Nawang's Restaurant - Darjeeling

 

NAWANG'S RESTAURANT at Darjeeling is special to foodies like me. Darjeeling is not a tourist place to me. People who know me, they know how I love that place from the bottom of my heart and how I always want to escape to that place. The reasons are very personal. Any trip of mine to Darjeeling is simply incomplete without visiting Nawang's. I will tell why but it's very important to know the history of this place. 

Nawang's Restaurant started almost 18 years back. Before that, the family used to conduct treks and tours for visitors. The owner was telling me "Sandakphu is not the same anymore. People are killing that place, including the government." I could see a sense of sadness in his eyes. Initially, the place started preparing local meals. Later, with the increased popularity of Momo & Thukpa amongst tourists, Nawang's came up with these addition in their menu. Needless to say, they did not need to learn the art of making Momo & Thukpa newly, it is in their genes, their art. With the increase in the number of Bengali tourists, they introduced Bengali thalis too, later. 

During my last visit to Nawang's during July, 2o24, I saw a young guy, a Bengali, suddenly . discovering Nawang's Restaurant. He had a plate of Momo there. He loved it so much that he finished his meal, went back to the hotel and got another 8-9 guys back with him for a treat. There is immense happiness in finding out something great like this. Isn't it? 

Well, Nawang's is like a family to me. As written earlier, any trip of mine to Darjeeling is incomplete to me with a visit to this restaurant, without having a chat with the owners. The Bhutia family knows the real meaning of warmth which reflects every now and then through their smile and eyes. Food is their love language. My visits are mainly for their Nepali Thali, Momo, Sha Plaley and Thukpa. Imagine, it is cold outside or maybe, rainy and you are sitting inside a "pahadi cabin" and gorging on some hot, freshly steamed Momo or a bowl of piping hot Thukpa. That is romance to me.
The Thali is a meal. It comes with rice, saag, daal, veg of the day, the choice of your meat(pork, chicken & beef) or egg or veg, papad. Do not miss the condiments like pickle, dhula acchar (a special dry, powdered pickle) and the serving of unlimited Dalle chillies and onion. 

Chicken Thali

Before you start off with the Thali, it won't be justified if you miss their Momo or Sha Phaley. Every damn time, both are served fresh. Every time, you will literally feel how the juice from the Momo or the Phaley gets dripping down your fingers while taking a bite. I can not remember a better word than ORGASMIC to describe this!

There will be unlimited dalle paste/sauce for you on the table to perfectly compliment your Momo or Phaley and believe me, that is super hot! Each plate of Steamed Momo/Phaley is a wonder at just 100 INR/plate(8 pcs for Momo, 2 pcs for Phaley).

I know people who are too much thoughtful of looks and interiors or ambience while eating out. Well, this place won't be an amusement to you from outside. If you're looking for a spick and span place with an aesthetic ambience, this place is not for you. You will be welcomed with a rustic, old charm and careless (read carefree!) setting and a lot of love and warmth which also reflects in their food.

During my last visit during July, 2024, I went there first for a plate of Momo during the afternoon. It was basically my lunch. Aunty remembered that I went there during April-end and gladly welcomed me. Just see what she served :

While I was finishing this plate, I could smell the country chicken getting cooked in the kitchen. I was dying to taste the same but I was completely full. Therefore, I told Aunty that I will again come back during the evening for a dinner. As a result, I came back again at around 8 PM and asked Aunty to just give me rice and chicken for dinner. Not that, I wanted to miss the veggie, the dal or the papad but I was way too full. Aunty served me the same, not to miss the hottest Dalle, the pickle and the dhula aachar.

Now, this becomes the most satisfying meal of the trip. It is literally hard to explain the feel once you have the first gulp. It tastes very homely and perhaps, because of the weather outside, the taste multiplies. Not to forget, Aunty has her own culinary skills due to which the amalgamation of the spices in perfect quantities, the perfect boiling of the chicken makes the Chicken such a balanced preparation. It is literally impossible to replicate the same at home. Well, the quantity that you are seeing in the snap is mine but the thali comes unlimited. Yes, you can have the same curry in pork or beef too!

While I was having this rice and chicken curry, I became a bit heroic. The red chilly has more hotness just like the color when compared to the green ones. Once the green ones turn red, they will have the original hotness, I was talking to the owners and took a big bite of the red one and they could not help laughing seeing my eyes turning red and watery within two seconds! Had to manage that with a sip of chilled coke! 

