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.

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A South-Kolkata cabin called Cafe

Cabins at South Kolkata are very rare. You won't get much options except Sanguvalley at Bhowanipore and one more inside Gariahat Market, the name of which is forgotten by me at this point.

For Cabins of Kolkata, people will run to North Kolkata.

Just at Hazra Moore, there is a cabin called Cafe. Not sure, if they had the same name earlier too but if they are using this name since 1937 (that’s when they started operating), I feel it’s very innovative. I do not think ‘cafe’ is a word which was used so frequently during that time, at least at Calcutta.

For the exact location, click here

The cabin will welcome you with a touch of old Calcutta (I like to call this!), with wooden windows and doors, chairs and benches, the typical marble-top tables. The menu board is not very big and I think it is there since the beginning, except the prices getting updated.

The place is supervised by the current owner who is around 70 years old and customers are handled by two waiters who will bring everything you order with a smile on their face.

I took a seat and ordered a Chicken Fry. Needless to say, this is a must-try of mine if I am visiting any cabins. The order came on the table within the next five minutes, freshly fried in between. I would not say that the taste is out of this world but it is not bad either. I quite liked it. I checked the other tables shamelessly and found that the highest-selling items at this place are Fish Fry, Kobiraji (both Mutton and Chicken), Mutton/Chicken Stew with Bread Toasts. Now, I am done with my Chicken Fry and it is time to order the most famous dish of this place – Pudding.

This pudding is not the usual one that we have at home but it is tasty, loaded with nuts and raisins and topped with a foam-like caramel. Definitely, the super-star of this place! Check the snaps below :

After these two items, I was willing to try a fish item too. I eyed on their Fish Roll but I had no one to share the roll with and on top of that, I had a Fish Roll just few days back from Campari at Gariahat and I wanted that taste to remain for few more days. There is always a next time and then, I will try their fish items.

Coming to the quality and the size/quantity of the items, it’s good. However, the price could have been a little less! My bill was 210 INR (130 INR for the Chicken Fry and 80 INR for the Pudding) but here, the Chicken and the Mutton dishes cost the same. For example : You will get Chicken/Mutton Stew for 200 INR. Similarly, be it a Chicken Kabiraji or a Fish Kabiraji, the price is 160 INR.

However, I feel that places like these needs to survive. Honestly!

Therefore, spending 500 INR for 2 people is justified. If you go to a modern café, a bill of 1000 INR for 2 is like a regular input to the billing system.

While I was having the food there, I saw a woman who probably came there after a long-time to pack her snacks. At the same time, I saw some aged-couples too who took a corner and enjoyed their Kobiraji. Outside, you will see some ‘office babus’ and local people, occupying a chair and having their regular dose of adda and snacks with tea or coffee. Yes, tea and coffee is also available here and they will customize the same for you as per your order.

Time : Everyday from 3 PM to 9 PM
Nearest Metro Station : Jatin Das Park
Payment Mode : Cash and UPI

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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.

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Allen Kitchen – A Tale

 Allen Kitchen at Sobha Bazaar, Kolkata 

Allen Kitchen is one of those iconic eateries which is famous for their Prawn Cutlet. This place started off with 5 branches, however it has been reduced to only 1 at this point of time and they have no connection with Allen Kitchen — Saveurs De Calcutta which is located at Hazra junction. The name came from their head cook & also because of the fact that their first branch started off from Allen Market at Chitpur. The shop is run by Saha family since beginning. Allen Kitchen is standing tall since last 130 years serving chops, cutlets and Kobirajis.

How to reach?

The easiest mode of transportation will be Metro Rail. Get down at Sobha Bazaar, use gate number 1 for exit and walk towards Girish Park. Leave 3 lanes on the left side and you will see Allen Kitchen with a very bright signboard.

They are open on all days from 5 PM to 9.30 PM however you might need to wait a bit on Saturdays and Sundays due to more footfall.

Coming to the food, they serve Chicken/Fish/Mutton Kobiraji and the Prawn Cutlet/Kobiraji which are fried using desi ghee and they use refine oil to fry the other items like Fish/Chicken fries and Chops. It is not humanly possible to try all the items of the menu card at one go and I kept few for the next visit.

What I ordered?

I was accompanied by a fried and we decided to start off with the famous Prawn Cutlet. Fried using desi ghee, the coating was crunchy and the filling of prawns would just melt in the mouth. 8/10 for this though the size of the prawn inside the cutlet is becoming smaller day by day and the coating is becoming larger.  Next came, a Chicken Batter Fry which is again fried using desi ghee and the coating was similar to the Prawn Cutlet, with a soft, perfectly-balanced taste of the chicken fillet. Check the snaps below :

During my last visit, I tried their Chicken Steak and I wanted my friend to try this dish. The steak is not the usual steak which we get at Mocambo or other places, however their steak is also a great dish to taste. Minced chicken/mutton is mixed with spices and seasoning before being fried lightly and served with a brownish, runny gravy which is a bit tangy in taste along with a perfect balance of a pepper sauce, served with caramelized onions on top which gives a sweet taste too.

Hold on, we are still not done!

Any visit to these old-school legendary snacks bar is incomplete without Egg Devils and Fries. At Allen Kitchen, you will find two types of Devils being served. One is prepared with fish and the other one, with minced mutton which can be regarded as the most common one. We ordered the second version. Here, devils are prepared using a whole egg and not a half one.

The filling was good, the coating was absolutely thin. I liked it.

We ended the the food journey for the evening with a Chicken Cutlet.

Needless to say, this also did not disappoint us in terms of taste however, I felt that the proportion of onions in the coating was on the higher side. It might not be an issue to many.

Since Allen Kitchen is known to be constant with their taste and quality, the price of the items is a bit on the higher side. Definitely, worth every penny that you spend. The updated menu card and price is given below. During my next visit, I am planning to gorge on some fish items along with the Prawn Cutlet.

The place is now renovated and do expect a clean seating arrangement, though not big. The staffs are all very polite and food is served here in no time. I was busy eating and forgot to capture snaps of the interior.

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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