The Salt House – An Impressive New Bistro In Kolkata

February 12, 2018

There is no dearth of restaurants opening in Kolkata. Every month sees the launch of at least five new restaurants/cafes/lounge bars etc but very few actually manage to impress with their food. The Salt House does. Opened just a few weeks back by Saloni Jhunjhunwalla & Prachi Saraogi, founders of Kaos Gourmet, this European-style restaurant with Chef Auroni Mookerjee heading the kitchen is already making waves in the city’s culinary circuit. And when I went there last week for a tasting session, I knew why.

The Salt House

Located on the 6th Floor of Shakespeare Point, the concept of The Salt House is very interesting and for Kolkata, probably a first. It is a bar (will be functional soon), kitchen and club and they serve European food with a classic yet contemporary twist, focusing on local and international ingredients. The place is divided into three sections – inside dining area, glass house and courtyard terrace area. The terrace area is my favourite and I am sure will be yours too if you visit the place. The owners have plans of bringing back the concept of Dinner and a Show to the city. Hopefully, we should be seeing stand-up performances and live gigs in the terrace area soon.

The Salt House

Coming to the food, Chef Auroni is extremely passionate about what he cooks with. The ingredients are authentic, the produce is mostly local and where needed, sourced from different countries as well. He is against the use of preservatives and wants to give his diners a very unique experience of European-style food with a Bengali twist. Think a Gobindo Bhog Risotto served with Pumpkin Flower & Ricotta Fritters or Galda Chingri cooked and executed like a Parisian Langoustine and served with Aoli or Pancakes and Waffles, served with not a side of Maple Syrup, but with Nolen Gur.

My Favourites At The Salt House

It is tough to name a few favourites because honestly, I loved everything that was served including the vegetarian dishes and that says a lot about the quality of the food. To make ordering easy for you, I’ll name my top six.

Fried Brussel Sprouts with Feta and Pomegranate Salad – This is a warm salad and can be a perfect start to a meal. The crunch of the brussel sprouts, the salty feta with the sweetness of the pomegranate makes for a very refreshing combination.

Fried Brussel Sprouts with Feta and Pomegranate Salad

Mutton Sliders – I love my burgers with a healthy portion of juicy meat without any dressing or sauce. These sliders are therefore perfect!

Mutton Sliders

Fluffy Omelette – Strange that I am recommending an omelette right? But you’ve got to try it. Believe me this was one of the fluffiest omelettes I’ve had in my life! It just melts in the mouth. Another omelette that is worth trying here is the Skinny Omelette, Chevre and Salad Wrap. This is basically veggies, pine nuts and chevre or goat cheese wrapped in an omelette and is great as a breakfast/brunch item.

Fluffy Omelette

Skinny Omelette

Mutton & Pork Ragu – This dish has mutton, pork and handmade silky, smooth pappardelle. Need any other reason not to love it?

Mutton & Pork Ragu

Pan Roasted Bhetki – This dish is a must for a fish lover. The taste and freshness of the bhetki comes through beautifully. And the interesting additions to the dish are Kolmi Saag, Spinach and Gondhoraaj Lemon.

Pan Roasted Bhetki

Doi, Berry and Kaos Granola Parfait – A dessert totally worthy of an Instagram post! Traditionally, a granola parfait is always thought of as a breakfast item but Salt House has made it as a dessert that can be enjoyed anytime of the day. Beaten Mishti doi, blueberry, strawberry, raspberry and granola topped with nolen gur make a very healthy and very tasty mix indeed. And try the Hazelnut Mousse, Salted Caramel & French Biscuit if you want something more sinful 🙂

Doi, Berry and Kaos Granola Parfait

Hazelnut Mousse

After my experience at The Salt House, I can safely say that the food there was one of the best I’ve had in many months in Kolkata. It is innovative, fresh, bursting with flavours and most importantly, delicious. I am hoping for a lot of exciting stuff from Chef Auroni and the team in the coming months and I hope they don’t disappoint.

Fast Facts:

Description: Bar, Kitchen & Club
Capacity: 170
Timing: 7 pm to Midnight till 9th February. Noon to Midnight, 10th February onwards.
Cuisine: Contemporary European cuisine
Address: Shakespeare Point, 40 Shakespeare Sarani, 6th floor, Kolkata – 700017
Pocket Pinch for Two: Rs 2000++ approx

Savouring Wordly Flavours At Seasonal Tastes, The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat

December 19, 2017

The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat, a towering 32-storey property located opposite Eco Park with 314 rooms and suites is now open. I was there a few weeks back for a bloggers meet at Seasonal Tastes, the all-day diner and this post is all about my experience.