It really feels like home when you have such great hosts who take care of your meal. While I was finishing the meal, I had a hearty chat with the Daju & Aunty, who talked about everything on earth. At the same time, they did not forget to ask if I would like to take some more rice or chicken or if I require anything else.

Just a suggestion, when you are visiting the hills, try to be calm. They like people who are calm and not loud. We have this weird habit of assuming people of the hills. They are Nepalis but they are not from Nepal. They are Indians, Gorkhas. They can break bones very easily but not hearts. Respect that. 

I love Nawang's Restaurant. I love this Bhutia family. If they ever need me to be beside them even for the smallest things, I will leave everything to be there beside them. I am emotional. Take all my love.

Points to be check :

1. Cash & UPI are accepted here.
2. The place remains open on all days, till 9:30 PM. You can contact them at 09733005338 to know the time of opening.

3. Address : Keep Keventer's on your right, taxi stand on your left - walk straight for a minute on Robertson Road and you will see Nawang's Restaurant on your left.

Coming back real soon with a new blog!

In the interim, you might be interested to follow me at Instagram at @an.other.sen. Feel free to leave a honest feedback too, it will take less than a minute!

Note : 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂 𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘/𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒏𝒂𝒑𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕.

Email - foodiedibyajit@gmail.com

Blog and Image Courtesy : Foodie Dibyajit

Saima Restaurant - After Long!

 Just few days back, Didibhai pinged me and asked "Tui Saima Restaurant'e gechish?"
I remember visiting Saima during the winter of 2020, it is been almost 3 years.

Anyone who has school, college or office in and around Rabindra Sadan or Exide, Saima Restaurant is a nostalgic place for them. For foodies like me, who always search for good food, this place is not unknown. If at all you are thinking where Saima Restaurant is, get out of gate number 1 of Rabindra Sadan Metro station and you will be welcomed with the aroma of Chicken Tikka, Chaanp and Biryani - the aroma will hit strong in your nostrils. That is Saima Restaurant for you.

This place started during early 90's. Very little information is available about this particular restaurant over the internet. I went back few days back because a friend of mine wanted to give me a treat.

We went and occupied a seat in the upper section which has AC. I was well-aware of what my order would be. The waiter arrived, the order was placed and to my surprise, the whole order was placed on the table within the next five minutes.

The order was simple. You just can not miss the famous Mutton Tikia accompanied by Rumali Roti. Next was a plate of Biryani(the Aloo-one) and a Egg Kosha(with 2 eggs) and plate of salad. The Mutton Tikia was out of this world when paired up with Rumali Roti. You need to believe this since I am someone who does not have mutton but hardly could miss this. On the other hand, the Biryani was aromatic with long grains of rice, the perfect use of the masalas and a brilliantly-done potato. Since there was no meat in the Biryani, I guess the quantity of rice (Khuska) was a bit more. The Biryani was paired up with the Egg Kosha which was served with one potato in it and two eggs. This might be a bit unusual to many but try the combo and thank me later.

As many of you already know, this is perhaps one of those Mughlai restaurants of the city which serves great food without burning a hole in your pocket. Guess what! All these, along with a Limca to was everything down, was billed a total of 267 INR. That too, for two!

If you're here, missing the Chicken Tikka Roll, Paratha with Chicken Bhuna, Mutton Tikia is a sin. 

It is always nice to write a blog if a lunch/dinner touches your soul. Thanks to my friend for the treat. 

Points to be check :

1. Cash, Cards & UPI are accepted here.
2. The place remains open on all days, from 10:30 AM to 12 AM
3. Not a very hygienic place but the food will win your heart.
4. There is nothing called peak hours here. The place is bustling throughout the day and you might have a hard time finding a place to sit.

Coming back real soon with a new blog!

In the interim, you might be interested to follow my Instagram handle or my Facebook Profile. Feel free to leave a honest feedback too, it will take less than a minute!

Note : 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂 𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘/𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒏𝒂𝒑𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕.

Email - foodiedibyajit@gmail.com

Blog and Image Courtesy : Foodie Dibyajit

Park Street Tales by Foodie Dibyajit

 When we talk about Park Street at Kolkata, we immediately could see pictures of a busy street, one-way traffic and a stretch full of life. Just like Anjan Dutt mentioned in one of his songs - এ কলকাতা ১৬ আনার - এ কলকাতা ১৬ আমার! It is a known fact that Park Street was once a place, the only place in India which provided earnings to 1000 plus people from various professions - be it a Cabaret dancer, a magician, a waiter, a saxophonist, a prostitute, a waiter : a place for all. 

