Bite of the infrastructure

Being born and having lived most of my life in Kolkata – I have missed the wonderful array of food available here that my taste-buds have yearned for. After experiencing the different cuisines (locally prepared) and their typical flavour, I am glad to be back here once again.

My first experience was of the Golden Spoon rolls. The restaurant is quite the same. Small, two-storied and has the same staff serving you. The waft of crispy parathas bathed in ghee filled my nostrils. And soon I was presented with the famous egg chicken roll. The flaky paratha embezzled with lime and onions just like I wanted it.

The other food encounters have all been enjoyable. From biryani, chicken chaap and firni, to dal puris and jalebi and not to forget the everlasting halwa-puri. Also the dahi vada and papri chaat and puchkaas. The masala muri is another snack one can munch on the entire day. As well as the street kulfi man with his basket of kulfi covered with a red gamchaa. It beats hands down the New Zealand ice – cream place opened on Wood Street. Sometimes for me, the simpler the better!!

While growing up I was fond of Milk Emporium peras. So this time I stopped at the shop to have a look-see. The shop was much the same with the curd, rabri and laccha in their respective places. The peras were there too and presented in much the same way – wrapped in newspaper and thrust into your palm. Oh – the distinct taste of this pera is so different from any other and I loved it.

At New Market, my first stop was Nahoums. The old glass panes that displayed sweet smelling pastries and savouries helped me dive straight into my childhood memory bank where I would always stop for a brownie – no matter how long the shopping spree was for. So along with the brownies, I picked up the pizza puff ( a must for each birthday party we had ), jam tart and almond macroons. Their fruit-filled buns and potato chops were on my list too. Only the small samosas were not available.

I have been out for several dinners and a place that I hadn’t been to before was Wangs. It is on Middleton Street and has wonderful momos. It has a wide array of other Nepali food, however, this has a unique taste to it, bigger in size and different from the Elgin Road momos that we were used to.

As my food expedition continues and I enjoy my ultimate week of “I’m in food heaven” – the phone rings and tonight I am off to Chinatown ( in Kolkata – since every place has a Chinatown ) and my dinner awaits me there.

The thrills, spills and frills of Kolkata.

What I mean by that is the sure adrenaline rush while sitting in the yellow top bulky taxis, the flooding on the streets (either rain water or human urine – animals are a distant second) and of course the specialties that belong to Kolkata. I’m not talking of the sumptuous array of food – be it the varieties of restaurants or street food (the jhaal muri and puchkaas are still to die for) but the daily happenings in the city of Joy.

It all started with my flight back home. I got familiarized with the person next to me shouting to his “dadu” who was sitting more than ten rows away to fill “neel” (nil) in the form that asked for any customs duty. Then of course as the flight touched down and the lights for seatbelts to remain fastened were flashing, it seemed to be a sign for most to stand up and take off their bags. Despite repeated announcements from the stewardess, it only helped when the steward stormed in and banged the hatches shut and forced each one to sit until the plane came to a halt.

This first experience of what I was about to get in Bengal was all that I was ready for. Walk on the roads (if you can – with most of the pavements being dug up or filled with rubbish and food waste) and hear the wide array of sounds. From the constant blare of the car-horns, the screeching of brakes, the burps and belches of the well-fed men, the pitch-pitch noises from passers-by. Each oral sound made for different reasons, either a sigh of exasperation or a hoot for a lady or a crackling of spittle that is coughed up on the road.

But then again Kolkata has something distinctive in its style and in its way of life and that exclusive charm brings us back to it no matter where we are. Kolkata is the same old Calcutta from times of yore, giving us the same, just more and more – deetay hobe!!