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.

Hotel Hindusthan International Introduces The Corporate Buffet

December 11, 2017

At work and you decide to go out for lunch with your colleagues? Out with your family or friends and want to go somewhere for a lavish buffet at a reasonable price? You now have a great place to go to. Hotel Hindusthan International has launched The Corporate Buffet for only Rs 999 including taxes!

Hotel Hindusthan International Corporate Buffet

HHI Corporate Buffet

The Corporate Buffet is on everyday from 12 pm to 3 pm at Mythh and at the price, the spread is very good. Starting with a variety of veg and non non-veg soups and salads, followed by starters, main course and desserts, the options are endless. Plus, you get to choose from Indian, Chinese and Continental food.

HHI Corporate Buffet

: HHI Corporate Buffet

: HHI Corporate Buffet

: HHI Corporate Buffet

HHI Corporate Buffet

I went to try The Corporate Buffet last week and was seriously impressed. The food will obviously keep changing everyday but I do hope in the mains, they keep the Mutton Vindaloo, Poached Fish and Chicken in Mustard Sauce as regulars. The mutton was incredibly soft and tender and had the right balance of spices and so did the Chicken in Mustard Sauce. The Poached Fish was moist and full of flavour.

HHI Corporate Buffet

For me, a buffet is incomplete without good desserts and even in that dept, HHI scored. I loved the cakes especially the Red Velvet Cake and the Caramel Pudding.

: HHI Corporate Buffet

: HHI Corporate Buffet

HHI Corporate Buffet

Hotel Hindustan International

235/1 AJC Bose Road

Kolkata – 700020

Sri Lankan Food Festival At The Coastal Macha

September 10, 2017

The first time I visited Sri Lanka nearly six years back, I did not know anything about their cuisine. Like many of us, I made the mistake of thinking that their food is the same as what people eat in south India. Not really. There are similarities but it is not the same. Sri Lankan food is characterized by the heavy use of spices and native tropical fruits and vegetables. For a taste of this unique cuisine, head to The Coastal Macha where chef-owner Piyush Menon has rustled up a special menu of Sri Lankan food. Ingredients like pandan leaves and goraka have been sourced from Sri Lanka so the food is as authentic as it gets.

Devilled Chicken

I practically devoured the entire portion of the Devilled Seafood which is squid and prawn stir-fried with bell peppers, leek, soya sauce, tomatoes and vinegar. This is a great appetizer and there is a Devilled Chicken version available as well.

Devilled Seafood

You must definitely try the Cashew Nut Curry. This has no vegetables but only cashews cooked in coconut milk and Sri Lankan spices. The creamy, rich curry goes very well with Appam.

Cashewnut Curry

Kukul Maas Curry or Sri Lankan Chicken Curry is chicken cooked with coconut milk, curry powder and topped with vinegar and lemon zest. Again, goes very well with Appam. What is Appam? It is a type of pancake made with fermented rice batter and coconut milk. This is not exclusive to Sri Lankan cuisine but if you go to Sri Lanka, you will find Appams on the menu everywhere. At The Coastal Macha, you can choose from the plain or egg version.

Jaffna Prawn Curry as the name implies is a dish that is popular in the coastal city of Jaffna. Sri Lankan spice mix is used liberally in the curry along with coconut milk and pandan leaves. You can eat this either with Yellow Rice or Appam.

Coconut and jaggery are the main ingredients in Sri Lankan desserts. The Sri Lankan Food Festival Menu has something called Pandan Coconut Balls. Very similar to the Bengali ‘Naaru’ but the twist is the addition of pandan leaves that gives it a touch of citrusy, nutty flavor. Not just unique but very delicious.

Pandan Coconut Balls

The Sri Lankan Food Festival at The Coastal Macha is on till 15th September and available for both lunch and dinner.

Serafina Kolkata Launches New Menu

August 14, 2017

Serafina, my favorite Italian restaurant in the city now has a revamped menu. And everything on it is so good! From the refreshing Twisted Orange Mojito, to the earthy and filling Cappuccino Di Funghi – Cream of Mushroom Soup to the mains, each dish is a winner all the way.

The carnivores will love the Anti Pasto Misto, a platter that includes parma wrap chicken, chicken mortadella crostini, buffalo mozzarella, parma ham, grilled zucchini, chorizo and pimento stuffed olives. I am not much of a soup fan but the Cream of Mushroom soup I really liked. This is served with a portion of chicken with mushroom crostini with a generous helping of parmesan cheese.

Anti Pasto Misto

Serafina always makes great pizzas and the Pizza Pollo Funghi with tomatoes, mozzarella cheese, spicy marinated chicken, shitake mushrooms, onions and chilli flakes did not disappoint. My favorite however was the Brasato Di Pasce – a braised beckti served with spinach and mashed potatoes. After the beckti, the next favorite was the barbeque pork sausage with egg fries. A dish that has pork and egg is kinda tough not to love!

Serafina is synonymous with Tiramisu in Kolkata but they do have some other desserts that are equally good. Crespelle Con Nutella is a new addition to the menu. Nutella stuffed crepes with vanilla ice cream. Something very simple but oh so delicious!

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