That Park Street has lost it's charm. Though, you will still find one of the best coffee shops here, one of the best places to have Continental dishes, a stretch full of restaurants and bars on both side of the road, neon signs, a busy traffic police and all. There are places which are still operational but submerged in nostalgia and emotion without any value for money and there are places which has remained their charm and quality intact.

In this blog, I will write about those places which are either too good till date or has downgraded like anything. In one word, a true picture of all the iconic restaurants on this street. The blog will be updated often.

𝗣 𝗔 𝗥 𝗞 𝗦 𝗧 𝗥 𝗘 𝗘 𝗧 𝗧 𝗔 𝗟 𝗘 𝗦 : 𝗣 𝗔 𝗥 𝗧 𝟭

Oly Pub is perhaps the most overhyped places on Park Street. I have read numerous articles here and there stating that Oly Pub is perhaps one of the cheapest bars of the town. Well, either they don’t know other bars or they don’t have any research or they are habituated to pay more than 2000 INR for nothing.

The drinks here are not at all cheap, in fact almost similar to other places around. It’s fine if you just want to have a quick drink or two and leave! Coming to the food, I am not really sure where to start from. People talk about their 𝑩𝒆𝒆𝒇 𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒌 a lot but it’s simply buffalo meat and it’s not even a steak. Period. I find the 𝑨𝒍𝒂 𝑲𝒊𝒆𝒗 to be better but no other food is worthy. Most of the dishes are served cold and without salt. For the first time in my life, I saw a 𝑪𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝑹𝒆𝒔𝒉𝒎𝒊 𝑲𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒃 to be brown in color. I asked them if they gave the correct order and they replied "𝙍𝙚𝙨𝙝𝙢𝙞 𝙝𝙖𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙚𝙝!". Even the 𝑪𝒐𝒄𝒌𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒍 𝑺𝒂𝒖𝒔𝒂𝒈𝒆𝒔 seems to be of low quality. The 𝑴𝒊𝒙𝒆𝒅 𝑮𝒓𝒊𝒍𝒍 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 was not up to the mark in terms of taste. All these are not an example of a bad day at the kitchen but the same story, everyday. Neither, they take feedback or they try to improve.

I generally avoid going there to eat or to drink. A quick pint of beer or a peg is fine, nothing more than that. The kitchen has no hygiene at all. The behaviour of all the waiters here are just too rude. There is a catch! If you tip them well (as per their demand), you will be served well. Their expectation is high just like the expectation of the gatekeeper. You need to keep a separate budget just for tips, that’s one specialty I find about Oly Pub.

God only knows why people of Kolkata are so much obsessed with this bar!

𝗣 𝗔 𝗥 𝗞 𝗦 𝗧 𝗥 𝗘 𝗘 𝗧 𝗧 𝗔 𝗟 𝗘 𝗦 : 𝗣 𝗔 𝗥 𝗧 𝟮

Whenever people talk about Peter Cat, Park Street, it is to highlight the vintage feel and the 𝑪𝒉𝒆𝒍𝒐 𝑲𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒃 𝑷𝒍𝒂𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓. Since last many years, their signature dish has degraded drastically. Infact, being a food blogger, I found 𝑻𝒓𝒊𝒏𝒄𝒂𝒔 making better Chelo Kebab than Peter Cat. Or, you may say that the platter of Peter Cat remained the same but Trincas came out to be better. Now, people really do not know Trincas for their Chelo Kebab. The kebabs given in the platter are dry, at Peter Cat.

I like the fact that they serve beer in a copper-silver mug. It really gives a vintage feel. The "𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘬𝘯𝘢" (Mixture from Raja Bazaar) is all the same all across Park Street. But, the 𝑰𝒓𝒂𝒏𝒊 𝑲𝒆𝒃𝒂𝒃 of Peter Cat will get .5 points more than any other places on Park Street. They make it perfect.

Therefore, I will go to Peter Cat to try some other dishes but definitely not for the Chelo Kebab that other people go for.

𝗣 𝗔 𝗥 𝗞 𝗦 𝗧 𝗥 𝗘 𝗘 𝗧 𝗧 𝗔 𝗟 𝗘 𝗦 : 𝗣 𝗔 𝗥 𝗧 𝟯

One Step Up at Park Street is known to serve top-notch Continental offerings however, this place serves many other cuisines starting from Chinese to Mughlai.

Few days back, I visited this place with a friend to try something different. Before that, our local gang visited this place for a dinner during last year's Durga Puja. The snap of the 𝐌𝐢𝐱𝐞𝐝 𝐆𝐫𝐢𝐥𝐥 𝐏𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐭𝐞𝐫

was taken during that time.

