Apr 2017:
Bengali Thali With 18 Veg Items @ Charnock's, Kolkata, India ☺
Food Event: Nababarsher Mahavoj
Duration: 15 - 16 Apr 2017
Time: 12:00 pm - 4:00 pm, 7:30 pm - 11:00 pm
Situated on the 9th floor of Charnock City i.e. the building at a small distance, on the left of AMRI Hospital (Salt Lake), Charnock's is an 82 seater multicuisine restaurant, with magnificent top view and old Victorian style interior.
It's an 'L' shaped restaurant with an active bar and two rectangular 'baramdas', which are basically semi enclosed settings on elevated platforms, meant for live singings and renditions on special occasions. One of the walls is adorned with a life size pencil sketch of Lord Ganesha by Late M F Hussain. Apparently, the legendary painter was present at the restaurant's inauguration in 1998. That is when he sketched it live!
To usher in the upcoming 'Poila Baisakh' i.e. the Bengali New Year, that falls on 15 Apr 2017, Charnock's is serving 'Nababarsher Mahavoj' i.e. new year's mega meal, on 15 and 16 April 2017, for both lunch and dinner. This sumptuous Thali comprises of authentic Bengali Cuisine. It is available in both veg and non veg options.
I was humbled to receive their exclusive invite for the pre-tasting of their Vegetarian Thali. Encompassing a total of 18 items, the Thali comprises of the following items -
- Beverage -
- Aampora Sorbet: This was the usual sweet and tangy, fit for summers raw mango coolant. It tasted nice.
- Starter -
- Karaisuti Narkeler Chop: Two circular pea and coconut based fritters/chops were served. They were piping hot, fresh, dense in composition and tasted excellent.
- Majar Bhaja: It comprised of thin, mid sized and fried potato juliennes. Some fried flat rice (chidwa) grains were also mixed in it. It tasted average.
- Main Course (Sabjis) -
- Sona Moong Dal Masala & Narkel Dea Chholar Dal: This was the quintessential Bengali yellow dal, with a nice coconut flavor and mildly sweet taste. It tasted very nice.
- Lau Bori Chhochori: It was a sabji made of ash gourd and lentils fritters. It tasted nice.
- Baygun Basanti Masala: It comprised of a well roasted and elegantly spiced vertical half of a long and thin brinjal, with it's outer peel and stem intact. It was perfectly cooked and tasted very nice.
- Suktani: This item was not served for pre-tasting.
- Patol Posto: This item was not served for pre-tasting.
- Mochar Paturi: It comprised of a well steamed mocha aka banana flower concoction, consisting of hung curd, cumin and mustard-chilli paste. Shaped into a square, this delicacy came wrapped in a banana leaf wrapping. It was soft, little spicy, flavorsome and tasted very nice.
- Chhanar Malaicurry: Medium sized, soft and shallow fried cottage cheese balls came dipped in a creamy curry of subtle spicing. The dish tasted very nice.
- Enchorer Kofta Kalia: It comprised of fried jackfruit dumplings, dipped in a spicy curry. It tasted nice.
- Roti & Rice -
- Misti Kumror Pur Dea Palong Kachuri: These were fried pooris, wherein the dough was infused with spinach puree and the pooris were stuffed with a mildly sweet stuffing made of mashed yellow pumpkin!
This kind of poori, was first of sorts for me and it tasted very nice. In fact, it tasted better sans any accompanying vegetable. If served with some nice pickle and tea, it would make for a wonderful evening snack.
- Ghee Bhat: This item was not served for pre-tasting.
- Rammohan Dorma Pulao: It was a slightly yellow colored sweet rice dish, infused with fried cashews. It was garnished with few glazed cherries on top. It tasted nice.
- Condiment -
- Aamsattya Khejurer Chutney: In true Bengali eating style, this 'aam papda' and dates based, thick and sweet chutney was served at the end of the meal, just before the serving of desserts.
I asked for some papad and the servers were kind enough to get me some, which I relished with this chutney. The combo tasted excellent.
- Dessert -
- Kamala Kulfi & Drunken Boondi: This was an amazing and addictive in-house made dessert, wherein a half of a vertically slit mango was served over a bed of juicy 'boondis'. However, the yellow pulpy semi liquid encased in the bowl shaped mango peel, was not the fruit itself, but an ice cream made out of mango pulp!
Apparently, the restaurant uses a special technique, wherein they extract the mango pulp, create the ice cream concoction and insert it back inside the mango peel casing, without actually damaging or slicing the mango peel!
This ice cream was quite a revelation. It paired well with 'boondis', which were also nice in taste.
- Baked Rosogolla: This item was not served for pre-tasting.
- Palate Cleanser -
- Misti Paan: I was in no mood to rinse off the heavenly mango taste from my mouth and conscience, so I refrained from consuming this.
The entire meal was served in a traditional manner, on clay (kachhi matti) utensils. The dinner plate was covered with a circular banana leaf. The food items were served on top of the banana leaf.
Overall, the Veg Thali had all the primary and festive ingredients of the Bengali Cuisine. All the items were well made and served in good portions.
The staff were courteous and well trained.
Price of Usual Veg Thali: Rs. 895/- plus taxes
Price of Junior Veg Thali: Rs. 450/- plus taxes
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