Kolkata (Calcutta) Restaurants

Very popular restaurant in Park Street, next to Music World and opposite KFC.

This place provided me with my first experience of an Indian Curry i.e. a curry in India and we picked a goof place to eat. A mix of Western and Indian customers pick from a mainly Indian menu in a low-lit, bustling restaurant that is comfy, if busy.

There's enough staff for you to get good service even at the busiest period and they are polite and professional, without being 'snobby'.

Although we where only in Kolkata for 4 nights we ate here twice, the food was that good. Cheaper than youd expect when first walking into the place.

And they serve cold beer in pewter tankards (I think that if you are from the West, it is expected of you!)

Favorite Dish: Prawn Butter Massalla was excellent (but don't tell my doctor) as was the various rice and bread dishes.

Mutton dishes are available both on and off the bone - I had a rogan josh that was very tender indeed.

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This tip should have appeared about two months back but again I was waiting for some more tips to add on the page. This tip is dedicated to my friend Faiza, who herself is excellent cook and connoisseur of good Indian/ Pakistani cooking.

I never wrote about this hotel on Rawdon Street, Kolkata. It's a three star hotel with 40 rooms and three restaurant. The restaurant offers Bengali Buffet on Sundays and festival time with highly elaborate menu. This year too during Durga Puja they came up with Bengali Promo Buffet with about 45 items on the table. There were 6 varities of Bengali Non Vegetarian dishes, Rice, Parathas, Luchi ( Puri), Vegetables cooked in typical Bengali style, 8 types of Chutneys and so on. It was a grand lunch as thefood was heavy, spicy and very very tasty, which prompted me to eat more and the result, I could not drive further. I had to come back home and rest for the day!

Please see the elaborate menu as it is very difficult put all of them in one place. I liked the Dav Chingri ( Coconut Prawn), Kasha Mangsho ( Mutton Cooked in less gravy), Bengali Pulao, Jhinge Posto, Sorshe Illish ( Mustard Hilsa), Aaam Dal ( Lentils with Mango) etc. It's a great experience indeed.

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This Sunday ( today) we treated ourselves at Maachan the latest in restaurant world of Kolkata. A brain child of Mr.Anjan Chatterjee, the owner of Mainland China chain of restaurant. This is the new concept Mr. Chatterjee has given to Kolkata city before Durga Puja ( opened on last tuesday). This is an instant hit with the children. Decorated in pure jungle style the ambience is created as if you are sitting and eating amidst jungle with music from Masai Mara, Africa and India perfectly played to create that jugle living. Even the toilet has been decorated with junle style.The entre space is full of animals ( artificial), snakes, crocodiles and the dress of the stwerts also in Jungle Style. Machan means a tree top house meant for watching animals. In yester years Machan used to be created to hunt for Tigers or other wild animals with the help of a live bait such as Sheep or a goat. The hunter used to shoot as the animal pounced on it's prey.

We met all the crews from Mainland China and Sigree Flame and grill, all the old hand are perfect and professional. A great place to enjoy your outing. It's naturaly drawing lots of Kolkatans who love to eat out on any occasions. Food is exellent created with special Jungle Masala ( ingredients), to give you that taste of rustic Jungle cooked food.

Favorite Dish: We had Dahi Gosht ( Lamb marinated and smeared in Curd/ Yogurt and cooked in slow fire), Junglee Masale a Murg ( Chicken Tikka cooked in Junglee Masala a slightly spicy but tasted excelent), Jafrani Biryani Gosht portion and Jafrani Biryani Chicken portion ( Biryani cooked with genuine saffron tasted heavenly) I am sure my friend Kashi Mallya of Sydney , who is also an Ex.Taj man like Mr.Chatterjee, would love to visit this place.

We were provided a Beautiful Mocktail, A bowl of Mutton Soup and Aloo Ki topi snack on the house. Another winning touch from the ranch of Mr.Anjan Chatterjee and Mr.Firoz Sadri ( Director Operations Mainland China).

We have liked the place and we know we are going to frequent ths place like Mainlnd China, Sigree, Oh Kolkata ! A great trbute by Mr.Chatterjee to th city e was born!

For more picures please turn to tip no -II.

Manager: Mr.Jayanta Biswas: 9748714140

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This used to be the happening place in 50s, 60s and7s when Kolkata was at par with other international cities till the time our marxist govt slowed own the growth. Moulin Rouge of Park Street surely was one of the places to unwind with live Cabaret, Music and western dance and their affordable drinks! But gone are the days so is their beautiful cientle of finest Kolkata gentry. Now it's only a restaurant and a bar with some Piano and Saxophone playing in the evening time. Food still remains one of the best in Kolkata with very affordable rates.

We used to visit this place for their delicious food but noticed that I have neve built a tip on them. Established in 40s during the tim of Second World war the place was favourite among the Americans and the Europeanswho used to throng every evening to unwind.

