Kolkata (Calcutta) Restaurants

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Those who know about Kolkata, must know that this place is also known for excellent food at very resonable price. Though I have written about Chinese, Indian, Thai, Moghlai even North Indian Dhaba food but I have never written about the very famous South Indian food of Kolkata city! South Indian Food is very popular in Kolkata or in India as snack or fast food and is available in every street of Kolkata. But there is a sizeable population of South Indians ( Tamils, Kannadigas, Malayalis, & Telegu people from the four states of South India), who are here for centuries and have made Kolkata their home. Their food is also different in taste or flavour from each other but the basic food like the famous Dosas, Idlies, Vadas, Rasams, Upama, Utthapams remains same but with distinct flavour of their own state. They have their very tasty Chettinadu, Udupi etc styles of food.
One such restaurant opened in1942 at Rash ehari Avenue by Mr. Govindan, from the famous Guruvayur region of Kerala called " Premavilas" means "The House of Love". Initially it used to cater to only those from Kerala but it has become very famous among the local Bengalies who are now their major customers. This place is currently being managed by Mr. Premraj G.M. who is the grandson of Mr.Govindan. This place serves only pure vegetarian food.

Favorite Dish: We took our VT friends from Kathmandu Urvashi & husband Dibya Rana on 22nd March for treat of those South Indian vegetarian delicacies. Rakhi, Munu, Urvashi & Dibya has their famous Masala Dosa and Idly. I had selected their vegetarian meal comprising, Puries, Rice, Lentil Soup( dal), Rasam, Payasam, Chutny& curd etc. It was an excellent meal. In the end we also had the delicious South Indian coffee, full of aroma and flavour! Simply heavenly coffee!

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As usual they are at their best, having perfected the art of making chinese food, the Anjan Chatterjee ( The CMD of Mainland China), team is sailing ahead. This newly opened Mainland China at South City Mall is surely their better addition after Oh Calcutta and Mainland China at Gurusaday Road.

We took our American guests Sonia Das and her Professor father Dr.Mihir K. Das, from Long Beach, Calfornia, USA, to taste their food. Sonia herself is an excellent cook apart from being attorney in Long Beach, she too vouched that thefood and the taste of Mailland China is just authentic!

We tried their roast Pork, cooked in Cantonese style, Prawns, Egg Plants, Mix Noodles( The names will be posted at later date as the bill remains with sonia and I dont' remember the names exactly).

Favorite Dish: The Egg Plants!

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Those who know about Kolkata City will surely agree that this hotel used to a landmark in Bengali life of North Kolkata! Started as humble roadside dhaba ( simple eatery where ethnic food is served) in 1875 by great grandfather of Mr.Bishwanath Patro, an Oriya businessman, for the Taxi Drivers of North Kolkata, soon earned fame among Bengali gentlemen that this place provides excellent food, Mutton cooked in Punjabi style with paratha. It became very famous that many aristocrats, Theatre personalities, Movie stars, Doctors,and students started getting their meals from there.
The hotel was just a shanty and located just next to the paternal house of Swami Vivekananda ( the famous sage/ saint of India). It was shifted in front of Swami Vivekananda's house to fix a statue of Swami next to their house after 20 years of long request from Ramkrishna Mission.(see picture). It was rebuilt with aircondition facility and fancy chairs. I too have tasted their food many times in my child hood. It now has completed 136 years of it's existence! Bravo! and qudos to our bengali palate, this is going to continue in years to come.

Favorite Dish: Now they have made it multi cuisine restaurant but the old favourite remains the same. It is Mutton Curry and Parantha ( See picture)

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Well we Calcuttans know about this joints, they are more than 70 years old. Can you believe this!! During British days ( Dalhousie is office district) the Indians were not allowed to enter into the Restaurants near Dalhousie as it was Red area. So where the Babus ( the Bengali Clarks/ Junior employe) will eat during lunch period. During early 20th century Toast, Omlette, Stew, Chicken, Mutton cutlet, Fish Fry were totally unknown menu for Bengali Babus. These were available but at posh restaurants like Metropol, Firpos, Great Eastern Hotel where entry was restricted and money was too much for the Babus.
Then came people like Chitta Ranjan Das, who started roadside eatery, without any name just on the footpath, where Babus will come during lunch time to have their dream menu of Chicken Stew, Cutlets, Toast, Omlette and all those Englishmen used to have. Easy on stomach, digestable, great taste. Soon it will be famous like fire and it still is as famous as in pre Independence day! Believe me a very few Westerners know about this but this how it all started. The taste of the food and price both remains very resonable till day. Now the place is run by Chitta Babu's grandsons and his Nephew. It is true that we Bengalies learnt to taste the English dishes thru' people like Chitta Ranjan Das and others. My tribute to them.

