Some More Restaurant Rants from Kolkata

For a Bengali born and brought up in Kolkata, but living outside, a visit to the city brings back fond memories of the food one has enjoyed during childhood. Apart from the local Bengali fare and the Chinese food from the Tangra area, the city has its own delightful versions of Mughlai and Continental cuisines.

The Mughlai cuisine of Kolkata has evolved from the kitchens of  Awadh (stemming from the chefs of Nawab Wajed Ali Shah, who was detained here by the British), khansamas from UP/Bihar as well as the Nawabi cuisine of Murshidabad. The restaurant which has got iconic status serving this food is Arsalan at Park Circus.

Mutton Chaap at Arsalan

On a Sunday afternoon, there was a queue of waiting people on the footpath in front of the restaurant which is bang on the Park Circus crossing. It took around 15 minutes to be ushered upstairs to a table. The place was congested, not well lit, with a funny blue lighting.  Since we were clear about what we wanted to order, it did not take much time for the food to be served.

The Special Mutton Biryani was fragrant and mild. It is a huge departure from the spicy Hyderabadi version which I am accustomed to. The biryani had two pieces of medium sized soft and succulent mutton, one large potato and one egg. The long grained basmati rice had the flavor of ghee and kewra water, and did not leave an aftertaste of vanaspati which is the norm with many places serving Kolkata biryani.

The Mutton Chaap and Mutton Rezala were the other dishes we ordered and they did not disappoint at all. The sweet and sour, curd and cashew based gravy of the rezala soaked into the soft tandoori roti was sheer heaven and the spicy and oily chap found its perfect foil in the roomali. At Rs 700, Arsalan provided another unforgettable experience which I will savour till I come back next year.

Awadhi Biryani at Aminia

The second Mughlai restaurant we went to was Aminia, at Gol Park. The ambience of this place is better than most Mughlai restaurants in the city. We had heard a lot about the Awadhi Biryani here. So we ordered the same with Chicken Chaap with tandoori rotis. The Awadhi Biryani had enough rice for two persons and apart from two pieces of mutton, boiled egg and a piece of potato, it had few pieces of mutton keema balls on top. The biryani was not as spicy as Arsalan, with stronger flavor of vanaspati. The chaap was decent in taste though here also there was excess dalda in it, which was a put off. The above dishes cost us around Rs 500.

Chicken Chaap at Aminia

Kolkata is also famous for its own adaptations of continental food including the famed Anglo-Indian cuisine, made legendary by restaurants like Mocambo in Park Street. We bumped into a new restaurant called The Blue Door near Southern Avenue.  Situated in a residential house, the restaurant is spread over multiple rooms of a house, in a very cozy environment.

Spicy Roast Chilli Pork at The Blue Door

We took help of the wait staff in ordering and were not disappointed. Spicy Roast Chili Pork, the starter ordered, had very good quality pork with onions and capsicum. The soft meat blended well with the fat and the spicy sauce. Chicken A La Kiev was presented very well, served with mashed potatoes, broccoli and baby corn as sides. As usual I was delighted to see the butter oozing out as we dug into the breaded chicken breasts.

Chicken A La Kiev at The Blue Door

Roast Lamb was soft and succulent presented in a very appetizing way. I liked the thick dark sauce in which it was served. Fish Florentine, the baked fish dish disappointed us.  I thought it was a bit overbaked with too much cheese and less of fish. The only redeeming feature was the garlic bread served with it. The bill for the above came to Rs 1500, and overall we were quite satisfied.

Roast Lamb at the Blue Door

Near our apartment in Gol Park, a small eatery Mango People was hosting a pork festival, and a pork lover like me could not help but pay them a visit. The special menu had about a dozen of pork items. The Mushroom and Bacon soup was thick and creamy – with a lot of fried bacon pieces. The starter Pork Roasti was a mashed potato pancake stuffed with cheese and bacon. It was a wait staff suggestion, and we kind of liked it with the dip served with it.

Pork Roasti at Mango People

However, best of the lot were the Grilled Pork Ribs. Served with sides of bread and veggies, the pork meat was so soft that it slid off the rib bones. This was unexpectedly one of the best dishes we had on the trip. The bill for the above three dishes came to around Rs 800.

Grilled Pork Ribs

For a foodie like me, it was a great fortnight of eating out in Kolkata. But for exhausting my wish list, I need to spend at least a year there.

