I am a psychologist. On the first day of my undergrad class I was taught- sensation is the most elementary of all cognitive processes. Any sensory experience that involves the simultaneous arousal of sight, touch, sound, smell and taste leaves a long term mark on the brain. This evening at Manzilat I found this facet of psychology in action.
The food here smells beautiful, looks amazing, tastes great, the warm and comforting voice of the hostess (chef and owner) is a treat to the ears and unlike other restaurants serving Awadhi cuisine the food does not leave the hands uncomfortably coated with grease.
A quintesential Bangali like me needs three things to be satisfied with a restaurant 1.The pocket pinch (khorcha). 2.The taste (swadh). 3.The service (athitiyota). Manzilat gets 5/5 on all these markers in the checklist.
Manzilat translates to place in Urdu. I would add soulful to the meaning.
(Onek deen por kothao kheye bhalo laglo)
This review was long overdue as my family and I had feasted on Manzilat's Biryani and Galawti Kabab a week ago.
To me, some of the things that made this food stand apart are -
Biryani - the lightest biryani I have ever eaten with absolutely no overpowering smell of kewra or ittar and no uneasiness even after eating one entire box of it. The flavor was just perfect and the most commendable part was the mutton which was cooked to ultimate perfection!
Galawti Kababs - The galawtis really melted in our mouths! Can't deny. It was the showstopper for me. I could possibly survive on them for a meal. I will do that next time Manzie di :)
While my mom and maasi could not stop talking about the biryani for 2 whole days, I quietly left Kolkata planning what all to order from Manzie di on my next trip. Overall, I am a very satisfied customer and hope to cherish my friendship and the common love for food with Manzie di for years to come!
![Facebook]( "Recensione")
Well well well ... Finally managed to be here and satiate my awadhi appetite after a long time. This is a small but 'big in heart' eaterie located few hundred meters near the Ruby General Hospital, run by Mrs. Manzilat Fatima who is also the cook of most of the food you eat there, if not at least all the recipes are from her lucknowi lineage. She being the direct descendant of Nawaab Wazid Ali Shah, the food you eat there has maintained it's charm through century old recipe's. Do try the Galawati Kebabs, they will melt in your mouth and will melt your heart with happiness for sure. The biriyani she prepares tastes quite different from most of the biriyanis you have had in Kolkata. And make no mistake this is by far the closest you can taste biriyani at it's historic form when it entered Calcutta. To add to, Manzi's hospitality makes you feel at home instantly and the food becomes tastier when you chat about her. So why wait friends?! If you love biriyani filled with the aroma of awadhi royal cuisine reserve your place soon.
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