Click here for details:
For an authentic Bengali lunch
 Bengali
food was considered 'best eaten at home' as a result there were hardly
any restaurants serving good Bengali food except the roadside stalls.
However, of late, many hotel-restaurants and other quality eating-places
have started featuring Bengali cuisine. So if you are a connoisseur
of fish you must make it a point to have one traditional Bengali lunch.
If you are vegetarian, do not fret, because even though Bengalis are
famed for their fish fixation, the array of vegetarian items that
form part of their cuisine is amazing. It is said that nothing goes
waste in a Bengali kitchen. Take the case of the banana plant. The
leaves are used for serving, the stems (thor) are cooked as ghonto
or chhechhki and the blossoms (mocha) are made into
delicious paturi (a way of cooking food wrapped in banana leaves).
The fruit is available both in the ripe and raw form, the latter being
considered ideal for koftas. Even the peel is crushed and ground
to a paste and fried for a delicious starter!
So we were talking about eating out the Bengali way - well, if budget
is not the criteria, go to Sonargaon, the authentic Bengali
restaurant at Taj Bengal. This restaurant is a tasteful replica of
a rural home, complete with a courtyard, a well, dark wood on taupe
stone, copper curios, and metal light fixtures. Here, on weekends
you can take a Bengali thali, and enjoy the various delicacies
starting from the hilsa fish steamed in a smooth mustard paste, chingri
maach (Prawns), pulao and other regional specialties. Whatever
your main course is, don't pass up the classic Bengali misti doi
(Sweet curd) for dessert. This is a top end restaurant, so the
food is good but comes at a price! Aaheli at The Peerless Inn
is also known for its rich Bengali fare. Here you can start you lunch
with aam pora shorbot (Roasted mango sherbat, Rs 35) or
tatka pholer rosh (Fruit juice, Rs 75), move on to vegetarian
dishes like Potol Dorma (Stuffed Parwal in rich gravy, Rs 120),
Dhokar Daalna (A kind of kofta made from daal, Rs 80) and then
switch over to fish delicacies like Paabda maacher jhal (Paabda
fish in mustard sauce, Rs 135) or Chittal machher muitha (A
kind of fish kofta), Bhetki Paaturi (Bhetki fish, Rs 150),
Bhaapa Ilish (Smoked Hilsa, Rs 135) and wind up the meal with
some delicious Rasmalai. Apart from these, there are many homegrown
outlets like Suruchi and Kasturi, which also rejuvenate
the dormant Bengali taste buds at reasonable price.
 |
Moghlai lunch
P erhaps
one of the most popular cuisines, which Kolkata can claim as its
own, is "Mughlai". Kolkata's Mughlai khana
has strong influences of Awadhi, Mughlai, Deccani and Murshidabad
cuisine. So if you are yearning for a plate of steaming, aromatic
Biryani along with rich Mutton Chaap and some kebabs then there
are few excellent places to choose from. Shiraz (Park Street)
is famous for Biryanis, Chaap, Rezala and Pasandi. Their
Mutton Bara Kabaab, Fish Tandoori, Murgh Mussalam is worth
mentioning. Aminia, behind Calcutta Municipal Corporation
office, near New Market is also well known for Biryanis and Rezala.
In fact, the whole area around the restaurant is filled with the
delicious waft of Biryani during lunch hours thus alluring
all passers by to drop in. Astor (Astor Hotel), though a
little expensive is worth mentioning for its kababs. They are soft,
succulent and simply melt in your mouth. Alibaba in Bhowanipur
also serves good Tandoori and Mughlai food. If you are not
claustrophobic then you could try Bedwin at Gariahat Road.
Their kababs just out of the world. Their biryani too
is good, not much oily and spicy. If you are a light eater you
could try their katti rolls. The only problem with this place
is that it's too congested and is always crowded. If you can afford
a slightly expensive lunch then you could drop in at Zaranj
located at the crossing of Chowringhee Road and Sudder Street. The
food is excellent though comes at a price. It has an open kitchen
and it is delightful to see the chefs at work. One of their specialities
is a vegetarian dish called Dahi Kebabs. A meal for two costs
around Rs. 1,000. However, their special lunch thali priced at Rs.
250 is value for money.
|
North Indian lunch
If you want to taste some masaledaar dhaaba food then take
a bus to Ballygaunge, little off Gariahaat to Mirch Masala.
This is a modern style dhaaba w ith
all the paraphernalia of a real roadside dhaaba, complete with a
broken down Taxi, and spare tires! They serve some excellent Punjabi
food. Some of their popular items are Pankh Naryelli, Murgh Makhni,
Bhuna Gosht and Bawli Handi. Paneer Zafrani, Paneer Nawabi, Paneer
Navseri, Paneer Bhurji, Methi Mutter Malai and Khoya Kaju are some
of their vegetarian delights. Gharana (Oberoi Grand),
Fairlawn Hotel (Fairlawn Hotel) are some of the high-end
restaurants that serve very good north Indian food.
|
Chinese lunch
Chinoiserie in Taj Bengal has been consistently rated one
of the best Chinese dining spots in India. This specialty restaurant
boasts of delicacies such as Peking Duck and a highly unusual
selection of corn di shes.
One crunchy appetizer consists of deep-fried kernels of American
corn; another dish features corn delicately flavoured with garlic.
Unsurpassed food, a calm green-and-beige colour scheme accented
by old-world mirrors and paintings, and excellent Taj service make
dining here an experience. But of course food here comes at a slightly
high price.
In the mid-range segment you could try out restaurants like Golden
Dragon, Waldorf, Kwality Restaurant, Blue Fox, Peter Cat, Bar-b-Cue
to name a few. All of them serve quality Chinese food. Kolkata has
a whole range of mid-size Chinese joints in Tangra run by Chinese
people. Here food comes in good quantity and the prices are reasonable.
China Haus, Floras, Wan Chai and Dim Sum are some popular
joints here. Located on Free School Street, a narrow lane off Park
Street, How Hua is also known, particularly among college
kids and office goers, for good Chinese food. If you go there, don't
forget to order their chimney soup - it is simply great.
|
Thai and other cuisine lunch
 Thai
cuisine is fast becoming popular all over the world and Kolkata
too has some good Thai eating joints to boast of. Zen, at
Park Hotel, serves some very good Thai dishes. Their Thai Green
Curry is specially recommended. Zen is also well known
for Indonesian specialties like Soto Ayam (Glass noodles)
and Nasi Gorang (Mixed fried rice). For authentic Thai food,
you could also walk into the Thai Pavilion. Arrays of carved
fruits and vegetables are a feast to the eyes. The menu is extensive,
so, it is advisable to get someone to guide you through it especially
if you are not familiar with Thai food. Mah Jong too specialises
in Thai cuisine. Their Spicy Prawns with Lemon and Chives,
Tofu, Cabbage and Capsicum in Garlic Sauce, red, green and
yellow curries are worth trying. The best part of the restaurant
is the ambience. Dice and Game boards is the theme décor
quite in keeping with the name of the restaurant for Mah Jong is
an ancient oriental game of gambling. Blue Fox, located in
the heart of Park Street, is a must visit for sizzlers and crab
or lobster thermidors.
| |
|
|
 |
|
|
|