(This is the second part of the post Random Restaurant Rants from Kolkata)

Addresses:

Arsalan
7 Point Crossing
Park Circus
Kolkata 700017
Telephone 22813921

Aminia
57, Ballygunge Gardens
Golpark
Kolkata 700029
Telephone 9007326429

Blue Door
P-537 Raja Basanta Roy Road (opposite Tyagraj Hall)
Near Southern Avenue
Kolkata 700029
Telephone 30990474

Mango People
23/31 Gariahat Road
Telephone 98306 30801

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Random Restaurant Rants from Kolkata

I have always been a huge fan of the Kolkata food lovers – any random family will have at least half a dozen food enthusiasts. Another aspect is their penchant to try out new cuisines – Kolkata perhaps has one of the best variety of food available in the country. So 2015 turned out to be a Happy New Year for me – as I could spend a significant part of the first month in Kolkata.

Koshe Kosha

One thing which you can’t help but notice in Kolkata is the opening up of eateries offering Bengali food. About two decades back, when I was working here, Aaheli, Suruchi and only few other restaurants offered Bengali food. But now, in my locality around Gariahat there were at least a dozen of them.

My first stop was a small place called Koshe Kosha opposite Aminia in Golpark. I had been hearing good reviews of this restaurant from various places, especially from a Delhi based blog. We had reached Kolkata the same day, and after barely dumping out luggage in our neighborhood flat we set out for the food journey.

Bhetki Chingrir Melbondhon at Koshe Kosha

As you enter the place, you find the dark interiors of the restaurant a bit surprising. The place is nicely decorated though, with artefacts from rural Bengal. We ordered quickly and the restaurant responded by a short turnaround time.

The Gondhoraj ghol here is a perfect start to any meal. The prized lemon provides a endearing aroma to the ghol. Bhetki Chingrir Melbondhon was a fish fry with a layer of prawn it. It was decent, though I would have liked the prawn content to be a bit more.

Mochar Ghonto at Sholoana Bangaliana

Luchi and Kasha Manghsho which is one of their signature combos was nothing great. I have had better Kosha Mangsho (Bengali sautéed mutton) even in the Hyderabad Bengali eateries. The gravy in Chital Macher Muitha could not delight us – mainly because the onion and garlic in the gravy was not sautéed well, and gave out a raw taste. Sorshe Ilish was nice, though I was not happy with the size of the Hilsa fish. Meal for three costed us around Rs 1400.

Chingri Macher Malaikari at Sholoana Bangaliana

Sholoana Bangaliana close to South City Mall had been a favorite during my earlier visits. One evening after a Bengali film at the mall, we landed up here. A small restaurant with only a few tables, service here is quite quick. We started with a Mochar Ghonto. The banana flower preparation was spicy. Flavors of desi ghee and garam masala stood out, making it go extremely well with rice.

Sorshe Ilish at Sholoana Bangaliana

The non-vegetarian dishes followed soon. The Mourala Macher Bati Chochhori, a traditional Bengali recipe to be prepared in a katori was par for the course. The Chingri Macher Malaikari stood out, both in terms of the quality of the prawn as well as the creamy coconut based gravy. The Sorshe Ilish here beat the previous place hands down, the Jumbo Hilsa piece (costing Rs 410) was so juicy and dripping with fish oil that I can possibly make a trip to Kolkata to just taste this. The satisfying meal here came to about Rs 1000.

Chili Garlic Chicken at Big Boss

Kolkata is also well known for it’s Chindian food – the Chinese population had settled in East Kolkata from about a century back. The Tangra area has more than 50 restaurants – and we received suggestions favoring many of them. We finally decided to visit Big Boss.

The place is one of the most spacious and cleanest of the Tangra joints. However we felt that the wait staff is not very keen to attend to you, and for anything you want you have to literally shout for them. We started with the Seafood Soup, which was a thick soup with prawns, crabs, egg drops and vegetables. The Chili Garlic Chicken as starter was very decent – the trademark Kolkata Chinese taste was very visible – a combo of soya sauce, green chilies and chopped garlic.

Mixed Szechuan Chowmein at Big Boss

For the main course we went for Mixed Szechuan Chowmein and Spicy Ginger Chicken. The noodles were spicy and tasted nice with assorted vegetables, red chilies and chicken except that it was a trifle too oily. The Spicy Ginger Chicken was a disaster -  the gravy did not have any taste at all. Overall, a disappointing outing cost us around Rs 900.