Seasonal Tastes, The Westin Kolkata Rajarhat

Seasonal Tastes is located on the 10th floor and the first thing I noticed after entering is the sheer size of the restaurant. It is huuge! There are two live food stations that offer Asian and European fare. The buffet spread practically covers the entire expanse of the restaurant. There are separate stations for salads, cold cuts, cheese, chaats, vegetarian and non-vegetarian starters and main course in Indian, Oriental and Continental cuisine. What was most exciting for me was the desserts section packed with Indian and Western sweets, cakes and other delicacies. Seasonal Tastes also offers the Eat Well Menu for children and the Westin signature SuperFoodsRx breakfast.

Seasonal Tastes, The Westin Kolkata

At the bloggers meet, we tried out dishes from both the a la carte menu as well as the buffet. I started off my meal with the Green Curry and Pumpkin Emulsion with Tom Kha Foam from the a la carte menu. When I was asked what I was having, I could not decipher the flavours and was extremely surprised when I was told that it was pumpkin. It was rich, thick with coconut flavour and rather comforting on a cold day. Two other dishes I quite liked were the Seafood Pasta with Saffron Seafood Sauce and the Lemon and Parsley Risotto.

Seasonal Tastes, The Westin Kolkata

From the buffet, I would recommend you to try out the non-veg kababs, the biryani and lamb shanks. For dessert lovers, the dessert section is a dream and I especially loved the Chocolate Temptation Cake and the Chocolate Tart. However, if you really want to indulge in something special, order the Classic Opera from the a la carte menu. A delicious medley of chocolate, coffee and caramel!

Seasonal Tastes, The Westin Kolkata

Classic Opera

Buffet Details

Timing : All day dining restaurant. Lunch – 12:30 – 3pm & Dinner – 7:00 – 11 pm

Price : Breakfast – INR 1000, Lunch – INR 1250, Dinner – INR 1500

They are currently offering a 20% corporate discount on Lunch Buffets on weekdays.

The Vintage Asia Experience At JW Marriott Hotel Kolkata

January 16, 2017

When seventeen very hungry Kolkata Food Fanatics descend upon the newest Asian specialty restaurant in Kolkata, what follows? Madness, mayhem, lots of pictures, lots of social media updates and of course, very good food! What is this restaurant that we all went to? Vintage Asia at J W Marriott Kolkata that is just a month old. Opened last December, Vintage Asia showcases Asian, Chinese and Thai cuisine amalgamating traditional spices and flavors. It was my first time at the restaurant and I was simply blown away by the food. To know what I ate and what I loved, read on.

Spicy Caramelized Pork Belly

Vintage Asia is located on the first floor of the hotel and my reaction on entering the place was “The decor is so beautiful and elegant”. Mixing the art deco style with a modern Oriental touch, the ambience is luxurious yet cozy. Just like JW Kitchen, there is an abundance of natural light here and that is something I always like in a restaurant. It just livens up the entire atmosphere and of course makes clicking pictures easier :D. The restaurant features a beverage lounge right in front of an open bar which is separate from the main dining area. That makes it ideal for people who just want to unwind over a few drinks and don’t want to go in for a full meal.

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A Great Dining Experience At JW Kitchen, JW Marriott Hotel Kolkata

January 2, 2017

Happy New Year my pretties! I hope 2017 is our best year ever and there is an abundance of love, prosperity and happiness. This is the first post of the new year and I was in two minds about what to write. Should I write a beauty related post or a food or a travel one? It is said that whatever you do on the first day of the year, you will do throughout so after much contemplation, I decided to go for a food related post. I would absolutely not mind eating wonderful food throughout the year especially if it is as delicious as the food that is served at JW Kitchen, the all day-diner at JW Marriott Hotel Kolkata.

Whenever something new opens up, there is obviously a level of curiosity but with JW Marriott, the curiosity level has been insane! It was practically impossible to get a reservation at JW Kitchen during the first month of its launch. The first time I went, I was celebrating my parents’ anniversary there and I finally understood why everyone was going crazy over the restaurant. The food is excellent, the buffet spread is huge, the dessert section is probably the best in the city right now and most importantly, the food is not exorbitantly priced.

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