendi for its earthy taste profile, this low-calorie cocktail paired perfectly with almost everything on the menu. For the first round of starters, we picked two dishes which, as the menu dictates, are also Virat’s favourites.
We first sampled the Mushroom Googly Dim Sum which is assembled using assorted wild mushrooms, cream cheese, vegetarian broth and truffle oil. Rich, flavourful and worth a second serving, trust us, this appetiser can delight the palate of even the pickiest of eaters.
Next, we tried Tartare Topped Avocado — crispy corn placed atop finely chopped avocado with scallion, sriracha and spicy mayonnaise. This dish boasts both tangy and savoury flavours with subtle sweet notes. However, the tartare did not beat the dim sums for the top spot and we ended up ordering a second round of only the latter.
We also tried the Jalebi Chaat, a dish that sadly did not meet its hype. Think jalebi without the sweet topped with nylon sev, mint chutney, sweet curd and pomegranate. While the ingredients are all essentials you would put into your traditional North Indian chaat, the jalebi base added little to no flavour. Thus, from there on we relied on our food instincts and ordered dishes that weren’t necessarily raging on social media.
The Beirut-style Chicken Keema Hummus, which was one of our picks for the main course, was an absolute delight. The flavourful minced meat made using aromatic spices, placed on a dollop of hummus added depth, warmth and texture to this Middle Eastern pick. This dish was served with assorted lavash and pita breads.
Next, we tried one of their pizzas; an obvious choice that lived up to our expectations. We tasted the Confit Garlic, Cherry Tomato & Rocket Pizza. The name pretty much sums up all of the ingredients placed on this Italian delight seasoned with pickled chilli and basil. There is not much to write home about its flavour but if you are someone looking for more comfortable options, we highly recommend this.
Towards the conclusion of the night, what came as an unexpected delight were the desserts at this establishment because we had not heard enough about them.
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We sampled the Textures of Coconut and Mille-feuille. The first one was a sweet serving that married two beloved flavours — chocolate and coconut while the second one was reminiscent of France: job well done! However, both were simply decadent and delicious and gave us more reasons than one to visit One8 Commune again.
Meal for two: ₹3,000 onwards. At MG Road.
Mail: muskankhullar@newindianexpress.com
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