Popular Harry Potter themed Café Allohomora in Adyar is embracing new magical possibilities as they rebrand. Think witchcraft books and potion flasks as décor accents and a brand new name — Old Potion House. We headed over recently to have a look around and try out the revamped menu — wishing while stuck in traffic that we had one of those brooms that could fly. Since this isn’t possible, perhaps the next best thing is a refreshing sip of a curious Coke-meets-coffee concoction. It gets better. This comes served in a mug that resembles a skull. Or if you’re looking for something more family friendly, the Butterbeer served in Hagrid’s mug is an old favourite, since this spot opened its doors two years ago, and has been retained from the original menu by popular demand.
Batter up
For appetisers, our waiter brings us Bok Choy wrapped Bocconcini which is batter-fried and crisp on the outside and surprisingly juicy and indulgent within. We advise you pop these flavour bombs over your plate, because it can get messy otherwise. The bed of pineapple salsa the bocconcini arrives on provides some sweet notes, finished off by a glossy drizzle of Balsamic for just a touch of sourness. We follow this up by a sip of Sweet Vengeance, the café’s mango drink for the season that serves up a spicy kick, courtesy a surprise Sriracha sauce in the blend. You could also opt for Mango Magic which is a liquid nitrogen frozen creation, and one of the hottest sellers at the moment.
Stoked about yolk
For mains, we are most keen to taste the Avocado Chicken Carbonara — which sounds like a dream and is a change from the Avo Toast that has been trending for a while now. But the avocado on this particular evening is a tad bitter, so we end up having to skip this dish altogether. Our disappointment is however, swiftly made up for by the Shredded Meat Pizza with Caramelised Onion Yolk. Generous with the topping, these slices are heaven for any meat lover and the baked yolk in the centre really ups the ante. The Smoked Chicken and Mashed Potatoes that comes with a side of rich Porcini Sauce is a close second, making a dramatic entrance as our server lifts the lid to reveal it through a cloud of hickory smoke that adds to the flavour. We wrap up with a reimagined take on the classic Tiramisu. This one is served in a wine glass with an inverted chocolate dome on top. Hot espresso is poured over it to expose layers of chilled fresh cream and coffee soaked ladyfingers. We like the play of hot and cold. And as expected, oodles of decadence.
Meal for two at INR 1,200.