Favorite Dish: The all time favourite Mutton and Chicken Stew with toasted pound bread is still very popular and shall remain popular as it has remained for 70 years! Now they have added Chilli chicken, Fried Rice, Cutlets etc to their short menu. It runs only during the day and the crowd is still uncontrolable. They must be serving about 3000 persons during lunch time from 11AM to 4PM( Lunch time?) everyday.

Rakhi took our VT friends from Kathmandu, Urvashi, Husband Dibya and brother Arjun to experience this unsual place. My suggestion to anybody visiting Kolkata, to at least visit this place for once. My guarantee you will remember your day. You may carry your own water. A lifetime experience in itself!!

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We celebrated my birthday at Silver Oak, on Lansdowne Road. The place is a very neat and cosy eating place with very reasonable price. We selected to have Roasted Rabbit ( now it is bred in farms as a substitute to red meat), Naan, Mutton Sagwala ( mutton cooked with spinach), Murg Tikka ( as starter) and Ice cream.

Roasted Rabbit was prepared exlellently to suit our Indian taste but if you insist they will make it less spicy for you. The crew behaviour is excellent, service is very efficient and prompt. They will offer you a seat in smoking area in case you prefer to smoke. A very nice place to have dinner with your near and dear!

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This place is undoubtedly one of the most famous Dhaba ( Rustic Eatery, where Punjabi or North Indian rustic food is served) of Kolkata city. It is normally frequented by thousands of people. Situated over an acre of land, just opposite the Airport on the main highway no 34. The place has completed more than 25 years and have changed many fold. This is now attracting crowd from Calcutta city who now comes in cars only, drink minarel water or beer( Hard liquor is also served) and does not mind spending Rs.1000 or more for two persons. Naturally, seeing the crowd coming in the Greed of the owner's have creped in, they have Jacked up the prices many fold. Now they have started charging 3-4 star prices for their food. It no longer remains an eatery for the commoner or for the tourists for that matter. The food is very very expensive here and the taste!! Well there are better places in Kolkata serving very tasty food at less than half the prises. I find this is no special place and the prices are higher than Park Street restaurants. They should realize that by putting lots of butter does not make food special. If they are charging star prices then the facilities must also be of star category, crew should be clean , the ambience should be better.
I was surprised to see that one Naan costs here Rs.40 + VAT, Beer Rs.120 +VAT, Dal Makhni Rs. 95 +VAT and the quantity? Very less. In Park street a beer costs Rs. 85-100 with VAT in airconditioned atmosphere with proper service and etiquette. Here the crew behaviour is very very unprofessional. I dont recommend this place to go to eat after driving 37KMs. If they reduce their prices by 30-40% ( Chance is bleak) ten it may be worth. On top of that it has earnedthe ill reputation of being a bar, even their glass, table cloth, napkins are sponsored from liquer companies.

Favorite Dish: We had Naan, Chicken Leg Kebab, Fish Tikka, Dal Makhni, Veg Jhalfrazi & Beer. Fish Tikka is good.

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As of now many of you know our Park Street is and was the best entertainment district in India. It was full of restaurants, bars, cabarets and so on. In one word the best night life was here only. Peter Cat is one such restaurant started during British raj still continuing. It is famous for food and drinks at a very resonable price. As result it is always full, you may have to wait for sometime and it's worth.

We took Munu out on her birthday on 30th November'07 for treat. As Munu is having her exams we decided not to have a blast but a quite dinner with us. We gave treat to Munu's friends too.

Favorite Dish: The owners introduced Chello Kebab a complete dish with Rice, Butter, two potions of Kebab. It is said they brought it from Turkey as it is very popular out there. We had Chello Kebab , Cold Chicken Sala, Iced Coffee Cream. And me and Rakhi had a beer and Bloody Mary for drink. The dishes were excellent as always. I have been going to this place since childhood and the taste of the food is always better, it has not deteriorated over the last 40/50 years!

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On our anniversary we decided to try the latest Chinese Boutique, The Wall( Pan Asian)! It was open only on 10th October, during our festival Durga Puja. It's from the same owners of Comics the speciality continental restaurant and 6, Ballygunge Place, the speciality Bengali restaurant. We were really impressed with the decor, ambience, service. We ordered what we had never tried before either at Mainland China or at Tangra the China Town of Kolkata! We ordered, oAnts Climbing on the Tree: a dish prepared with Minced Lamb flavoured with sweet bean and served on a bed of crispy vermicelli, Lun Woo Yuk See: Fried spicy sliced pork woth wood ear fangs & water chestnut, That Pan Kai: Diced chicken cooked with freshly ground pepper and Shanghai Fried rice:

The potios were very good compared to the priced but the cooking style and the taste was far behind than what we expected. Remember we are having Chinese food for the last 35/40 years and I had the opportunity to taste Chinese in almost all the 200 restaurant run by the Chinese living in Kolkata and in all star hotels. I can be termed as a Chinese Food Expert. I feel tastewise & Authenticitywise Mainland China is far far ahead of every restaurants, Chinese or Non Chinese! The Wall will have to work hard to catch up, only decor is not going to help them.