Before this visit, I was having Continental food very often and hence decided to settle down with a warm bowl of 𝐁𝐮𝐫𝐦𝐞𝐬𝐞 𝐊𝐡𝐚𝐨 𝐒𝐮𝐞𝐲 for myself after gorging on some 𝐅𝐢𝐬𝐡 𝐌𝐞𝐮𝐧𝐢è𝐫𝐞 with 𝐁𝐞𝐞𝐫. There was this plate of 𝐌𝐢𝐱𝐞𝐝 𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐩 𝐒𝐮𝐞𝐲 too.

The Fish Meunière is perhaps one of the bests, I tasted in Kolkata. Anyone visiting this place for a lunch/dinner must try this dish. The fish was fresh, the sauce was prepared perfectly with brown butter, parsley, lemon, garlic, etc along with a generous amount of mushroom in it. 𝐓𝐎𝐓𝐀𝐋!

The Burmese Khao Suey on the other hand was decent. Not like the traditional one that we get at 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒅𝒂'𝒔 𝑲𝒉𝒂𝒖𝒌𝒔𝒘𝒆𝒚 but a decent, comforting bowl served with all the condiments. The Chop Suey was also very good, loaded with meat and prawns and eggs.

Don’t make the same mistake like us by ordering a single dish for one person. Here, the quantity is huge and can easily be shared by two. Though, I managed to complete the Khao Suey all alone, my friend had to pack most of the Chop Suey.

What I like about One Step Up is the politeness of the staffs. They listen to your preferences. On most of the occasions, you will get a seat as soon as you arrive because this place, god knows for what reason, remains not-so-crowded. The Bar Menu is vast and most of the drinks are available.

These places are not at all unknown to the foodies of Kolkata however, 𝐎𝐧𝐞 𝐒𝐭𝐞𝐩 𝐔𝐩 𝐢𝐬 𝐝𝐞𝐟𝐢𝐧𝐢𝐭𝐞𝐥𝐲 𝐮𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐞𝐝!

𝗣 𝗔 𝗥 𝗞 𝗦 𝗧 𝗥 𝗘 𝗘 𝗧 𝗧 𝗔 𝗟 𝗘 𝗦 : 𝗣 𝗔 𝗥 𝗧 𝟒

Mocambo has always been my one-stop place for 𝑫𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒍𝒍𝒆𝒅 𝑪𝒓𝒂𝒃𝒔, and 𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒌𝒔 and few other continental dishes like Chicken Ala Kiev, Cordon Bleu, etc. Not sure, if this was one off day or not, but the last time I went there, the Devilled Crabs were up to the mark. There was no crab meat at all! A very small quantity of crab meat, too much of shell which was covered with cheese & mustard sauce, topped with boiled eggs which was not even fresh. Did the quality seriously go down?

On the other hand, the 𝑪𝒉𝒊𝒄𝒌𝒆𝒏 𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒌 was nice. The pepper-garlic sauce was nicely prepared. The 𝑰𝒓𝒊𝒔𝒉 𝑪𝒉𝒂𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒖𝒃𝒓𝒊𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝑩𝒆𝒆𝒇 𝑺𝒕𝒆𝒂𝒌 was the best of the lot. I opted for medium and the meat was of brilliant quality. Paired the Steaks with some 𝑩𝒓𝒆𝒂𝒅 𝑹𝒐𝒍𝒍𝒔 & 𝒃𝒖𝒕𝒕𝒆𝒓 to make it a meal and the lunch was done. The starter could have been much better though!

I prefer Sizzlers at Trincas nowadays and hence, no Sizzlers here. Sorry, if you are a fan of Mocambo’s Sizzlers! Lastly, the Bar menu is huge here but the stocks are less. Most of the drinks are not available most of the time and finding a good wine at Mocambo is like finding water amidst a desert. They should think about this!

PS : The 𝑴𝒊𝒙𝒆𝒅 𝑴𝒆𝒂𝒕 𝑹𝒊𝒔𝒐𝒕𝒕𝒐 is still the best in Kolkata, I bet!

To be continued....

Kolkata Rolls

This blog will be short. A close friend suddenly told me that I am yet to write a blog on Kolkata Rolls. She was right, this thing did not even come to my mind. 

