This is my latest article in the Femina and the subject is very close to my heart.
Kolkata.
What are your Kolkata picks?
Here’s the unedited text:
My restaurant picks in Kolkata are driven
largely by nostalgia.
largely by nostalgia.
Trips back to Kolkata, like for most former
Kolkatans, is often a lot about food for me.
Kolkatans, is often a lot about food for me.
The thing I miss the most about Kolkata is
the street food, especially the phuchkas. You don’t get these in Mumbai. As any
Kolkatan will tell you, Phuchkas are not golgappas or pani puris. They are, but
of course, way better! The thin phuchka shell which holds the zesty, tangy
tamarind water and a spiced up mashed potato and chopped green chilli filling inside
is the stuff of dreams. Once my wife and I stopped the cab and got off at a
roadside phuchka guy on the way home from the airport as we couldn’t wait for
our first phuchka of the trip. Our favourite phuchka stops are outside New
Empire cinema, outside South City Mall and at the Dakshinapan phuchka couple.
Vivekananda Park is pretty famous too for phuchkas.
the street food, especially the phuchkas. You don’t get these in Mumbai. As any
Kolkatan will tell you, Phuchkas are not golgappas or pani puris. They are, but
of course, way better! The thin phuchka shell which holds the zesty, tangy
tamarind water and a spiced up mashed potato and chopped green chilli filling inside
is the stuff of dreams. Once my wife and I stopped the cab and got off at a
roadside phuchka guy on the way home from the airport as we couldn’t wait for
our first phuchka of the trip. Our favourite phuchka stops are outside New
Empire cinema, outside South City Mall and at the Dakshinapan phuchka couple.
Vivekananda Park is pretty famous too for phuchkas.
As someone who has grown up on an egg roll
a day every evening after school I miss the rolls of Kolkata though Mumbai has
some good options with places like Hangla now. My favourite roll stops in
Kolkata are Nizam’s, where rolls were invented, Badshah in New Market and Kusum
in Park Street. I go for mutton rolls nowadays, without eggs, without sauce,
with a squeeze of lime, chopped green chillies and I prefer to have my onions
fried. Nothing to beat Nizam’s when it comes to thin parathas enshrouding
flavoursome kebabs and they have a beef version too.
a day every evening after school I miss the rolls of Kolkata though Mumbai has
some good options with places like Hangla now. My favourite roll stops in
Kolkata are Nizam’s, where rolls were invented, Badshah in New Market and Kusum
in Park Street. I go for mutton rolls nowadays, without eggs, without sauce,
with a squeeze of lime, chopped green chillies and I prefer to have my onions
fried. Nothing to beat Nizam’s when it comes to thin parathas enshrouding
flavoursome kebabs and they have a beef version too.
Talking of Nizam’s, no trip to Kolkata is
complete without a biryani stop. The Kolkata biryani is light on the palate,
has no visible masala clumps and has a boiled potato to go along with the meat.
It is the biryani that has spoilt me for all other biryanis. The favourite
biryani place for the post 2000 generation of Kolkata is Arsalan. My loyalties
though lie with Shiraz for its very light biryani. Other favourites are Nizam,
Zeeshan and Aminia. Another classic biryani place is Royal. Do have the curd
and ghee based mutton rezala and poppy and cashew based chicken chaap with tandoori
rotis when you go to a biryani place. Don’t forget to chomp on a green chilli
on the side for the full Kolkata experience.
complete without a biryani stop. The Kolkata biryani is light on the palate,
has no visible masala clumps and has a boiled potato to go along with the meat.
It is the biryani that has spoilt me for all other biryanis. The favourite
biryani place for the post 2000 generation of Kolkata is Arsalan. My loyalties
though lie with Shiraz for its very light biryani. Other favourites are Nizam,
Zeeshan and Aminia. Another classic biryani place is Royal. Do have the curd
and ghee based mutton rezala and poppy and cashew based chicken chaap with tandoori
rotis when you go to a biryani place. Don’t forget to chomp on a green chilli
on the side for the full Kolkata experience.