Favorite Dish: Last Sunday we tried to taste their Bengali menu and and participated in Elish festival. Elish is the most tasty and coveted fish for a Bengali. We tried their boneless smoked hilsa as strater and then had Sorse Hilish ( Hilish cooked in mustard paste), Plain rice, Mutton Rogan Josh cooked in Bengali style. For every dish we ordered for Hilish or Illish came a glass of chilled white wine (from our Nasik region) for free! So it was really really worth every rupee spent on food.
The serving boys behaviour is excellent, so is attention of the bar captain and stewart. It was a highly satisfying afternoon with excellent food, white wine and monsoon!

This place requires a little renovation and change of decor.

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Those who are conversant with Bengali food and culture must be aware that Elish fish is the tastiest and most expensive fish. They taste best in monsoon only and the best quality Elish fish is available in the Ganges/ Brahmaputra and other rivers of East Bengal ( Now Bangladesh). The Bengalies love and freak out on Elish. Yesterday, we also decided to participate in Elish Festival and taste the culinery expertise of the speciality Bengali food restaurant TERO PARBAN. It is said for a Bengali there are twelve months in a year but he has thirteen festivals ( Tero means thirteen and Parbon means festivals). Each is welcomed and celebrated in it's special way. This is monsoon ( July to September) and time of Elish fish so the restaurant is celebrating Elish festival.
Tero Parbon, is brain child of a Bengali businessman Mr. Subrata Ghosh Chowdhury, who also runs a chain of restaurants. Tero Parbon serves only Bengali food compiled from various districts of West and East Bengal as the restaurant manager Mr.Amit Mitra informs. Before opening the place they visited various districts of Bengal, tasted the various dishes preferred by the locals, villagers, collected recipe, trained the cooks, did lot of home work and then launched the restaurant. No wonder it's great success among Bengalies or who wants to taste the authentic, genuine Bengali meal. Everyday at least 40 varieties of fishes cooked here with each fish having several variants or styles of cooking. The Elish fish has at least 30/35 variants see picture of menu in next tip. You shall get Posto Bada ( bada made with poppey seeds) of Bankura district to Joshure Koi ( the original Koi fish of Jessore district of East Bengal/ Bangladesh) on any given day here but you have to be here in time as they dont' keep the fish deep frozen for days. Purchase is done on daily basis with size of the fish, freshness etc. kept in mind.

While Mr.Amit Mitra boasts about all the dishes very tasty and cooked authentically, he rates these dishes very high and very popular among the clients: Bhapa Elish ( steamed Elish), Chital Peti, Sahebi Elish( Elish cooked in European style with less spices), Elish Polao, Basanti Polao, Josure Koi, Aaar Macher Kalia, Aam Shol, Dab Chingri ( Prawns cooked and marinated with Coconut), Mocha Ghanto( Plantain flower cooked with fish or other ingrdients), Shukto, Posto Bada, Bhetki Paturi, Potoler Dolma and so on the list is endless.

Favorite Dish: Since we were only two and half persons with Munu and Rakhi very poor eater, we tasted only the following dishes. We ordered Elish Bhapa, Bhat ( rice), Chitol Mach Muitha, Kasha Murgi ( Chicken), Parotha, Luchi, Potoler Dolma and Nalen Gurer Ice Cream ( Ice Cream made with milk cream and jaggery made of date palm juice!). I must admit that we enjoyed our food very much as we enjoyed the company of soft spoken Mr.Amit Mitra, who able management and able handling with personal interaction with the customer has made all the difference. The crew behaviour is polite with helping attitude, ambience is great, clean with soft Bengali music playing, you are going to love this place.

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This tip is dedicated to my VT friend and 5 star Chef Kashi Mallya of Sydney, with whom I even shared childhood school ( St.Xaviers' without knowing each other). He inspired me to write restaurant tips where we can have our daily home made food without getting sick and putting pressure on the pocket, preferably a meal with in Rs.100/- ( USD$ 2). In Kolkata or in India it's possible. So let me start the tip:

It was in 1930's bubbling youth Mr.Tarapada Guha ( born 21st October'1910) came to the city of Kolkata from East Bengal to earn livelihood and join freedom movement started by Mahatma Gandhi & Netaji Subhash Ch. Bose. Inspired by Gandhi's and Tagore's viion he stopped looking for petty job and started his own venture. And he did what he knew better, cooking home made food (I think all East Bengalies know better cooking) and feeding the Bengalies. Thus how the famous " Young Bengal Hotel" was launched in 1930's with the concept of " Piece Hotel", which means you can get rice and lentil soup(dal) as much as you want till the time your hunger is satisfied but you not get aditional fish, mutton or chicken. You have to pay extra for those things. It was opened at Khidirpore as it was then a happening port of Kolkata and one of the busiest in the world! The hungry Bengalies who used to work in that area started flocking to Young Bengal Hotel and it became synonym wih the Bengali house hold of that area. It is also said that Tagore also visited them once as informed by Eminent Physician Dr.Nirmal Chandra Basu Roy and son in Law of Tarapada Guha, who married his daughter Kamal Basu Roy.
As the business of Tarapada Guha flourished he was started being assited by his able daughter Mrs. Kamal Basu Roy, who run the business very efficiently till the last day of her life. The great business woman expired on 9th June'2008.
The hotel became very famous among the office goers with their authentic Bengali dishes cooked in East Bengal style especially, Illish Bhapa( Steamed Hilsa), Muri Ghanata( head of Carp fish with rice), Bhetki Paturi, Illish Paturi, Prawn Malai curry, Rui Posto ( Carp Fish cooked with poppy seed), Kach Kolar Kofta ( plantain mashed balls), Pabda Fish, Bata Fish, Aaar Fish with mustard and so on. said Dr. Basu Roy with nostalgia who always miss his consort Mrs. Kamal Basu Roy, who sometimes sed to refered as Goddess Durga who has ten hands. She used to control everything from purchasing of raw materials, fish, vegetables, meat everything. Her criteria was very strict, everything has to be pure and hygenic! Oh yeah! this hotel does not have a menu card but they write the day's menu on the black board and the prices for the day, which may not be the same next day as it depends on the day's purchase price. Here everything bought is fresh and is never used for next day! No wonder no body gets ill after eating here.

