A bridge to the future

Sharad Dewan ,the executive chef of The Park,stands at head of our table,supervising a special preview lunch at the Bridge,the all-hour restaurant which has replaced Atrium ,the popular 24-hour café of the hotel.

The new eatery at The Park connects the past with the present

Sharad Dewan ,the executive chef of The Park,stands at head of our table,supervising a special preview lunch at the Bridge,the all-hour restaurant which has replaced Atrium ,the popular 24-hour café of the hotel. Its just after Christmas and Park Street is yet to shake off the yuletide hangover. It is early afternoon and the mellow winter sun plays around with centerpiece of our tablea potted tulsi plant. Wafts of chocolate and turpentine fill the air and the view of the external terrace,which is littered with potted plants,is calming. At the other end of this predominantly green and blue restaurant,a family of four is enjoying a leisurely brunch. Children are washing down chocolate mud-pies with coke while the parents talk over cups of coffee. Its a picture of domestic bliss,but Chef Dewan does not notice. He wants to know whether we like the appetizers,bloody Mary shots and grilled chicken satays.

He is probably a little nervous,but he doesnt show it. He has crafted a new ambitious menu for this eatery,a menu which promises to bring together local Kolkata cuisine with contemporary offerings from around the world. We have tried to innovate but have not played around with the classics. Certain innovations like the bloody mary shots with parmesan foam is something Im very proud of, says Dewan.

Samplings of the dishes on offer like risotto of roasted pumpkins,holy basil chingri malai curry and one minute ratatouille reinstates Parks reputation of the five-star with city-sensitive restaurants. All the dishes mentioned above are characterized by the full-bodied flavours that are so popular with Kolkata food connoisseurs. The risotto is perfectly cooked,sticky without being chewy. The basil malai curry is a confident marriage of traditions,giving the milkiness of the malai curry enough time to caress your palate before the rush of basil hits you. While the ratatouille (a French stew) is exactly what it should becomfort food.

Most items on the dessert menu impress too,the monsoon in chocolate (a variation of mudpie) is delectably smooth. Its saltiness is quite unpredictable but it grows on you nonetheless. The cherry soufflé is an exquisite little blob of cream and glazed cherries.

The other dessert options in menu include traditional Bengali favourites like makha sandesh and mihidana. Here,however,Dewan falters a bit. There was nothing remarkable about The Bridges version of these Bengali delicacies.

Yet,we can confidently say that its not a bad idea to spend an afternoon musing over the menu at the Bridge. Yes,sit back in one of those luxuriantly upholstered chairs,tuck into a monsoon in chocolate and watch a flood of natural light play hide and seek with the granite strips of the bar counter. Bliss,did you say?

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A meal for two will cost around Rs 1500 (without alcohol) and Rs 2500 (with alcohol) at The Bridge

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