I don’t go to Continetal places too often
in Kolkata nowadays but Mocambo with its devilled crabs and prawn stuffed fish
a la Diana is worth checking out for its old school European fare. Or you can
head to Oly Pub in Park Street for well done steaks, a Chicken Kiev which gives
out a rivulet of butter when cut and cheap alcohol. The Iran originated chello
kebab (kebabs with buttered rice) at Peter Cat has people queuing up night
after night.
in Kolkata nowadays but Mocambo with its devilled crabs and prawn stuffed fish
a la Diana is worth checking out for its old school European fare. Or you can
head to Oly Pub in Park Street for well done steaks, a Chicken Kiev which gives
out a rivulet of butter when cut and cheap alcohol. The Iran originated chello
kebab (kebabs with buttered rice) at Peter Cat has people queuing up night
after night.
A must stop in Kolkata for me is Flurys
with its European tea room charm where I just love the classic buttery
strawberry cube with coffee and ‘heritage baked beans on toast which is served with
chopped green chillies. I love settling with a book by the big windows at
Flurys and watch life pass by. My love for the strawberry cube here is matched
only by my obsession for the lemon tart at Kookie Jar in Kolkata.
with its European tea room charm where I just love the classic buttery
strawberry cube with coffee and ‘heritage baked beans on toast which is served with
chopped green chillies. I love settling with a book by the big windows at
Flurys and watch life pass by. My love for the strawberry cube here is matched
only by my obsession for the lemon tart at Kookie Jar in Kolkata.
No trip to Kolkata is complete for my wife
without a stop at Dolly’s Tea Centre. She loves the sugary ice teas served in
this tiny shop at Dakshinapan and we occasionally nibble on a ham sandwich to
go with these. It’s a good place to buy tea too.
without a stop at Dolly’s Tea Centre. She loves the sugary ice teas served in
this tiny shop at Dakshinapan and we occasionally nibble on a ham sandwich to
go with these. It’s a good place to buy tea too.
Kolkata is famous for its (fast depleting)
Chinese community and restaurants. I normally go to Jimmy’s Kitchen at Kala
Mandir driven by nostalgia. My dad used to take me and my mom there for lunch
everyday after my school before he passed away.
Chinese community and restaurants. I normally go to Jimmy’s Kitchen at Kala
Mandir driven by nostalgia. My dad used to take me and my mom there for lunch
everyday after my school before he passed away.
We didn’t go to Bengali restaurants in
Kolkata initially as we used to get a lot of Bengali food at home. We would head
to Kewpies though for the maha bhoj thali on celebratory occasions. On my last
trip I went to the new Ekdalia branch of my Mumbai favourite, Bhojohori Manna,
and had some amazing fish cutlets, alu posto, begun bhaja (fried aubergines),
boneless Hilsa, daab chingri (prawns cooked in a tender coconut shell) and then
for desserts, mishti doi, lyangcha and rosh malai. Bhojohori is now our
favourite Bengali restaurant in Kolkata too. 6 Ballygunge Place is also good
for classic Bengali. Do check out Bohemian in Bondel Road for some inspired
Bengali cooking by Chef Joy. For a flavour of spicy Bangladeshi food there is
Kasturi.
Kolkata initially as we used to get a lot of Bengali food at home. We would head
to Kewpies though for the maha bhoj thali on celebratory occasions. On my last
trip I went to the new Ekdalia branch of my Mumbai favourite, Bhojohori Manna,
and had some amazing fish cutlets, alu posto, begun bhaja (fried aubergines),
boneless Hilsa, daab chingri (prawns cooked in a tender coconut shell) and then
for desserts, mishti doi, lyangcha and rosh malai. Bhojohori is now our
favourite Bengali restaurant in Kolkata too. 6 Ballygunge Place is also good
for classic Bengali. Do check out Bohemian in Bondel Road for some inspired
Bengali cooking by Chef Joy. For a flavour of spicy Bangladeshi food there is
Kasturi.
You know what? I wish I hadn’t written this
article. I want to head to Kolkata right now to eat after writing this!
article. I want to head to Kolkata right now to eat after writing this!
