Hatari, Rashbehari Avenue, Enjoy the Queue!

Hatari is quite a known place in South Calcutta and quite known to me by the address. I have heard a lot about the good quality of food and of course witnessed the surprisingly long queue for table in from of Hatari. For no reason, I could not make it to Hatari till last month.

Finally it was a pleasant Saturday afternoon and I was quite hungry. I was with one of my close friend and after lot of discussion we decided to visit Hatari. We actually thought we would find a table for two easily but to all our surprise there was a queue of around 10 people waiting for table. We registered our name and requested for a table for two. after 30 mins, we were asked to went inside and we got our table.

1000 watt Hatari expectations suddenly dimmed like 25 watt. The ambiance was very old and not up to the mark. A bit of disappointment for both of us and judgment by then was all upon the food. The order was taken quite quickly and we ordered Crispy Chillie Baby Corn as starter, followed by mixed Hakka Noodle and Hunan Chicken. I tried Hunan Chicken before in Bar-b-Que, Park Street and it was Hot and Spicy. I ordered it with the same expectations.

Here comes our food now. First the Crispy Baby Corn. It was okay I can say. I have tasted better snack than this. The noodle was really good. Good in both taste and quantity. We really enjoyed it. What about the Hunan Chicken? What was that? A white, semi-clear, soup-like course with bell-peppers and shredded chicken for a Jaundice Patient? My liver even rejected it after having a little portion. I really do not know, who is right. Is it Hot and Spicy BBQ one or this broth for stomach upset? I have never been to Hunan Province, China however Wiki says BBQ was quite right about Hunan Cuisine. So don't be sure about the food, better ask them than being surprised.

Now if you want me to rate it, there are different components, Ambiance 2.5 out of 5, food 3 out of 5 and for price and service 3.5 out of 5. I must mention about the prolonged queue while leaving the place.

Here are glimpse of food we had...

Disaster at Dhakai Biriyani House, Sector V, Saltlake

When this new food centre opened in Saltlake, Sector 5 (near WEBEL bus stand) this month, a lot of locals must have expected to get quality biriyani and specially mutton delicacies, because the name “Dhakai Biriyani House” is legendary in Kolkata for its quality from numerous outlets across the city.

Soon after it was opened, I visited to taste the Biriyani and Mutton Kasha on a special occasion. And must say it was the worst meal I had experienced. 

The food was of poor quality in all aspect. When I started on the Biryani it wasn’t even enough hot and I couldn’t feel any kind of flavour at all. There was hardly any spice in it (may be they tried to make it healthy ;) ). Same with the Mutton Kasha obviously. However the quantity was the only parameter which satisfies.

Apart from the taste and quality, I was disappointed with their service too. The Service Crews were absolutely lazy to attend the customer. They even forgot to offer a glass of water and the complimentary salad.
 

The price was comparatively cheap. Mutton Biryani was priced Rs.120/-, Chicken Biryani at Rs.110/-, Mutton Chap was Rs.60/- and Chicken Chap Rs.50/- only and there was no extra variety  :( 

They have never focused on environment in any outlet and it was same here so the overall experience was damn bad. I can rate it only 3 out of 10 and they get 2 points for the price. So it is absolutely not recommended to have Biryani from Dhakai Biryani House.

The Oval, DLF IT Park I, Newtown, Rajarhat

After a long wait I made it to The Oval finally. Thanks to Shyamal Da for such a wonderful Lunch on his birthday. 25th June was his very special Birthday and he offered us the great lunch. Though we had a little confusion over too many options but Oval was the final one and probably the best one on this occasion.

We reached there around 2:30 pm and found it a lonely place. Except the service crews, we could not find anyone else. That was a thing to worry about!! Not only that but we also expected a buffet which we discovered as a Friday Special. But we made our mind and we could not decide anything else and took the table without any hesitation.

One of us suggested to go for Indian Cuisine but two of disagreed (we were 7 that day). So we ordered Chinese for them (it turned out to be a great decision as I got the chance to judge the Chinese Cuisine too) and Indian for 5 of us.

On the Chinese we ordered Mixed Hakka Chowmein and Devil's Chicken on the side. For us we ordered Lahsuni (garlic) Dal Tarka, Dal Oval (a special Yellow Dal), Mutton Do-Pyaza and Butter Naan.

Let's talk about Chinese first. The Chowmein was nice, good in taste, nice texture and looked healthy as well. Devil's Chicken was the Bombshell. tasty and Juicy Chicken balls in a tangy red sauce nicely flavoured with Garlic. I would surely try that dish someday with my family.

