Amrita Arora Ladak And Shakeel Ladak Aren't Your Regular Foodies

When Amrita Arora Ladak was tying the knot with Shakeel Ladak in 2009, they decided to hold their Catholic wedding at Mumbai’s popular Olive Bar & Kitchen, their favourite eatery. Cut to all these years later, Olive’s founder AD Singh dropped in at Ladak’s hospitality venture – Jolene by the Sea – in Goa and was impressed by what he saw. “Shakeel wasn’t in the country and I called him excitedly to tell him what AD had to say. It is such a sense of validation when it comes from a pioneer such as him – a nice, sweet pat on the back,” Arora Ladak says happily.

It is the couple’s first F&B venture, along with Gaurav Batra, Ankit Tayal and Chef Suvir Saran. The former actor and her real estate developer husband seem to have hit the nail on the head with their Anjuna-based restaurant’s global food, innovative cocktails and easy-going vibe. They share their vision behind Jolene and how working together has brought them closer.

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Esquire India: How much is food a part of your life?

Amrita Arora Ladak: Food has always been a big part of my life. My friends and I are constantly discussing what to order and where to eat. My mother has always taken immense pride in her cooking and we have been open to tasting different kinds of cuisine since childhood. My husband Shakeel is very fond of good bars and good food. We also looked for kid-friendly places once we had our children.

Shakeel Ladak: All of us at home love food and always want to try different cuisines. We try and go to new restaurants especially when our friends and family make recommendations, but we always have our old favourites we keep going back to whether in Mumbai or in Goa.

ESQ: How did you decide to venture into the hospitality segment?

SL: Even though I’ve been in residential real estate primarily, I also own Hotel Courtyard Marriott in Pune, so I already had exposure in hospitality. With Amrita also being passionate about food, we decided to open our own restaurant and that’s how Jolene was born.

AAL: I call Jolene my pandemic baby. Shakeel had this beautiful piece of land in Goa and we decided to get serious about opening a restaurant there. With the pandemic going on, we had a lot of time to plan the menu, décor and the vibe we wanted. I wanted holiday favourites on the menu and also for people to get a sense of coming back to the warmth and familiarity of home.

ESQ: What do you think makes Jolene by the Sea stand out amidst Goa’s F&B scene?

AAL: We were extremely particular that people should go back with a good story and good memories. The warmth of the place, the food and the entire experience is a highlight.

SL: A combination of things including the best sea view, comfortable seating – both indoors and outdoors as well as the food and cocktails.

ESQ: What’s the story behind the name?

AAL: Jolene is one of my all-time favourite songs. It is always the last song I play at all my parties, so much so that my friends are fed up with it! (laughs) During the pandemic, we were in Goa and Shakeel asked me to come up with a name for the restaurant. The song that started playing on my Spotify just then was Jolene and I just said it. Shakeel loved it and thought it was perfect as it has a nice ring to it.

ESQ: What are some of your favourite dishes and cocktails on the menu?

AAL: I’m more of a wine drinker but I love the Not a Picante cocktail. The Misal Ramen is one of my favourites among the dishes. Some of my other favourites are the M&M Prawns, the Shrimp Balchao Pizza and Jolene’s Shaggy Everyday sundae.

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SL: I have so many favourites at Jolene but if I had to name one dish and cocktail it would be the Egg & Mince Espuma and the Not a Picante cocktail.

ESQ: How was it to collaborate with your spouse for this venture?

AAL: Pretty seamless! We have always taken each other’s opinions even when it has been other work. Of course, there was a lot of hand-holding when it came to Jolene. It is possible that some of his professional decisions in terms of the restaurant could have been different but my presence changed the whole dynamic.

SL: Collaborating with my wife has brought us closer. We complement each-others’ ideas and sentiments.

ESQ: Who do you turn to for recommendations?

AAL: My girl gang is like a concierge service for each other. All of them love travelling and eating out, so we never have to look too far for recommendations.

SL: Luckily, I have a big group of friends who all love their food as much as I do. A lot of good recommendations come from them.