Hapaa: Asian Stir, Kalyani Nagar, Pune Asian Restaurant

Restaurant Name: Hapaa: Asian Stir, Kalyani Nagar, Pune
Phone: +918956990500, +918956990501, +918956990502
Address: Rd Number 11, Jogger’s Park, Nandanvan, Kalyani Nagar, Pune, Maharashtra 411006 India
Time: 7:30am–11:30pm
Meals for two: Rs. 1,800
Cuisines: Chinese, Asian, Japanese, Beverages
Facilities: Home Delivery, Takeaway Available, Full Bar Available, Valet Parking Available, Outdoor Seating, Romantic Dining, Family Friendly, Smoking Area, Indoor Seating, Table booking recommended

Hapaa, located in Kalyani nagar, is contemporary restaurant that serve modern, fusion pan-Asian food. Th interesting name Hapaa is derived from Hawaiian / American word that refers t people from mixed ethnic heritage particularly from Southeast Asia.

Hapaa: Asian Stir, Kalyani Nagar, Pune: Decor

Hapaa is housed on the ground floor of corner building located in the lush residential neighbourhood in Kalya Nagar. The sprawling space has an indoor section and an adjoining alfresco seating area. The fusion theme is reflected in th decor and the furniture. The seating is comfortable and has a mix of leather sofas, wooden and metal chairs. The walls are covered with Asian-themed, hand-painted illustrations. The pastel colour palette gives the space a very modern and contemporary feel. The outdoor section has a live sushi bar which is quite unique. It is always impressive when restaurants create a brand identity through decor details. At Hapaa, it is the branded table mats, door handles, coasters and unique signages throughout the space.

Hapaa: Asian Stir, Kalyani Nagar, Pune: Food

The menu is quite elaborate and predominantly south-Asia. There are some modern or fusion additions to the classic dishes. There is a live sushi bar that offers a range of classic and new-age sushis. We started with their signature cocktails purple haze (gin-based with camomile, lavender liqueur an lime) and eastern breeze (gin-based with yuzu, honey, cucumber and mint) and the kafir lime and orange spritz mocktail. All the drinks were well made and beautifully presented. From the food menu, we picked the betel leaf prawn bites, smoked char sui pork ribs and banana wrapped fish to accompany our drinks. Probably the best dish of the evening was the betel leaf prawn bites. Prawns were marinated with a mix of banana blossom, chillies, bell peppers, apple and Asian herbs, lightly battered and deep-fried. The prawns were served atop betel leaf. The different layers of flavours coming from the betel leaf, chilli, banana blossom and herbs were impressive. The fish used in the banana wrapped fish was rawas or Indian salmon and it was flaky and cooked well. But the distinct Thai flavour was lacking. The smoked char sui pork ribs were cooked beautifully and the sweet and spicy sauce was delicious. We also got the chicken, roasted mushrooms and edamame broth which was generously filled with mushrooms and chicken. The mushrooms and the truffle oil added a hearty, umami flavour. Both the dim sums – the vegetarian crystal dumplings and the chicken chilli oil dumplings were beautifully crafted. The chicken ones were crafted as a pepper and served with tasty and spicy chilli oil. From the sushi bar, we got the seafood roll. These were perfectly crafted using purple vinaigrette rice stuffed with crab sticks and covered with tuna and salmon. The sushi was drizzled with teriyaki sauce and spicy mayo. I prefer sushi to be as classic as possible. So the generous addition of spice mayo and teriyaki sauce, to make it fusion, makes it gimmicky and does not impress me. The freshness of the seafood and the use of the right rice variety was evident in the taste, but the mayo and teriyaki sauce was not necessary. After the wide range of appetizers, dim sums and sushi we tried, we decided to go easy on the mains. We picked the vegetarian Burmese khow suey, which was excellent. The mild coconut milk broth, the exotic vegetables and the range of accompaniments made for a comforting and hearty dish. From the desserts, the coffee panna cotta with a subtle, lingering coconut taste was great.

Plus & Minus:

The chic and contemporary ambience at Hapaa is impressive and so is the food and the cocktails. The service was prompt and the staff was friendly and courteous. There were some misses, particularly the dishes that set out to be fusion. But the number of excellent dishes surpassed the ones that did not impress. I will be going back definitely with friends to try dishes I missed out on the first time and for their Asian inspired breakfast.