When it is about Kolkata Rolls, I have few preferences and I am not really a fan of all those places which tops the list of most of the Kolkata-people. For example : Nizam's. I am sure Nizam was the best at one point but not anymore. I am not a kind of person who would go to Nizam's for a Kati Roll. The kebabs are still good but not the roll, which is drenched in oil. If I am paying for a roll, I would not pay it for Nizam's and I am sick and tired of listening to stories of nostalgia and hearing that everything that was good during 1970-1980 's is still the best. Visiting these kind of places once in a while is still fine but calling it to be the best during 2023, is foolishness.

Coming to the point, there are places of mine for a roll.
Kusum's and Hot Kati Rolls on Park Street, Kolkata are my favorites. These two are known to all. However, I would write about these two in a different way.

If you're someone who likes the paratha to be on the softer side,  Hot Kati Rolls will make it for you. Kusum's, on the other hand, make the paratha a bit flaky, a bit on the harder side since it is purely a Lachha paratha. I am someone on a softer-side and that is why you would find me visiting Hot Kati Rolls more than Kusum's. The kebabs that are used at Hot Kati Rolls is smaller in size than that of Kusum's. The variety is more at Kusum's definitely. People go to Hot Kati Rolls if they want a simple Egg Roll, Egg Chicken Roll or a Chicken Roll. But, at Kusum's, rolls with mutton liver, cheese versions and all are also available beside the regular ones. I am not a fan of adding everything and anything in a roll, hence Hot Kati Rolls serves my purpose.

If I have to rate a simple Egg-Chicken Roll, I would give Hot Kati Rolls a rating of 4/5 because I like the paratha to be soft. For Kusum's, it is 3.5/5. This is a personal preference of any individual and it does not go as per the traditional recipe and process of making a roll. 

A simple Egg-Chicken Roll at Hot Kati Rolls comes with the paratha softly fried with an egg, small but 6 pieces of chicken kebabs, onions, chilies, lemon and a masala topping. Sauce is added only if you want. 

In Frame :  Egg - Chicken Roll from Hot Kati Rolls and Kusum's

Coming to other favorites and not an option from Park Street, I simply adore a Chicken Tikia Roll from Bedouin at Gariahat. This is my childhood favorite and anyone who is from South Point School, will be able to relate to this.

This Chicken Tikia Roll is prepared with fried tikia chops which is crushed and put into the roll, added with chopped onions, capsicums and chilies, a masala sprinkled on the top, a bit of lemon is squeezed also and handed over to the customer. Not really a fan of the other rolls from here but definitely try the Chicken Tikia Roll every time. Here, the paratha is much like Kusum's, a typical lachha one but a drier one. But again, the size is huge and one is enough for a quick evening snack. Just at 40 INR.

People do try other varieties here like the Fish Roll and all however, the best-selling item is the Tikia Roll and they do end up preparing more than 500 rolls in a day. Of course, then comes the Egg Roll or the Chicken Roll.

I do remember getting a treat from my mother from this place if I get good marks in any exam during the school days. Of course, getting good marks was a very rare thing for me and hence, the rolls too.
It was not because of my studies but because my father used to like their Tikia Rolls, we used to have it once we are done with the shopping from Gariahat. I remember, the rolls used to less than 20 INR during that time.

SPECIAL MENTIONS :

I generally do not like Rolls which are not the "usual" ones.
However, I found out another type of Roll called "Murgh Pahari Tikka Roll" from Imarat, a Biryani shop on Lake Road. This specific roll is prepared with a Tandoori Roti and not with a Paratha. Inside, you will find chunks of soft Chicken Tikka, topped with onions and their special green chutney. The roll is soft and it tastes heaven. The person who asked me to write this specific blog  from Kolkata tasted the roll and was immediately blown away. You can check out my small review on this roll here. This is a must-try if you are willing to try a different kind of roll. 

Another roll which I must write about is the one that Gopal Da prepares. Gopal Da or Gopal Da'r Dokan is our local shop at Golf Club Road and perhaps, the first snacks bar of our local gang.
If you know Atalanta Club at Tollygunge, you can go and ask anyone and he/she will let you know where this snack shop is. You will not find it on Google Maps or anywhere but the roll is a mighty one.
I still stick to the plain and simple Egg Roll or an Egg-Chicken one, but Rahul would come down to Kolkata and will have a "customized" one which will have egg-chicken-mutton and what not! This type is not even mentioned on the menu but we get a special treatment. It won't be a sin if I mention this Roll as "Rahul's Roll". It is a mandatory to gorge on this Roll every year during the Durga Puja. That roll is a gem, trust me. I am sure each and every locality or para of Kolkata will have their special "dokan" or "shop" for all these items. Gopal Da is such!