Among the Indian Dishes I liked the Lahsuni Dal Tarka the most and disliked the Mutton Do-Pyaza. The Dal Tarka was rich with Desi Ghee. It was normal Black Dal (Kali Dal) with lots of Lahsun or Garlic. It was tasty with the Butter Naan. The Dal Oval was pretty ordinary but can't complain but being the only Non-Veg dish the Mutton Do-Pyaza really disappointed me. It was dull with both flavour and Taste. The meat part were rear though it was the costliest dish on our table.

Now lets talk about cost. I must say it's a bit costly but worthy for sure. for e.g. the Dal's were for Rs.135/- each, Chowmein was for Rs.200/-, Devil's chicken was priced Rs.260/- a plate, Moutton Do-Pyaza costs Rs.325/- a Plate, and the Naans were for Rs.55/- each. Quantity was ok I'd say.

Overall experience was nice and I enjoyed being there. The ambiance was nice.  7 on 10 so far. Will visit once again for sure.

A Chinese Experience at Chinhua, Chandni Chowk

So some how after my spate of 45 hours works week, I managed to go for a dinner. There was a nip in the air…and the mind was ready to embrace the season..While finding  for something different,  we got “Chinhua”.  An original Chinese restaurant with a two storied domicile in Chandni Chowk. Chinhua is the restaurant with a good rating on various parameters comprising décor, cleanliness, service, taste and value of money. And I must say that I was impressed with the awesome food quality.

We ordered for mixed chow-min (Hakka) and Pork fry (A special item of Chinhua).The price is quite reasonable. The full plate (a larger quantity of chow-min) of chow-min was for Rs 170 and the plate of pork fry (6 pieces) was about Rs. 80. These all items were cooked in sesame oil and a lovely smell and touch was there from the dishes.

Interior was all over decorated with Chinese themes. And I astonished that all the staffs were speaking in Chinese. An old lady was supervising every thing. And they are quite friendly. I was amazed with their co operation and behavior.

My greedy stomach felt really happy with the golden grace of Chinhua.

 The Mixed Chowmein

Golden Joy in China Town, Tangra

After 31st Dec, 2012 this was our first party at Golden Joy, China Town. There was couple of reason behind it like promotion, bonus etc which we want to keep secret.

We were an hour behind the scheduled time on 22nd March, Friday and everybody was furious to reach the pre-decided destination. When reached Golden Joy all of us were super hungry and the attendant did had to wait any long. We ordered the starters in flash!

I preferred Whiskey that day and others ordered Rum and Vodka. We were discussing a dish that is available there for quite a long time and we ordered that first, a plate of Golden Prawns. Along with that we ordered Dry Chile Chicken, Threaded Chicken and Golden Fish.

Being honest I must say, the Golden items (both prawn & Fish ) were pretty ordinary in taste but not the cost. Both the things were fried with a golden coating. They used an ordinary batter made which is very similar to Fish Butter Fry or Fish Orli. The texture were good and it was obviously a nice choice to have with liquor. They served a hot green chile sauce which I felt a must apply on the golden fries.

Dry Chile Chicken is a very popular item nowadays and it was as good as available in any good Chinese Restaurant in Kolkata. Threaded Chicken was an absolute surprise. Very simply made but pretty tasty. soft tender chicken coated with crispy noodles. I really could not follow all the price after having a few pegs but what I remember is that, the golden items were pretty costly like around Rs.400/- a plate and others were around Rs.250/-.

Then we had Noodles and I had a Pork one. The noodle was tasty as usual. And that's all we really had no space left for anything else. I enjoyed the ambiance. It is a small place but well decorated.

I must mention one thing for those who do not know the fact that you can have whole bottle of liquor which may slash the cost a lot. So you can enjoy your drink there at much cheaper cost.

I would say there are lot many options in China Town and Golden Joy is one of the good choice.

Golden Prawns	Dry Chile Chicken
Threaded Chicken	Golden Fish

It's Only Alibaba!! Saltlake, Sector-V

I do love Biryani a lot, though I am little biased towards Continental and Mediterranean but obviously the flavour of Biryani really matters and I keep searching for it. I have tried Biryani in Lukhnow, Delhi and obviously at many places in Kolkata. Unfortunately I haven't yet visited Hyderabad to taste it's world famous patent Hyderabadi Biryani, though my wife tasted once and one of my close friend Ani is staying in Hyderabad. :(

Among many I liked the Mutton Biryani from Only Alibaba, Saltlake, Sector-V the most in recent time. You can say that the outlet I am talking about is just a franchise and it's the same taste and flavour of Biryani in all Alibaba outlets. Let me tell you a fact that the huge sale in Sector-V outlet has made a big difference, you'll always find fresh dish as per your choice. And obviously I love it more because the staff there welcome you with warmth in their heart.

