New Delhi, 15 October 2026: Delhi, get ready. SOKA, the Bengaluru restaurant ranked No. 18 on the Asia's 50 Best Restaurants 2026 list, is packing up its kitchen and its bar and heading north for a two-night takeover at Top Banana, GK2's much-loved neighbourhood cocktail bar. Called Chapter 0.5, it runs on 14 and 15 October and gives Delhi a rare chance to taste one of Asia's best restaurants without leaving the neighbourhood.

This is a full-team takeover. Chef Sombir Chaudhary will run the kitchen, and MJ, SOKA's Head Bartender, will lead the bar. Together, they will turn Top Banana's playful, music-led room into a stage for SOKA's inventive, flavour-first approach to food and drinks. "Delhi has always been a city that lives to eat, and bringing SOKA here feels like a conversation that was long overdue," said Chef Sombir Chaudhary. "Top Banana is the kind of room where our food makes complete sense: loud, warm and full of flavour. We're cooking the dishes we love, and we can't wait to see how Delhi takes them."

Top Banana has always worked the way a good house party does, with everyone bringing something to the room. The DJ brings the records, the kitchen and bar teams leave their mid-service thoughts and late-night confessions on a wall of ever-changing tiles, and the night belongs to whoever happens to be there. Chapter 0.5 simply invites a few more people in, and these guests arrive with a full kitchen and a bar's worth of cocktails, ready to settle in at the stove and behind the counter.

The menu is built for the bar, with nano plates, large plates and sweet plates that put familiar ingredients into unexpected formats. Expect a Bisibele Bhaat Arancini with ridge gourd chutney, coconut flakes and spicy boondi, and a Goli Baje x Xacuti that brings together xacuti curry, cheese and fritters. The Thecha Prawn Aglio e Olio comes with prawn oil, olives and thecha, while Kundapura Chicken Skewers of hand-pounded chicken arrive with a glaze and pickles. Soka Fried Chicken is paired with raw mango chimichurri, curry leaf and house dust, and the Peshawari Kebab is served with radish and walnut chutney, walnut crumb and pickled onions. The large plate is the Soka Cup Noodles, available with vegetables, chicken or prawns, tossed with Koka noodles, black bean sauce and green onions. For dessert, the Caramelised Banana Serradura layers milk chocolate mousse, coconut crumb and caramelised banana, and at a bar called Top Banana, it feels like it was always meant to be.

Behind the bar, MJ brings SOKA's beverage perspective to Delhi with a specially curated selection of cocktails designed to sit alongside Chef Sombir's food, and the list changes across the two nights. Day one features Jack #, a smoky take on Johnnie Walker Black Label with jackfruit, smoked scamorza, tender coconut and palm jaggery; the Pi Pi Martini, made with Tanqueray London Dry Gin, jujube pickled brine and dry vermouth; Mofo Don, with Don Julio, pickled pineapple, red cabbage, cilantro and jalapeño; and Soap & Jack, which pairs Don Julio with kaffir lime, green smoked guava, curry leaves and chilli vinegar. On day two, Death Wish brings together Johnnie Walker Black Label, coffee liqueur, peanut butter and monk perfume, the Pi Pi Martini returns with Don Julio in place of Tanqueray London dry gin, Mofo Don stays on the menu, and I Blame Jasmine combines Tanqueray London dry gin with orange liqueur, jasmine and bubbles. "A great cocktail should feel like part of the meal and part of the night out," said MJ. "Working with the Top Banana team has been about finding where our ideas overlap and where they surprise each other. We've put together drinks that speak to the food and carry a little of SOKA's personality to Delhi."

For Top Banana's own bar team, the collaboration is a chance to learn as much as to host. "Collaborations like this give both teams the opportunity to exchange ideas and explore different approaches to cocktails and flavour. With SOKA joining us at Top Banana, we're taking the takeover format a step further. Having Chef Sombir come into our kitchen and cook alongside our team, bringing dishes beyond the SOKA menu while drawing inspiration from our food and drinks, opens up an exciting new way to approach collaborations. For us, it's as much about the conversation between the food and our beverage programme as it is about bringing two distinct perspectives together to create something unexpected," said Sushil Pant, Beverage Head, Bright Hospitality.

"For Top Banana, this is about pushing the idea of a takeover into exciting new territory. Having Chef Sombir and the SOKA team step into our kitchen, bring their craft to our space and create beyond their own menu is a big moment for us. Top Banana has always been about great drinks, good energy and a bar that feels like your own neighbourhood. Chapter 0.5 brings that spirit together with a team we deeply admire, creating a space for the food and drinks to play off each other in unexpected ways. We're excited to see what happens when two distinct worlds meet over one bar, and we think Delhi is going to have a lot of fun with this one," said Tarannum Sehgal, Founding Executive Chef & Brand Lead, Top Banana.

Beyond the plates and pours, Chapter 0.5 is a genuine exchange between two teams. SOKA's chefs and bartenders will work shoulder to shoulder with the Top Banana crew, trading ideas and exploring new flavour combinations, while the room does what it does best: great music, great drinks and people having a very good time. One kitchen, two bar teams and two evenings, with food, cocktails and collaboration at the centre.

Fact Sheet:

Event: Chapter 0.5: SOKA × Top Banana takes place on 

Dates: 14 and 15 October 2026

Address: Top Banana, GK2, Delhi, from

Timings: 8:00 PM ONWARDS on both the days.