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“Meet me at Ladakhi”, a resident of Gurgaon and friend hurriedly signed off, sealing the fate of our evening plans. It has been three years since this conversation and my confusion about ‘Ladakhi’ has been replaced by a sense of comfort. One of Gurgaon’s many BYOB (Bring Your Own Bottle/Booze), wine shop-adjacent establishments called ‘ahatas’, Wangchuk’s Ladakhi Kitchen serves up an experience. There is no lift in the rickety building, so walking up four floors is a challenge for smokers but I persevere each time. Buddhist prayer flags flutter in the wind, wooden benches are placed strategically to maximise seating capacity and the promise of their slightly fried Kothay momos lingers. My first brush with ‘ahatas’ was more than pleasant and that in itself is extremely special. That is why I find myself reminiscing about Gurgaon’s free-wheeling BYOB spots, all the way from an office in Bandra.
While not many people know them as ‘ahatas’, they’ve been a constant feature of Gurgaon’s ever-changing landscape for about 13 years now. Also called ‘machans’ (named after the first one that popped up in 2005), there are probably about 60 odd open-air local watering holes in the satellite city (67 as per this report, so the author is making a calculated guess after accounting for those that have since shut down and newer ones that have cropped up). Across ahatas, that I can’t help but liken to dive bars, the menus are a not-so-careful curation of bar snacks. Some version of them, at least. ‘Chilli Chicken’ is the familiar face, the comforting regular you’re always happy to see. ‘Masala Peanuts’ is the trusty friend who reminds you to line your stomach before you start binge-drinking. On rare occasions, NRI friends will drop by but remember, ‘Sizzlers’ and ‘Fried Rice’ typically belong on another table. A good rule to follow when ordering at an ahata is this – don’t experiment. That’s not to say that less-conventional bar food is a no-no; a big reason I keep going back to Ladakhi Kitchen is for its extensive momo menu that pairs extremely well with Old Monk & Coke. However, keep things simple; you’ll likely have fonder memories of these ahatas if you’re not bitten by a stomach bug.
In stark contrast to Gurgaon’s breweries, another wonderful aspect of the city’s drinking culture, the ahatas are lifesavers when the end of the month rolls around but you’re hankering for a beer, for pre-gaming or for just a low-key evening that side of the Haryana border. Detractors of these establishments often raise concerns about women’s security and a general sense of lawlessness associated with bringing your own booze, rather than the caution that comes with ordering a beer that’s been marked up to twice its original price. However, in my three year’s of ahata-hopping, I’ve found myself rather comfortable and, for the most part, unthreatened. A large part of that is just going with your gut. Maybe Wangchuk Ladakhi Kitchen spoiled me. A good thumb rule is that there’s safety in numbers at these ahatas. I’d also like to point them to this interesting insight that women associated with the Jagrit Mahila Sangthan shared with Bhopal’s CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan. When he announced the closure of these ahatas in the city, hundreds of these women assembled at the CM house and pointed out that “More than 2.5 to 3 lakh people booze in the ‘ahatas’ of Bhopal everyday. If ‘ahatas’ are closed, they would be forced to booze by the roadside, parks and other public places or booze at home. In both the conditions, they would pose a greater threat for women outside and also at home.” The way men act is not an ahata problem, just as it isn’t a what-she-was-wearing problem.
However, I can leave you with a few recommendations (in addition to my personal mountaintop Ladakhi Kitchen) in case your bank account is running dry and you’d like a taste of drinking at an ahata. Boat-themed but without the seasickness, Terminal 1 has always been welcoming, The Friend’s Republic is a reliable bet and Knight Rider Junction is far enough and safe enough to make a road trip out of. Just BYOB and MYOB (Mind Your Own Business) - it’ll be a great evening. Salut!
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