Food Review: Call Me Sofia at Khar Is the Love Child of Olive By AD Singh
· Free Press Journal
Tucked inside the lanes of Khar is Olive Bar & Kitchen. And, tucked inside Olive is Call Me Sofia, an Italian bar. Cute space with its own food and bar menu. And it is managed by bartenders who are behind and in front of the bar. "It's an Italian styled bar and we all thought that was a perfect name for the vibe and style that we were offering," says AD Singh, whose brainchild the bar is.
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"The bar is dedicated to an imaginary girl, Sofia, who leads a la dolce vita life," explains Chef Alexandro. Federico Fellini’s 1960 film La Dolce Vita, ‘sweet life’ of Rome’s elite, made the term la dolce vita famous. The term la dolce vita means easy-going, pleasant, sweet and sometimes glamorous life. "And AD Sir loved the name…"
Call Me Sofia is, probably, the first Aperitif Bar in the city. Alexandro goes on to elucidate the concept. "Idea was to give low ABV cocktails that one can start drinking at 6PM and feel comfortable. Food menu was designed to complement the cocktails. For example, if you are having a cocktail with sour notes, then a little spicy snack is recommended that enhances the flavours of the cocktail."
The menu is short but interesting. No brainer when it comes to choosing the first drink — La Dolce Vita. Reason: it’s Campari based! Campari, homemade oregano syrup, dash of Montepulciano wine, some lime juice, finished with saline drops to give a comprehensive finish. It comes with a stick that has capers, cherry tomato and olive. Quite a red wine forward drink that finishes oregano with hints of lime on the palate.
La Dolce Vita and Mortadella on ToastAlexandro recommends Mortadella on Toast with this cocktail. And he is so right. The pistachio infused mortadella mousse on crispy focaccia toast with some pistachios sprinkled on top. A textural delight. One bite followed by La Dolce Vita, and the cocktail feels different and more flavourful on the palate.
Next is Sunset in Sicily that comes with Savory Salmon Cannoli. The cocktail is prosecco based with Aperol, sparkling wine syrup, vodka finished with a dash of fresh orange juice and a maraschino cherry. Fresh on the palate and a bite into the cherry changes the profile to slightly sweet. The cannoli come with black and white sesame garnish which gives a slight nuttiness. Subtle flavours that make the cocktail fresher on the palate. What changes the flavour profile of the cocktail is the next snack — Mushroom Meatball. The umami of the dish is the porcini mushroom jus that is poured on the mixed mushroom balls. It brings forward the vodka and Aperol in the cocktail.
Mini Cheese Board is presented next. Happy to find that they serve blue cheese on their cheese platter! And they have fried pizza dough served like churro with the cheese, jams and honey. Perfect company for the cheese and the next cocktail — Caprese-tini. Basil infused dry vermouth (or was it bianco), gin, tomato water, tomato shrub finished with a dash of saline that makes it a liquid form of caprese salad. It is served with a Danish blue, burrata, mascarpone and capers. Palate is treated to flavours one by one, especially after a bite of olive or blue cheese. Basil comes first followed by tomato followed by cherry tomato shrub. But you have a sip after a bite of parmesan and tomato hits you first.
Ferraro Rocher served with Call Me Maybe was again a textural delight. Chicken pate and hazelnut coated with dark chocolate and silver film. The pate comes last with hazelnut and dark chocolate acting as teasers. The cocktail was a Select Pilla infused with cantaloupe, topped with fresh grape juice, dressed with a slice of cantaloupe. However, it tasted better with Spiced Watermelon — watermelon pieces that were marinated in tabasco and finished with a drizzle of mint oil. Gave freshness to the cocktail.
Next on the table was Alexandro’s favourite and close to his heart —Spaghetti alla Genovese. “This is my nonna’s recipe,” he says with pride. Spaghetti tossed in pesto sauce with cherry tomato and burrata. The pesto sauce made the difference making it extremely delectable and leaving you wanting more. “And that recipe is secret!” Alexandro adds.
There’s not much choice when it comes to desserts. Fruit Gummies is the best among the two options available. But you can skip it if you want and spend more on cocktails and snacks.
Average cost for two: ₹3,000