Since Adlabs Imagica opened its doors in 2013, it has become a weekend destination for families and college students. This time, we visited Square, the dining restaurant, located inside Novotel Imagica, which is adjacent to the theme park. The Sunset Brunch is a newly launched weekend offering by the restaurant.
The colossal dining hall, lit by ginormous lanterns lends a lively vibe. It leads us to the poolside area with tables set out and live music setting the tone for the evening. There was a bunch of activities planned out for the entire evening: We witnessed a salsa and pottery workshop for those who want to learn the basics, and a session with an astrologer for those keen on knowing their future (predictably this session always had a queue).
We started with the tapas and mezze counter, which served pita with hummus (chickpeas blended with tahini, olive oil and seasoning), tabouleh (a vegetable salad), babaganoush (cooked eggplant with onions, tomatoes, olive oil and seasonings) and labneh (a strained yogurt dip). The hummus and babaganoush, with textures as silky as butter, burst with flavours of garlic and eggplant respectively. This spread foiled our intentions of trying out the main course. There were live counters for pizzas, pastas and barbecues but we decided to cut to the chase.
We tried the wild mushroom ragout, the chef’s recommendation, cooked in cheese. The gooey sauce highlighted the meatiness of the mushrooms. Next came the braised pork ribs with star anise and orange, which was generously seasoned with spices. The star anise, a pungent spice, thankfully didn’t overpower the succulent, chunky meat. The dunghar maas, a fiery meat curry slow cooked and smoked, is perfect for those who prefer hot curries. The Hyderabadi murg biryani, was flavourful, and was a perfect accompaniment for the gravies. Since there was no dish that disappointed us, we thought nothing could possibly go wrong. At this point, we eat our words. The prawn vepudu, tiger prawns fried in thick gravy, unfortunately tasted of uncooked garam masalas. We promptly went on to the kadi pakoda which salvaged the situation to a large extent. The fried pakodas simmered in a curd-based gravy defined comfort food. We downed the fiery bhutjolokia and vodka shot, which left a pleasant, spicy aftertaste.
There’s also a dessert section, which includes traditional Indian sweets; marshmallows, ice creams, and babur cha-cha, a coconut based soup made of sago, from Vietnam.
If you are someone who wants to make the most out of the weekend, without travelling too far from the city, this brunch is has something for everyone. Don’t skip it.
The sunset brunch starts at 5 pm every Saturday Rs 2,199 plus taxes
