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Indian Express
11 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Indian Express
Nostalgia on a plate: Calcutta's must-try dishes, iconic spots and hidden gems
There is a certain charm to going back to the city you grew up in, even if it seems stuck in time. Maybe that's the charm. Anyone who is from Calcutta will vouch for this. It's a city where time appears to have paused. The people are the same, the restaurants are the same, and the city looks the same. The streets look untouched by the wave of glass-and-steel modernity that has swept through other metros. And if you hang out with the right people, it's one of the few cities in which you feel people actually enjoy the simpler and finer things in life – reading, talking to each other, playing cards, meeting over a cup of tea or a glass of Bloody Mary. I spent a long weekend in my hometown last week and returned 2.5 kgs heavier, a 500 gm gain per day. I owe this to Calcutta's legendary country clubs, whose menus have stood the test of time, and to its restaurants steeped in history and carpet dust. There's a Chinatown (Tangra) that serves authentic Hakka cuisine – I've been going there since I was five – and a pastry shop that could put some of the finest bakeries in Paris to shame, given that it has been churning out soft buttery cakes, truffle pastries and fruit tarts since 1985. So, what would my dream gastronomical holiday in Calcutta look like? Let's start with chicken biryani and mutton chaap at Shiraz in Park Circus. Founded in 1941, Shiraz makes the most delectable Kolkata-style biryani – very similar to Lucknowi biryani – that's light, aromatic and always comes with a large potato cooked in the meat stock, a boiled egg, and perfectly spiced rice. The chaap, unique to Calcutta, is a slow-cooked, spiced mutton or chicken in thick gravy, always served with biryani. And if you're feeling truly gluttonous, I'd recommend the rezala –– a sublimely cooked chicken or meat in a white gravy, lightly spiced with a dry red chili. For context, a plate of special chicken biryani (two pieces of chicken, a boiled egg, a potato and enough rice to feed three people) and one mutton chaap will cost you about Rs 900, including taxes. If you are not too finicky, stop for phuchka on Russell Street or Ballygunge. Phuchka is the more refined sister of paani puri or gol gappas: mashed spicy potato laced with roasted masalas, green chillies and coriander, served with a tamarind-spiced water (with a mild touch of bacteria). Don't forget alu kabli – sliced potatoes mixed with tamarind pulp, chillies and masalas – that will clear your sinuses in seconds. You won't find it anywhere else. A visit to Calcutta is incomplete without a meal at Mocambo, which has been around since 1956. Its low hanging red-cloth lamps, white tablecloths, red leather chairs, and waiters – or 'bearers,' as they're called here – in full regalia are all throwbacks to another era. You go for the nostalgia – prawn cocktail, stuffed crab, tetrazzini, baked Alaska – washed down with a Tom Collins or Screwdriver priced around Rs 200. Regulars like me complain that the food isn't what it used to be. And yet, we return. If you don't get a table there, you can always go to The Other Room at the other end of Park Street which has the same décor, same menu and same prices. If you're lucky, try and get a member to take you for a meal to one of the many country clubs in the city. Go have a cold coffee or Bloody Mary and fish fingers while looking out at the greens at The Tollygunge Club. Or beer and Chinese food or the steak with a fried egg at the Calcutta Cricket and Football Club, you might even get to see a football or cricket match. And if you can, go have some Chinese food at the Bengal Club. Yes, many of us Calcuttans are spoilt because of our club memberships, but rather than complain, get yourself signed in and share the joy. I don't usually eat Bengali food outside when I'm home, but if you're looking for a traditional spread, try Kewpies or 6 Ballygunge Place. The former is my pick. For Calcutta Chinese, head to Golden Joy, Beijing, or Kafulok in Tangra, the city's Chinatown. These aren't fine-dining restaurants, but they're clean, air-conditioned, and serve food that defines the genre: rice noodles, lemon chicken, roast chilli pork, fried rice, Thai soup (which has nothing to do with Thailand). Chinatown which spreads over to Tiretti Bazaar and Tangra also house two iconic sauce factories in India – Pou Chong and Sing Cheung – legends in their own right. End your day with a pastry from Kookie Jar. Not Flurys. Not Kathleen. Kookie Jar opened next to my school in 1985, and to this day offers the finest truffle pastries, lemon tarts, black forest cakes, and nutty corners. In fact, the Ambanis served their cakes at the most recent big fat Indian wedding. You would really be missing something if you didn't try their creations. If your heart beats for Bengali sweets, stop by any neighbourhood mishti shop. All the sweets are made fresh each morning, and the variety is unmatched. It might also explain the beautiful physiques of most Bengali men and women. If you want to get fancy, go to Balaram Mullick or KC Das. And then, as any true Bengali will tell you, complete your day with a swig of Carmozyme or Gelusil. I can lay an educated guess that the sales of digestive liquids or tablets like Unienzyme are unsurpassed by any other city. Author of The Sweet Kitchen, and chef-owner of Food For Thought Catering ... Read More
Time of India
18-05-2025
- Business
- Time of India
Rooftops hit but vacation surge drives up footfall in other restos
Kolkata: While rooftop restaurants remain shut, most others across Kolkata have seen a major footfall surge with the onset of summer vacation. The rise is around 25% compared to April and around 10%-15% higher than last May, say restaurant bodies. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now Even though a footfall surge is normal in summer, this time it has been better, prompting many to organise food festivals and offer special platters. have been spilling over, with several recording a 100% footfall for the better part of the day since last weekend. "Even weekdays have been very busy for us since last week when summer vacation started in most schools," said a manager at Mocambo on Park Street. Oasis on Park Street, too, has seen a surge in attendance since last Saturday. "Those two days of Indo-Pak conflict were bad. It suddenly picked up after it stopped, and footfalls have been on the rise ever since. Evenings are more crowded than lunchtime but overall, it's been significantly better than last summer," said owner Pratap Daryanani. Across the road, One Step Up, however, is yet to see a crowd surge. Bar-B-Q has been crowded, though, said Viraj Kothari, one of the owners. "We expect a surge from next week as the summer holidays set in across more schools and colleges," he said. "This is the weather when footfall shoots up since people are keen to avoid the kitchen heat. We have seen a major spurt across restaurants, and it's rising every day. At three of my restaurants, footfall increased by 15% compared to May 2024, and I expect it to rise further. The trend should last at least till the onset of rains," said Sudesh Poddar, president of Hotel and Restaurants' Association of Eastern India (HRAEI), who also owns Songhai, Manthan, and MS Bar & Lounge in central Kolkata. Tired of too many ads? go ad free now All three restaurants have seen a sharp rise in beer sales. Oudh 1590 launched a biryani festival on May 1 that will continue till the month-end. "Almost all Oudh outlets have been fully occupied during evenings since last week. Footfall has been high even during the first half of the day despite the heat. The biryani festival has helped pull in more people. The spurt is at least 10%-15% higher than last summer. We expect the surge to continue till mid-June," said co-owner and founder Shiladitya Chaudhury. He added that online orders, too, have gone up by at least 20%. Speciality Restaurants, which has multiple chains, including Mainland China, Haka, Mezunna, Riyasat, and Oh! Calcutta, has seen a 10% rise in footfall on average since last month. Mughlai chain Aminia, too, has seen a 10% footfall swell across its 14 outlets in and around Kolkata. "It was better than last May, probably due to the harsh weather and heatwaves that left the city scorched," said owner Kabir Azhar. Retro dining restaurant Chapter 2 has remained crowded during evenings since last week.