Favorite Dish: We visited this hotel yesterday during lunch as I was visiting our dealers of Khidirpore area, I decided to pay a visit and pay my tribute to the great place. We had Rice, Katla Fish, Lentil soup with coconut, Papaya with black gram. All cooked excellently with authentic East Bengal style. It was really a great experience!

And Hygine: dont' worry it's very clean and if asked they will provide mineral water and even earthen plate and glass!

No wonder they are surviving there for more than 80 years!!!

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This new venture of Mainland China, mastered by Mr. Anjan Chatterjee, CEO, Mainland China and Mr. Phiroz Sadri, Executive Director, Mainland China, is surely a new milestone and a new feather in their already highly decorated cap. They already have Oh Calcutta a Bengali speciality restaurant in Kolkata, now this new venture," SIGREE Flame & Grill' is a totally new concept to Kolkata. Opened on 25th February at South City Mall, Prince Anwar Shah Road, just next to the all new Mainland China. It's 100% Indian buffet, lunch and dinner restaurant, with changing menu and major stress is given to the specially prepared Bar Be Que. The tables are built with a space in the middle to accomodate a portable Bar Be Que Grill ( see picture), with flaming charcoal( just perfect!). The buffet(? a pleasant surprise for us!!) starts this way, as soon as you settle down, they place the Grill and several Skewers with at least six varieties of Kebabs & grills both veg and non-veg, which is 80% ready. We had Chicken, Mutton, Fish, Paneer( Cottage Cheese), Haryali Kebab, Grilled Potato & tomato, Sheekh Kebab as starter! If you ask for more they will give more!
Then you can go for the main course, they have a generous buffet spread, with Biryanis( both veg & non veg), Mutton, Chicken Curries, Fish, several vegetarian curries, Dal, Several salads and a large and generous spread of desserts such as Chocolate Brownies, Kheer, Ice Cream with Chocolate sauce, freshly cut fruits etc. Above all, this princely treat comes with minus the Five Star price tag! Mr. Chatterjee has surely kept his promise. No wonder this place is always full and food is heavenly! The Calcutta gentry is developing a liking for this place as they have developed for the Mainland China.
For accompaniment they have a large stock of wines and spirits both domestic and imported. You will never be disappointed. Decor is excellent best suited for the occasion.( see pictures in next tip)
The Crew!! One of the best lot we have ever experienced just like Mainland China, extremely courteous, helpful and always smiling. A sure touch of Mr.Chatterjee & Mr. Sadri!

Favorite Dish: We experienced all the Kebabs of the day, Mutton Biryani,Dal Banjara, Kadai Paneer, Kadai Chicken, Bhuna Gosht ( Fried Mutton), Malai Palak ( spinach) etc. I don't remember all the names. We had Bacardi and Rakhi had a Kingfisher beer. Munu had her usual cola!

For dessert we had , Chocolate Brownies, Fruits, Ice Cream with Hot Chocolate sauce & Kheer! That was more than sufficient and very satifying. A whole new experience and a great experience altogether. Now we will have to make it a habit to visit the place.

This Royal treat comes only for Rs.295/- per head ( believe me!or USD $ 7). For drinks you have to pay extra the regular charges.

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Last Sunday we tried our luck at yet another Chinese Restaurant of China town, China Haus! There are about 50 or 60 odd restaurants in China Town all converted from Tannery to Restaurant. The food and the decor is very good but they have jacked up the prices due to Bird Flu in Bengal! They are not serving Chicken anymore but have replaced their menu with Meat and Fish, which is naturally more expensive. Nobody minds as long as it is safe and good for health.

Addendum: April'08- Burd Flu is now over in Bengal and Chicken is back in the menu in all restaurants!

Favorite Dish: We tried their Roasted Sizzling Pork, Sizzling Prawn, Cantonese Rice and Rice Noodles. All were excellent in terms of taste but I still rate the food of Shun Li is better.