Holy Moilee: There's An Eatery In Town That Serves Appams With A Twist

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What Makes It Awesome

A fortnight ago, the city made way for an eatery that's finally settled down after popping up at local events and fleas; with Bandra as the final destination - a haven for gourmands and culinary folk alike. 

Hoppumm is a micro-eatery with a unique twist - where hot appams are carefully set on biodegradable plates (banana leaves add that whimsical touch) and you have different kinds of stew placed right in the centre, with a garnish that makes you wonder why you never thought of this in the first place. 

The name itself is a mix of appams from the South and Hoppers, Sri Lanka's staple meal that is actually an appam. While the joint can seat around 15-20 people, it's pretty popular already, with people streaming in and out in regular flow. 

The eatery is run by chef Lakshit Shetty along with siblings Sahil & Jai Wadhwa, who have ensured to bring a piece of Sri Lanka to Bandra with their decor, food and overall vibe. The black & white marble kadappa floor pays tribute to Geoffrey Bawa (Sri Lanka's celebrated architect), you'll also find cane and wood furnishings that scream of a tropical equatorial setting.

Now, let's get down to business. Since the place is about the humble appam (which comes in three varieties - multigrain, spinach and traditional) make a combo of it with a stew of your choice. 

We started off with Chicken 65 and Paneer 65 (tangy, plump and delicious), both with distinct flavours that paid tribute to their heritage. 

For the mains, we had a little bit of everything - Prawn Moilee, Veg Moilee, Veg Stew, Paneer Moju with an assortment of hoppers. We also tried their mutton pepper fry Kottu Roti, and needless to say, it was polished off faster than you could say 'GO'. 

Now, we got to make one point clear - there's moilee that's been eaten in the past and then there's Hoppumm's moilee. Thick, rich coconut milk sauce that's the right balance of sweet and savoury, paired beautifully with chopped onion sambol and red chutney. 

Dive deeper into their menu and you'll see egg preparations, neer dosa, brown rice, alam neer, lemon sherbet and so much more that's going to entice you; we can promise you that one visit just doesn't cut it. 

For dessert, we sampled their Vathalappam, a unique dish that's (again) appam made with jaggery, topped with a filling of sweetened coconut milk and caramel. As if this wasn't enough to transport us straight on to a hammock, thinking of nothing else but sun, sand and sea, we also tried their coconut pudding that we feel is a mix of caramel custard and barfi, all rolled into one. 

Words can only do some justice; we urge you to step out one fine day and experience this warm Sri Lankan hug in the name of food.  

How Much Did It Cost

₹500 - ₹1000

Best To Go With

Family, Big Group, Bae