Lat Mai Kai at The Wall

The Wall, a boutique Oriental  restaurant in South Kolkata is again an old favorite. Close to Southern Avenue, this place has been converted from a residence. The menu here has lot of special dishes normally not available in standard “Chindian” eateries in Kolkata.

The Tom Yum Seafood soup here was tangy with a generous portion of prawn and other seafood. The day was very cold and the piping hot and spicy Thai soup really warmed us up for the meal ahead. The starter Lat Mai Kai was superb too. It  was essentially boneless chicken pieces along with veggies fried in a chili based oil.

Nasi Goreng at The Wall

The Indonesian Nasi Goreng was presented very well with an egg on top and looked very appetizing. It had stir fried rice, chicken and seafood in a spicy sauce, and combined well with Moan Char Chia Mui Nay, a Cambodian ginger based chicken dish. – though I found an overdose of black pepper powder in the latter. Apart from this aspect it was a satisfying meal, and cost us around Rs 1400 for three persons.

Cambodian Ginger Chicken at the Wall

Also read : More restaurant rants from Kolkata

Addresses:

Koshe Kosha
62, Ballygunge Gardens (opp Aminia)
Golpark
Kolkata 700019
Telephone 64606401

Sholoana Bangaliana
14C/114B Prince Anwar Shah Road
(Near South City Mall)
Kolkata
Telephone 9051301111

Big Boss
54C Maheswartala Road
Tangra
Kolkata
Telephone 23282405

The Wall
31 Dr Sarat Banerjee Road
(Near Sarat Bose Road)
Kolkata 700029
Telephone 24649041

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Street food in and around Gol Park, Kolkata

Every winter I visit Kolkata for a kind of annual pilgrimage. Apart from enjoying the company of friends and relatives in the city I was born, it is also for sampling the rich range of restaurant and street food. Normally I stay in an apartment in Gol Park in South Kolkata.  The fortnight takes me to many small joints and street outlets in and around this place.

Koraishutir Kachuri at Gobinda

The area brims with activity since early morning. One of the places I visit for a quick breakfast is Gobinda’s stall. It is just at the start of Kakulia Road next to Mouchak. At around 8:30 in the morning you can find a motley crowd enjoying his Karaishutir Kochuri. Gobinda serves his kachuris with an option of Chholar Daal or Alur Dom along with a side of pickled chilis. Two kachuris with the sides cost a mere Rs 12.

Gobinda's Fish Fry

In the evening Gobinda dishes out some mean Chicken Cutlet, Fish Fry and Dimer Devil from the same place. Fish Fry here costs around Rs 35.

Radhaballavi at Ganguram

Another place to savour great breakfast is the famed Ganguram, just across the road. Their Radhaballavi (Rs 12 each) served with Alur Dam is simply mouth watering, though a trifle oily. You can also add a small portion of their Mishti Doi to end your breakfast.

Daler Bora

As the day progresses other street food joints in the area start operating in the area. Dal Bora is one of the cheapest and favorite snacks for a passer-by wishing to munch something on his way. One place where you get fresh and crunchy Dal Bora is just down Kakulia Road. About 8 small pieces are available at a paltry Rs 5. The place also makes good Lankar Bora and Alur Bora too.

The Bedwin Rolls

Gol Park also has Bedwin – known for their kathi rolls. The roll counter is just outside their restaurant. It is a treat watching how carefully they prepare their rolls. My particular favorite here is the Special Chicken Roll, where double the amount of chicken is put.

The Roll assembly line at Bedwin

Thankfully the place does not use any sauces and relies on lemon, green chilies and their own spices which are added to the chicken, onions and capsicum to prepare the filling. They have some variations like Tikiya Roll and Reshmi Kabab Roll but I prefer to stick to the traditional recipe.

For trying out the snack items like chops and cutlets, there is no better place in Gol Park than the branch of Mitra Café. Mitra Café, the iconic eatery from North Kolkata is known for its Brain Chop, Egg Devil and Kabiraji Cutlets. The small branch which is on the main road close to Kola Villa makes some delicious fare but most of it gets over by early evening.

Diamond Fish Kabiraji at Mitra Cafe

My favorite here is the Diamond Fish Kabiraji – a diamond shaped large fish fry covered with fluffy egg batter while frying.  Brain Chop, which is a legendary offering of Mitra Café is however rarely available here.