Few days back I had Sepcial Mutton Biryani. It was a mistake! I had no idea about the quantity and it was plenty. Huge chunk of mutton highly enriched with taste, a large piece of potato soft like butter with lots of flavor and taste made the whole thing absolutely majestic. I ordered Tar Biryani, it's the biryani from the bottom of the pot with lots of oil. I feel there is no point thinking of health while having a special biryani from alibaba. The Tar is always tasty. You just don't need anything on the side, just the biryani was enough alone. The mutton was soft and tender and highly flavoured. In fact while writing this blog, my mouth watered a lot, thinking of it.

The price of the special one was Rs.190/- and do not miss the Firni. It's Rs.30/- only and delicious as well. After the meaty taste, your tongue deserves something sweet like the firni...

photo courtesy www.emaaya.com

Radu Babu's Famous Cutlets

Age old Lake Market and the famous Radu Babu's Cutlets! I have heard about this Tea shop so many times and from so many mouths, my curiosity became sky high! Food Critics like Nandan Bagchi has mentioned Radu Babu's Cutlet more than once. So it became a must visit place for me.

On the same day I visited Grub Club (mentioned in my previous blog), we had nothing to do in the gloomy afternoon. By that time one of our friend already left for Mumbai and we all were a little sad for him. It was me who suggested to visit Radu Babu's place just for experience. I thought it can be a little boost for people.

After all this curiosity and interest, we ended with more depression than bidding farewell to our friend who left for Mumbai. All we found a very; VERY oily chunk without minimum taste. The only chicken in the Chicken Cutlet I found, in the menu card. I had also heard that the tea was special but the one we tasted was worst than many tea stall. I believe the past deserves all the appreciation but the present needs serious attention. I doubt how they can survive with this quality of service. But still you must visit the place to know the place, where many great Bengalis had a snack or tea. The rating can be 2 out of 10 for being a heritage place.

Street Food of Kolkata : Chitto Da and Decker's Lane

I don’t know what do you consider as Kolkata’s Street Food but I believe “Ghugni” is a top contender among others. It’s a flavor from Kolkata’s heart and not adopted from foreign tastes like Mughlai Parantha, various Rolls, Kebabs, Chowmein, momo etc. I hope all my Bengali friends are aware of Ghugni which was once a must item on the day of Bijaya Dashami (Dassehra) with Nimki (Namkin), Goja (a special though simple sweet) and Siddhi (Bengali form of Thandai with bhang).

Those who do not know about it, let me tell you it is boiled yellow peas prepared with common spices and diced coconut. However on the street you may not find coconut in it but with a little Imli juice and freshly chopped onions it becomes more delicious on the streets. But it is Kolkata and we believe in fusions. We added “Pauruti” (toasted bread) to the course to satisfy our appetite.

Chitto Da is one who has mastered it. Yes! I am talking about the famous Chitto Babur Chayer Dokan (Chitto Babu’s Tea Stall) at Decker’s Lane (James Hickey Sarani), Dalhousie. Decker’s Lane is a place where you can taste many moods at real cheap cost. From tandoori to Chinese, for spicy Indian food lovers to health conscious office goers, it’s a place for all. The place is surrounded by many Public and Private Offices and thus called the Office Para (office area) where lakhs of people gather every working day with huge appetite. I have hardly seen people working in that area carrying lunch with them. However not only Ghugni-Pauruti, nowadays food like chicken stew, vegetable stew, cutlets, fish fry and even Fried rice-Chile chicken is also available here and not to forget the famous Cha (tea) in special white ceramic cup and saucer which has been a tradition since a long time (however you may not like the strong tea if you are flavor freaked).

If you get some time around and you are in Dharmatala or Dalhousie try Chitto Da for once for a little pinch of pocket (a Rs.50 would be enough), you may love it. To find Chitto Da you have to walk towards Raj Bhavan (Governor’s Palace) starting from K.C. Das Sweets & Confectioneries at Dharmatala Crossing.

And don’t forget to taste the Gajar-Halwa or Lassi from the stall next to Chitto Da’s stall which is quite good.

:) 

Picture Courtesy Arindam Mukherjee