Note : Another shop which I love is Anamika Roll Center at New Alipore, however it is been long that I haven't visited this place and I am not sure how the quality is, nowadays. The last time I had a roll from Anamika was during 2017. This is also a similar kind of shop like Gopal Da's, a small cart-like, local snacks bar but famous for the rolls. You can check out the location here. I will visit soon and update this blog with a review and a snap.

What is your favorite place to have a roll? Let me know in the comment section. This is one street-food which makes Kolkata look like "Kolkata" and I can gorge on one or two at any time. 

Coming back real soon with a new blog!

In the interim, you might be interested to follow my Instagram handle or my Facebook Profile. Feel free to leave a honest feedback too, it will take less than a minute!

Note : 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂 𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘/𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒏𝒂𝒑𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕.

Email - foodiedibyajit@gmail.com

Blog and Image Courtesy : Foodie Dibyajit

The King of Egg Devils

Nowadays, I am exploring the Cabins of Kolkata. I am trying to cover all of them, one by one. In this journey, I happened to visit Niranjan Agar which is also known as The King of Egg Devils.

How to go?

If you are taking Metro as your mode of transport, get down at Girish Park and exit through gate number 2, on your left you will find Niranjan Agar.

You can check the Google Map here

History of Niranjan Agar :

If you follow my blogs, you must know that I love to dig into history. Especially, if it is an old eatery or restaurant or a cabin.

Niranjan Agar was not at all a big shop when it was started by Niranjan Hazra. He started selling chops and cutlets during 1922 and his regular customers were officers and businessmen who wanted to take a quick snack with their evening tea before going home. It is from this very place, the egg devils gathered much fame.

The small shop became a large one. Now, there are two parts of Niranjan Agar – one side got renovated, plastic chairs and tables came in, a television found it’s place too and the old fans were replaced by new ones. The other part will bring you the feel of the old with wooden benches and tables, a low ceiling and a big fan above your head which we could easily see in trams few years back. I love this part.

I went to Niranjan Agar on a Thursday. Now, the menu changes on a Thursday and it is different from the rest of the days. Earlier in Kolkata (when it was Calcutta!), it was tradition that mutton would not be sold on Thursdays. Since then, Niranjan Agar also do not keep any mutton items on their menu on Thursdays. Check out the menu below :

I do not have mutton if it is not minced and I avoid any kind of red meat. So, the unavailability of mutton items was not an issue to me. I ordered one Fowl Cutlet and the same was fulfilled within 5 minutes. A great Fowl Cutlet with some salad and a home-made mustard sauce which is super strong to smell and taste. Kolkata Sen rates the Fowl Cutlet – 4 stars out of 5 stars.

Once I am done with Fowl Cutlet, I took a glance on the menu card and ordered a Fish Fry. If you’re visiting a cabin of Kolkata and not having a Fish Fry, it is a sin. This also came on the table within 5 minutes along with the salad and the kasundi. Oh wow, the Bhetki fillet is well-marinated, the taste is brilliant though the size is not huge. If the size is huge, 90 out of 100 times, there is a chance that fillers are more than the fish or the chicken. Again, a 4 out of 5 stars!

I was a bit upset when I heard that their egg items are over. On Thursdays, they do not serve Egg Devils since it is prepared using minced mutton however, they do serve Egg Chops. All the egg items at Niranjan Agar is prepared using duck eggs and yes, you will get an egg- I mean, a full one!

Egg Chops and Egg Curry was over though I entered the shop within one and half hours of the starting of business hours. Such is the demand of the egg items of this place and by now, I know why people love the egg items of this place.

Well, there is always a next time and when I go to this place again, my picks from the menu will be Egg Curry with Toasts, Vegetable Chop and Egg Devils.

While I was gorging on the Fish Fry, an old man entered and sat just opposite to me. He learnt that I write about food and I like history and therefore, he gave me few suggestions and told me some stories.

He mentioned that :

If you are coming to Niranjan Agar on any days except Thursdays, you must try the Mutton Liver Curry and the Mutton Kofta. I used to work at Raj Bhavan of Kolkata and Niranjan Agar used to be the only cabin which was allowed to send food items and snacks for the officials of Raj Bhavan without any prior permission. This was back in 1980s. I have seen Uttam Kumar and many other celebrities coming to Niranjan Agar for their Egg Devils or Egg Curry and Roti.

This place has been standing there and serving their customers since last 100 years, to be exact. Needless to say, they got many recognitions and awards for their service, however the one below is a prestigious one, indeed.