Alur Dam at Shaw Fuchkawala

The last favorite of mine is the friendly neighborhood fuchkawala. Shaw, who plies his fare on the main road just across Mitra Café, hails from Hajipur in Bihar. His slightly sweetish Alur Dom with green chili and coriander sprinkled on top is simply not to be missed. The fuchka here also has a different recipe, with potatoes, chick peas and coriander.

Phuchka

Apart from the above, there are many many other places we can talk about – the singaras opposite Aminia, fish roll in the small counter next to Ganguram, Das Cabin which is a few steps away at Gariahat and many more. We will talk about that on another day.

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Bohemian, Kolkata: Experimental Bengali cuisine

In the last few years whenever I visited Kolkata, my friends there had asked me to try out Bohemian. I was told that the cuisine offered here has some imaginative experimentation specifically with traditional Bengali cuisine, and no other restaurant has done similar work.  Though the concept looked extremely interesting, I could finally visit this restaurant only during my trip in January.

Like many of the newer eateries in Kolkata, Bohemian is a boutique restaurant tucked inside a residential lane, very close to the Sitala Mandir on Bondel Road. The restaurant has two separate entrances for the two floors. As we could not get a table on the ground floor we dashed upstairs to a more spacious setup. The place has a no frilled décor with posters of famous pop singers adorning some of the walls.  I could also notice a few framed photos from Ladakh as well as a collection of masks, and some other artifacts from rural Bengal.

Spicy Grilled Bhetki  with Radhuni Enriched Curry Sauce

As we looked through the menu, I understood what my friends had been talking about.  Bengali spices and ingredients like radhuni, pachphoron, kalojeera and kasundi have been used in many of the dishes, so have been traditionally Bengali greens and fruits like kolmi shaak, gandharaj lemon or Bengal berries (kul).  However uses of these ingredients have been done in an off beat manner and the food is experimental in content as well as presentation.

The combo section of the menu interested me the most and it was a challenge to choose among the interesting dishes. I felt like ordering a lot of items, but since there were only three of us, we had to settle for three main courses. The fish item we went for was Spicy Grilled Bhetki  with Radhuni Enriched Curry Sauce. This was served with steamed rice and saag. The radhuni (wild celery seeds) flavor was subtle in the curry, which was spicy but not rich. We also loved the shaak served with it – it was exactly as they are cooked at home.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken bundle with Aam Kasundi Reduction

The Bacon Wrapped Chicken bundle with Aam Kasundi Reduction was another experiment we tried out. Aam kasundi or mustard mango sauce is a Bengali delicacy which adds zing to many dishes. The dish was presented with rice and sautéed vegetables.  I liked the concept but was slightly disappointed with the preparation as the flavor of aam kasundi was very mild in the curry.

Royal Bengal Mutton with Bhuna Sauce

But the best of the combos we tried was the Royal Bengal Mutton with Bhuna Sauce.  The bhuna sauce was very tasty and the slices of boneless mutton worked well with it, along with a layer of mashed potatoes which was placed underneath. The dish was served with bread rolls and sautéed vegetables, the same way as many of the Anglo-Indian dishes are presented in Kolkata.

Gandharaj Souffle

For dessert it was the unanimous choice – we were told that the Gandharaj Souffle at Bohemian rocks. Lately we have seen this flavorful lemon, which is predominantly found in East India, being used in a lot of dishes – starting from Gandharaj Bhetki, mutton and even ghol. The soufflé at Bohemian has the fragrance of the Gandharaj emanating from the special lemon sauce.The styling of the dish with lemon sauce and slices of lemon made it look extremely appetizing and the taste did not disappoint too.

We wanted to try many more dishes – but were constrained by our appetite on the day, as we were coming out of food extravaganza called Bengali marriage for the previous three days. Some items which looked interesting to me were the Pachforon Flavored Chicken Escallops, Bhetki in Aam Aada Sauce,  Mutton with Green Mango and Cheese and Malpua Cheese Cake.

I was extremely impressed not just with the food, but also by the fresh approach to tweak the Bengali cuisine, and experiment with the ingredients. I would surely revisit during my next trip to Kolkata and try out some more from their offerings.

Bill for the above items came to around Rs 1900.

Address:
Bohemian
32/4 Old Ballygunge 1st Lane
(near Bondel Road Shitala Mandir, close to Ballygunge Phari)
Kolkata

Telephone: 033-64601001

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