Out and about in Kolkata - Famous Places and Good Value Eateries

Famous Places and Good Value Eateries

The Best Momos in Town

 We were told we must visit The Blue Poppy Restaurant to sample the cheapest and best momos in town. At the time we weren’t sure what a momo was, but discovered it’s a Nepalese dumpling with meat, vegetable or cheese filling either steamed or fried made with a white flour water dough and served with garlic chilli or sesame sauce.

The Blue Poppy is on the second floor of Sikkim House which is hidden away without any clues as to its location whatsoever, at Middleton Row just off the Park Street area. The ground floor has a tourist office with information about Sikkim, very useful if you want to get a pass to visit the neighbouring state. Bearing in mind the fact that we entered the restaurant at 3.45pm and it was due to close at 4pm, the waiters were surprisingly friendly (and very speedy). Even if the room was a bit like a comprehensive school classroom with plastic furniture, it was also clean and hygienic (always a plus) - and we soon cheered up when we saw the prices.

Food on the menu includes Tibetan, Bhutanese, Nepali, Chinese and Indian. We ordered chicken steamed and pan fried vegetable momos with Chinese noodles. Within a matter of minutes, the delectable dumplings were revealed in all their glory.  There are several different types; Kothays for example are a type of steamed momo, lightly fried on the bottom; Phalays are rolled like a stuffed paratha with a choice of fillings. Thukpas and Tibetan flat noodle soup and Bhutanese food including Datchi – a chilli cheese stew, plus Pork shyapta were also on offer. The chilli and garlic sauces were hot and spicy and the momos delicious. Undoubtedly the restaurant is an ideal venue for hard up students (or food critics) as the portions are huge and tasty. And, incredibly cheap - including a bottle of Pepsi, the total cost came to 300rupees (about £3).

In fact for us first timers, visiting the Blue Poppy was a truly momo-entous occasion.

Arsalan – best Biryani ever!

We visited Arsalan on our last visit to Kolkata and it is one of our favourite restaurants in the city where you can get really good, fresh Indian food. The restaurant at 191 Marina Garden Court, Park Street serves Mughlai and North Indian cuisine but it’s also renowned for its biryanis and for its succulent kababs. The restaurant is always packed and you have to wait for a table before being called by name. There’s also a serving area for street food where perfectly spiced kababs sizzle on an open grill and there’s a never-ending queue of people to sample them.  The perfectly flavoured and un-oily biryanis are delicous - especially the mutton and special chicken which have double serving of meat and egg.  The place is rightly famous for its kababs with Murg bara kebab, murg reshmi kabab and murg makkh malai well recommended.  Chicken tikka butter masala with butter naan is said to be tasty. Phirniis is good and Murgh Chatpata is spicy. And a meal for two costs around 500 rupees – yes folks – that’s around £5!

Here’s a list of other good value restaurants recommended by our tour guide Ritwick (and us):

Bengali food:

Bhojohori Manna - 18/1A Hindustan Road, Near Rash Behari Avenue – cost 400 for two people approx.

Muglai:

Anokha Bagicha -  173 Park Street, Near Park Circus, 7 Point Crossing

Zeeshan - 17 Syed Amir Ali Ave, Park Circus Area – cost 300 for two people +VAT and service charges.

Italian, Mexican, Thai, North Indian, Continental: KK’s Fusion – 89 C, Narkeldanga Main Road, Swabhumi Complex (almost opposite the Hyatt Regency Hotel in Salt Lake City), EM Bypass – cost around 1200 for two people +VAT and service charges.

Italian:

Spaghetti Kitchen – 4^th Floor, Forum Mall, Elgin Road – cost around 2000 for two people + VAT.

La Cucina 

– The Hyatt Regency Hotel, Salt Lake City (the best Italian in Kolkata!!)

- cost from 1450 per person for three courses