Timing :

This place remains open from 4 PM to 9 PM on all days. However, the earlier you go, the chances of getting the best-selling items is more. 

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Note : 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂 𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘/𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒏𝒂𝒑𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕.

Email - foodiedibyajit@gmail.com

Blog and Image Courtesy : Foodie Dibyajit

Hamro Momo, Kolkata

If you love Momo and if you’re from Kolkata, I’m sure you must have visited Momo Gully at least for once. Well, the stretch of the Suburban Road or Hospital Road towards Sambhunath Pandit Hospital is called Momo Gully mainly because of the four Momo shops that we have. This lane runs parallel to Bishop Lefroy Road where Late Satyajit Ray used to live and now, the lane is called Satyajit Ray Dharani.

Now, coming to this lane, you will see a series of restaurants in this lane. There is Tibetan Delight in the next lane which, for unknown reasons, remains closed on most of the days, post-pandemic. Then comes Momo Plaza which was once good but now, the hygiene and cleanliness at this place has gone for a toss. They changed the cook and now, the food is highly inconsistent. Just beside Momo Plaza, you will find Orchid, which has got no significant changes in quality but increased the price of the items unnecessarily after a renovation. In fact, Orchid has the highest pricelist amongst all, making a difference of almost 50-60 INR/plate than the rest.

Then comes Hamro Momo, one of the best places in Kolkata to have Momo.

A bit about the history of Hamro Momo :

Just opposite to Hamro Momo, you will find a huge house which belongs to an advocate. If I am not wrong, an ex head judge of Calcutta High Court used to live there. This house had a Nepali gatekeeper who used to stay in a small, dingy place opposite to this house and this place later became Hamro Momo. The gatekeeper, along with his wife used to sell Momo during the evening and I heard from my father that they used to give 6-7 pieces along with a bowl of clear soup at just 2 rupees. During the summer, they used to visit their hometown at Nepal pausing the sell of Momo. This was during 1990 and Kolkata was not habituated with Momo. If I am not wrong, Hamro Momo is the second restaurant in Kolkata which started selling Momo. Later during 1993, a Singh family from Bhowanipore got this place, did not make much changes and started selling Momo. In addition, they started off with Noodles, Fried Rice and side dishes too. Needless to say, people started gathering for their Momo. Now, this place is handled by two brothers of the Sign family, Dinesh and Vikash whom you will meet on alternate days.

This place has kept the quality intact which is evident from the customers it gets on any given day. I was introduced to this place by my uncle. I remember having Momo from here during my childhood. Still, I visit this place very often especially for their Momo and Chinese dishes.

Here, you will get 4 kinds of Momo : steamed, fried, pan-fried and deep fan-fried. My favorites are steamed and deep pan-fried. At the same time, there are 3 versions too – Vegetable Momo, Chicken Momo and Pork Momo. Each and every plate comes with 5 huge pieces of Momo and a bowl of clear soup. You must not miss their spicy Momo sauce which they prepare on their own and do not buy. The price varies from 90 INR/plate to 150 INR/plate depending on the type of momos you order. This is perhaps the only place which serves the bowl of clear soup with all types of Momo.

The other day Vikas mentioned :

We still see a demand of Pork Momo more than the Chicken Momo and we generally do not sell much of Vegetable Momo except to few non-Bengali customers who are strictly vegetarians.

People who know me, they know my love for Hamro Momo. I had my first Momo from this place and till date, I go there almost 3 times in a month and I just do not order Momo only. I like the simple bowl of Egg-Chicken Thukpa that they prepare. I get a feel of the taste of hills. A plate of Momo and a bowl of Thukpa here is a meal, itself.

In case, you are tired with Momo and Thukpa or if you have a large gang for a lunch or a dinner, you can go through their menu card to try their Chinese dishes. I love Fried Rice along with a Chicken side-dish and you’ll see me gorging on Egg-Chicken Fried Rice and Chili Chicken/Hot Garlic Chicken very often. I am not a big fan of fish and hence, I try to not order fish. Each and every main course here is sufficient for two hungry souls, quantity-wise and each and every side-dish comes with 8 good pieces, be it a chicken-side dish or a fish or a pork dish! I must say to all to try their Chili Pork (dry) as a starter though it can be taken a side-dish too. Another favorite of mine from Hamro is their Gravy Noodles. They make it like heaven!

There are few starters you should not miss from this place. Just like I mentioned about their Dry Chili Pork, you must not miss their Pan-fried Fish in Schezwan Sauce.

