Feels Like Home

Started by an ex-advertising professional, Kolkata Callin’ started as a take-away joint, offering limited Bengali fare. In its new avatar, the menu goes well beyond cutlets, mutton chops and Calcutta rolls.
While Rabindra Sangeet plays in the background, stacks of Tintin’s adventure translated into Bengali adorn the shelves along with handcrafted lamps and black-and-white photos of trams and hand-pulled rickshaws. We were delighted to spot packets of Mukhorochak, a popular Bengali snack, shipped from Kolkata.

The menu comprises dishes influenced by both eastern and western Bengal. It is also reminiscent of the colonial hangover that defines Kolkata’s way of life. For instance, the Chicken Dak Bangla (Rs 240), a chicken curry with boiled eggs that got its name from the dak bungalows (guest houses) of those times, popular with Englishmen who would stay at these rest houses during their visits. At Kolkata Callin’, the dish is cooked in thick tomato-onion gravy with chunks of chicken and served with rice. Although spicy, it’s balanced by the eggs and the tanginess of the tomatoes.

The star of any Bengali meal is the fish, especially the Ilish or Hilsa. We ordered Shorshe Ilish (Rs 340), an East Bengal specialty cooked in mustard paste and served with rice. The restaurant sources the fish from the sweet waters of the Ganga Delta. It’s freshness stood proof to the claim. The Daab Chingri (Rs 360), a sweetish-prawn curry, was served in a tender coconut shell with succulent pieces of prawns peeking through the gravy. Cooked with coconut milk and tender coconut, it was the meal’s highlight.

The menu also includes vegetarian staples such as Dhokar Daalna (chana dal koftas in a spicy curry; Rs 150) and Aloo Posto (chunks of deep-fried potatoes poppy seeds curry; Rs 180). We ended our meal with a bowl of Payesh (Rs 110). It was made with the special Gobindo Bhog rice that gives Payesh a flavourful touch, however it was not as creamy as the authentic variety.

meenakshi.iyer@expressindia.com