India
the best art, food, culture, travelBeyond Bengali: Kolkata’s Best Food and Restaurants
Cosmopolitan and diverse, the food scene in Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) is rooted in Bengali cuisine and influenced by foods and flavours from around India and the world. Not only can visitors try some of the best Bengali food in the world, but they can also experience ‘Kolkata Chinese’ and Anglo-Indian dishes that are steeped in the region’s history. From Kolkata street food to its nostalgic Jewish bakeries, we feature the 10 best restaurants and dining spots that showcase Kolkata’s distinctive foods.
Oh! Calcutta | Traditional Bengali
Bengali cuisine, the richly flavourful food of eastern India and Bangladesh, is renowned for the abundance of fish, from freshwater catches including varieties of carp from the region’s fertile rivers, lakes and ponds of the Ganges Delta, to prawn and saltwater fish like ilish. Elegantly decorated with a fine-dining ambience, Oh! Calcutta is a wonderful place to start your Bengali culinary journey, serving the mainstays of traditional Bengali cuisine. Menu favourites include the smoked boneless hilsa and smoked bhekti, which is marinaded with mustard paste and green chillies then wrapped in banana leaf and steamed. Finish off your meal with some of Kolkata’s famous sweets, including mishti doi, a traditional Bengali sweetened yoghurt or the homemade date palm jaggery ice cream, which Oh! Calcutta patrons rave about for its excellent flavour.
Address: 10/3, Elgin Road, 4th Floor, Forum Mall, Kolkata, West Bengal 700020, India.
6 Ballygunge Place | A Bengali Favourite
6 Ballygunge Place vies with Oh! Calcutta for being the top place in Kolkata to go for a bite of authentic Bengali cuisine. Housed in a hundred-year-old bungalow decorated with pictures of old Kolkata, 6 Ballygunge Place provides the perfect ambience for a multi course Bengali meal. Featuring a menu that caters to every taste, from vegetarian to meat lovers, highlights include the kasha mangsho, a traditional Bengali spicy mutton curry dish and the daab chingri, prawns cooked in mustard (a favourite amongst Bengalis) and cooked inside of a hollowed-out coconut.
Address: House No. 6, Ballygunge Place Rd, Ballygunge Place, Ballygunge, Kolkata, West Bengal 700019, India.
Kewpie’s Kitchen | Bengali Home-cooking
With an ambience like a traditional Bengali home, Kewpie’s Kitchen is a true family affair headed by chef Rakhi Purnima Dasgupta which seeks to prepare authentic home-cooked Bengali food in an eclectic, relaxed dining environment. Using recipes passed down from her chef-mother Meenakshi Dasgupta, Kewpie’s Kitchen serves traditional Bengali cuisine including the thali platter with a mix of small dishes served in terracotta pots. Although the service can be uneven, Kewpie’s Kitchen remains a great restaurant to experience authentic Bengali food and culture.
Address: 2, Elgin Lane, Behind Netaji Bhawan, Bhawanipur
Kolkata, West Bengal 700020, India.
Kolkata, West Bengal 700020, India.
Arsalan Park Street | Mughlai Cuisine
Located in the Kolkata’s unofficial dining district, Arsalan Park Street has distinguished itself for its authentic Mughlai cuisine, which is derived from Persian-influenced food served in the imperial kitchens of the Mughal Empire which was traditionally centred in the north Indian cities of Delhi and Hyderabad. Kolkatans come to Arsalan — or order Arsalan for big gatherings — for its biryanis. For many locals, Arsalan is the cure for a biryani craving, serving the best biryanis in Kolkata, including mutton biryani, Hyderabadi biryani, chicken biryani and more. In addition to its unforgettable biryani, other favourites include Arsalan’s chicken chaanp and its many kabab options.
Address: 191, Park St, Beniapukur Kolkata, West Bengal 700017, India.