Very often, I dream of their Hot Garlic Chicken which I usually take as a side with my Fried Rice. Every damn time, they make it brilliantly perfect.

Hamro Momo is always very consistent with their quality and taste. Firstly, they use good ingredients and secondly, their cooks did not change for a long time. Tibetan Delight in the next lane also keeps their quality and taste consistent but this is the problem with Orchid and Momo Plaza and they fail to keep these aspects stable.

Points to be check :

1. Hamro Momo remains open on a all days from 12.30 PM to 9.30 PM but if you have specific plans to have Momo, you must not visit post 8 PM. Momo are the best-selling items here and they run out of stock even before their shop closes.

2. Do not expect a great ambience. As mentioned earlier, this was a one room-kitchen of a gatekeeper and no changes are done yet. Therefore, there will be no AC, you might need to share tables with others (12-15 people can eat together at a time!) and the first impression of the restaurant might not be an appealing one for you. But, their kitchen has a magic, their food is top-notch.

3. Hamro Momo prefers cash payments but you can also use UPI.

4. For directions, check the link of Google Map here

During my last visit, I did a small reel on Hamro Momo. Check it out here.

Coming back real soon with a new blog!

In the interim, you might be interested to follow my Instagram handle or my Facebook Profile. Feel free to leave a honest feedback too, it will take less than a minute!

Note : 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂 𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘/𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒏𝒂𝒑𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕.

Email - foodiedibyajit@gmail.com

Blog and Image Courtesy : Foodie Dibyajit

A hidden gem for Chinese Cuisine at Kolkata

We, the people of Kolkata are always looking for new places to eat our favorite Chinese food. When some stick to their old choices of restaurants, I know many who keeps on exploring the city to find out new restaurants for Chinese cuisine.

Pou Hing is one such eating house at Teritti Bazaar(The oldest China Town of India) which is over-shadowed by Tung Nam, another legendary eating house in the same area. People head straight towards Tung Nam more often than they visit Pou Hing. I would definitely call Pou Hing as one of the hidden gems of the city simply because of the food that they serve. If you’re looking for ambiance, you will be disappointed. An air-conditioner at an eating house is a luxury. This place has been operational for more than 22 years and they are pretty good at what they are doing.

This place remains open on all days except Sunday. Located at Suniyat Street Lane at Poddar Court, this place is easily noticed by the bright white sign board. Get inside and order your favorite dishes but at the same time, do not forget to taste few more dishes which are the specialties of this place.

Check out the list below :

Chicken Wontons
Volcano Chicken (starter)/Drinking Wings
Mei Foon/Fun (They seriously make one of the best Mei Foons in the city!)
Chicken Black Garlic (I tried this for the first time just few days back and I simply loved the flavor that they put in this dish)

Earlier, I tried their Mixed Fried Rice with Hot Garlic Chicken and I liked the combo.

Why does Pou Hing stand apart?

Each and every dish at this place are prepared with authenticity and they use the sauces which is prepared in their own factory with the same name. If you wish, you can even buy a variety of Chinese sauces and masalas from the showroom adjacent to the restaurant. At the same time, the quantity of each and every dish is more than enough for two hungry souls. The quality and the quantity truly justify the pricing of every dish. Check out the pocket pinch and other necessary information at the end of this blog.

You will be disappointed if you are a pork-lover because this place do not serve pork. In that case, Tung Nam (a few steps away from Pou Hing) is the place for you.

Notes :

This place remain closed on Sundays.
Pocket Pinch : 500 INR for two which includes a starter, a main course & a side dish. Ideally a budget of 700 INR will be more than sufficient for two people if you want to explore the menu list.
Location on Google Map : Check it here

Coming back real soon with a new blog!

In the interim, you might be interested to follow my Instagram handle or my Facebook Profile. Feel free to leave a honest feedback too, it will take less than a minute!

Note : 𝑻𝒉𝒊𝒔 𝒊𝒔 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒂 𝒑𝒂𝒊𝒅 𝒓𝒆𝒗𝒊𝒆𝒘/𝒑𝒐𝒔𝒕. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒕𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒆 𝒔𝒏𝒂𝒑𝒔 𝒂𝒓𝒆 𝒏𝒐𝒕 𝒕𝒐 𝒃𝒆 𝒖𝒔𝒆𝒅 𝒇𝒐𝒓 𝒂𝒏𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒐𝒖𝒕 𝒄𝒐𝒏𝒔𝒆𝒏𝒕.

Email - foodiedibyajit@gmail.com

Blog and Image Courtesy : Foodie Dibyajit