Former India and Royal Challengers Bangalore captain Virat Kohli recently talked about launching the latest One8 Commune outlet with famed comedian Rahul Subramanian. Extending his restaurant chain to Bengaluru, the city with which he has a strong connection because of the Indian Premier League, Kohli has reserved a terrace for RCB legends in Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers there.
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In what is the eighth One8 Commune in the country, Kohli has purposefully opened it within spitting distance of the iconic M. Chinnaswamy Stadium – Royal Challengers’ home ground.
Kohli, who reckons finding good restaurants with decent quality food in Bengaluru to be a challenge sometimes, guarantees One8 Commune would fill that void. As for Gayle and de Villiers, both of whom used to hit innumerable humongous sixes, Kohli cited it as a primary reason for restricting a special place for them.
“Talking about sixes that land on the terrace, I am not the right person to talk about it. There are two individuals who’ve done that in Bangalore many times – Chris Gayle and AB de Villiers. Both have hit the ball to Cubbon Park aur ye bagal me hi hain. Woh unka ek copyright hai wahan pe, woh wahan pe aake terrace me khaayenge. Unka hi adda hone waala hain woh [One8 Commune is right besides Cubbon Park where both AB de Villiers and Chris Gayle used to hit sixes. They will have copyright on the terrace where they can come and eat. It will be their place],” Kohli said.
The conversation on the terrace started only after Rahul inquired, albeit humorously, the reason behind choosing a location so close to the Chinnaswamy stadium. Kohli also mentioned how it will be easier for him to grab a quality meal right after practicing during an IPL season.
For those who don’t know, Kohli, Gayle and de Villiers have shared numerous memorable moments whilst playing for Bangalore. While Gayle played six seasons under Kohli, de Villiers represented the club in nine seasons under him. Junior to both the former West Indian and South African captains, Kohli was at the other end when Gayle had smashed a record-breaking 175 (66) a decade ago. Kohli and de Villiers, on the other hand, hold the record for the Top Two highest partnerships in IPL history.
List Of One8 Commune Restaurants In India
Delhi-born Kohli had launched the first-ever One8 Commune in the national capital four years ago. Located at Aerocity, a 5-minute distance from Indira Gandhi International Airport, its specialties include Spicy Chicken Dumplings, Tequila Kahlua Cocktail and Absinthe. He followed it with another One8 Commune in Delhi, this time on Mall Road, near Civil Lines. It provides outdoor seating as well.
Further expanding his venture inside the Delhi-NCR region first, Kohli opened the third outlet in Punjabi Bagh before getting another one under way in Gurugram. Providing the cozy atmosphere his communes are known for, this outlet reinvented the pizza-burger style and provided a healthy option for all kinds of food lovers.
Spreading One8’s roots outside North India for the first time, Kohli opened a restaurant in Kolkata. Famous architect Sumeshh Menon designed the resto-bar at Golden Park, which has a 100-seat capacity. Its specialties include Red and White Quinoa Salad, Ghugni Chaat Cornetto, Spicy Malvani Curry etc.
Kohli, who currently lives in Mumbai, opened the next two One8 Communes in Maharashtra. While the first one was in Juhu, Mumbai, the second one was in Pune. The former is quite dear to Kohli because it is built within legendary singer Kishore Kumar’s (Kohli’s favorite) old bungalow named Gouri Kunj.