Kolkata Street Food | Deckers Lane and BBD Bagh
Kolkata is the king of street food in India, with a mishmash of stalls selling all variety of street snacks and dishes, including traditional fare like phuchka(fried sphere crisps with tamarind water dipping sauces), jhal muri (seasoned rice puffs with dal, peanuts, other ingredients and topped with mustard oil) and singara (samosas) as well as street eats derived from other regional cuisines and abroad. Now, Kolkata street food lovers can discover kathi rolls(kebab rolls — like a burrito), chowmein, biryani, dosa, lassi,chola-bhatura, kulcha-chanaand more in Kolkata’s thriving street food scene, considered one of the best in the world. For the best street food in Kolkata, try the bustling Deckers Lane (renamed James Hickey Sarani), the BBD Bagh (formerly Dalhousie Square) or Camac Street (renamed Abanindranath Tagore Sarani).
Address: Deckers Lane, BBD Bagh, Camac Street.
Nahoum and Sons | Kolkata’s Most Famous Jewish Bakery
In early 2013, the dwindling Jewish community of Kolkata, and many non-Jewish Kolkatans, mourned the passing of David Elias Nahoum, the long-time owner of Nahoum and Sonsconfectionary shop. A long-standing Kolkata icon, the bakery was first established by Nahoum Israel in 1902, an Iraqi-Jew who immigrated from Baghdad to Kolkata, then part of the British Raj. In the early half of the century, anywhere between 3,000 to 5,000 Jewish people sought refuge in this bustling city where they set up their own schools, synagogues and newspapers and brought with them traditional Jewish foods. Now, only a handful of Jewish people — an estimated 25 — remain, yet their influence is still evident in the city’s few Jewish bakeries, none more beloved than Nahoum and Sons confectionary. The Jewish baking tradition is carried on by Isaac, the brother of David Nahoum, and visitors to the city’s New Market area can find stacks of brownies and rum balls as well a rich selection of cakes, biscuits, pastries and breads fresh from the oven.
Address: New Market, Bertram St, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
Nizam’s | Kolkata’s Kathi Roll King
The King of the Kathi Roll, Nizam’s claims to be the inventor of the famous kathi roll, which has become one of the must-try dishes in Kolkata. A true comfort food, Nizam’s kathi roll is a fried paratha packed with fried egg, spicy meats, onions and chilis, all of which is rolled up and served like a burrito. Such is the fame of Nizam’s kathi roll that celebrity chef-traveller Rick Stein has called the kathi roll ‘the perfect street food’.
Address: 23/24, Hogg Street, New Market Area, Kolkata.
Flurys | English Tearoom and Breakfast
Flurys is Kolkata’s legendary tearoom located on Park Street, which was established under the British Raj in 1927. Headed by chef Vikar Kumas, Flurys continues to exude Old World charm with a lavish spread of luxurious cakes, indulgent pastries, rich puddings and, a special Flurys pride, some of the best single-origin chocolates outside of Europe. Just as stylish and chic today 90 years after its founding, Flurys is the perfect location to catch up over a traditional English cream tea or grab a refreshing break from the summer heat with an iced coffee with ice cream. Flurys is also the place to go in Kolkata for weekend brunch, serving its popular English breakfast all day.
Address: 18 Park Street, Kolkata, 700071.
Bhim Chandra Nag | Legendary Bengali Confectioner
The true specialty of West Bengal is confectionaries and desserts, many of which are made using sweetened chhena, or curdled milk. From shôndesh (sandesh) to rôshogolla, Bengalis have a distinct love for sweets. Bhim Chandra Nag is one of Kolkata’s oldest and most legendary sweet shops. Locals flock to Bhim Chandra Nag for its delectable sadesh, a West Bengal confection made from curdled milk and various types of sugar, some of which come with unusual tastes such as the ice cream sandesh.
Address: 5, Nirmal Chandra St, Calcutta Medical College, Kolkata, West Bengal 700012, India.
Ganguram Sweets | Kolkata’s Favourite Mishti Doi
This venerable sweet meat shop (mithai) was set up in 1885 serves both traditional Bengali sweets and innovative variations based on old favourites. With a huge variety of sandesh flavours including mango and strawberry, milk chamcham, rasmadhuri and kesharia rasmalai, Ganguram Sweets has built up a loyal following amongst Kolkatans. In particular, locals come here for their perfectly balanced mishti doi, which is often cited as the best in Kolkata.
Address: Bou Bazaar, Kolkata, West Bengal, India.
1 comment:
Nice post,Thanks for given this information.it follow up for more updates if you click here.
Best Restobar in Kalyan Nagar
Post a Comment