Sancharini Sen

On the way to Gariahat shopping, one might come across the oldest and most famous  chanachur shop of Kolkata in Kalighat, which has been reigning for over ninety-five years now. Ujjala Chanachur stands in its glory on Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Road, Kalighat. Ramchandra Prasad is the current proprietor of the shop. Aged Arjun Prasad and his partner can be found sitting inside, occupying opposite sides of the shop. Their day begins at 7 o' clock in  the morning and goes on till 7 P.M. One might be curious as to how the journey of Ujjala Chanachur began. The originators were from Benaras and Gujarat. Their legacy is still being carried by their descendants.    The shop itself not very large and dainty. Infact, it is quite small with minimal decorations. Decorations include pictures of various deities, a small menu card, a lot of samples for display.  All of sorts of snacks ranging from classic Chire bhaja , Badam bhaja (fried pe...

Champaran ki Rasoi is widely known for their unique mouth-watering chicken, mutton as well as vegetarian food preparations. One of the most remarkable preparation is the Ahuna. Chicken Ahuna and Mutton Ahuna, both have an impeccable taste. It is an important part of Bihari cuisine. Champaran ki Rasoi is an outlet behind to Acropolis Mall, at Rajdanga near Kasba. Gawa Ghee, in place of regular mustard or white oil, is used in preparation of Ahuna. Desi Murg Ahuna is prepared in an earthen pot sealed and fully covered with charcoal. Raw chicken pieces along with whole garlic, ginger, onion and various North Indian in-house spices are put in together and cooked for a stipulated time in that pot. It oozes with a divine aroma of chicken swathed in garlic and the innumerous flavours of North Bihar. Since the garlic cloves are cooked intact, thus giving a special taste to it. Every mouthful of this dish bursts with piquancy.  The Mutton Ahuna is prepared the same way, but with mutton inst...

Bianco is one of the best places to meet up with close ones. It is located on Ekdalia Road, beside Ekdalia Evergreen club, the famous club known for Durga Puja . Live performances also take place at Bianco during the flee market season. The ambient is calm, quiet and tranquil. It is a two-storied building. The ground floor is decorated in white. The most mentionable part of Bianco is the wall of fame. It contains framed photographs of numerous famous artists starting from Elvis Presley, Marilyn Monroe to Lady Gaga. A couple of flight of stairs led to the next floor. The wallpapers contain abstract paintings of various food items. The other wallpaper depicts old Kolkata streets with Bianco standing in its glory. This floor is decorated more in black than white. Even the lamp shades were decorative cups and saucers. The decoration truly deserves extra credit.  Even though the creative variation of the menu is not very high nor are ther...

 On a warm July afternoon, one might find themselves at the hospitable service of Firangi Dhaba. It is situated in Bidhannagar, Sector Five, Salt Lake.  The ambience is very enthusiastic, energetic. Punjabi songs are played on speakers, the entire time. The television had Sanjeev Kapoor and other chef's famous recipes on. It is a lot less busier on weekends compared to weekdays.  The menu had a wide range of flavors, from all over India as well as Asia. Dragon Rolls Firangi Style are the best way to start the meal. The cream and cheese just melt right in the exact taste buds.  For non-vegetarian lovers, the non-veg Firangi Platter is the best choice. The platter consists of 6 pairs of chicken, mutton and fish preparations, namely, two kinds of chicken kababs, two kinds of mutton kababs, a fish preparation and a galouti. It is served with a vivid range of sauces and salad.  The main course should begin with Nasi Goreng. It is an Indonesian rice preparation, serve...

Kabir's stands out as the first Turkish restaurant in Kolkata located at Ganesh Chandra Avenue. Every food item ranging from beverages to deserts is a Turkish delicacy.  Right from the entrance we can see Turkish decors. Turkish lamps are the epitome of exotic interior design, giving the house a touch of drama and mystique. They are made with cracked or broken pieces of glass.  Although the place was small, it had the perfect turkish atmosphere for enjoying the food.  One of the most remarkable items was Tuvak Kebap Platter (half or full) which had assorted chicken kebaps. There are usually 5-6 types of kebaps. Mutton Adana Kebap is prepared of minced mutton flavored with in-house spices, green herbs and grilled over charcoal. There is a unique taste to it.  One might be wondering the difference between kebaps and kebabs. In American English, kebab with no qualification refers to shish kebab cooked on a skewer, whereas ...

The legendary Debabrata Biswas, popularly known as George-da, had lived at 174E, Rashbehari Avenue. A few years back, Arnab Mitra and Ananya Mitra took the initiative of preserving this prestigious gift, by turning it into a beautiful and homely Cafe. It's not any ordinary Cafe one would assume it to be.  Ever green Rabindra-sangeets sang by George-da are played at all times. It truly brings out the Bangliana in one.  The ground floor used to be his living room, which has now been converted into the Cafe kitchen along with 3 tables. The phrase "wall of fame" is really brought to life. The first wall one would encounter is filled with innumerable accolades, awards, and George-da's other lifetime worth of honor. The windows were still covered with khosh-khosh , as one would know to be sunshades in English.  Two flight of stairs led to the next floor, the wall being covered w...