Oudh 1590 - a royal experience..

Biryani and Kolkata are synonymous in nature - they complement each other perfectly and the result of which the city of joy can boast of something which is known as the Kolkata Biryani.. There are two other cities which can boast of their own biryani - Lucknow and Hyderabad. However, it is Awadhi cuisine that relates to the oldest form of biryani known to Indian palate.. Three years ago, Oudh 1590 opened at Deshapriya Park (opposite Carmel school) which filled a void in the Kolkata food scenario - they provided us with an authentic period dining experience which became an instant hit. They opened a second outlet in Saltlake (CD - 86, behind City Centre 1) which is also doing great in terms of foot
fall and business. Hence, they opened their third and by far their biggest outlet beside Vivekananda Park, off Southern Avenue (P-562, Hemanta Mukhopadhyay Sarani, Kolkata - 700029 - opp. Kamala Girls School).

The mammoth 120 cover spread across two floors and designed by renowned art director - Mr. Nitish Roy actually provides you an enchanting period dining experience for the connoisseurs of good food. The restaurant boasts of a period look recreating the 16th century feel. The bronze plated crockery and cutlery along with the ghazals played via the intricately placed speakers adds to the overall royal Awadhi ambience. However, i strongly believe that no matter how good the look and feel of any restaurant is - what matters is the most important part of the whole ballgame - FOOD in terms of quality and variety. 

The vast repertoire of Awadhi delicacies served are reminiscent of it's illustrious gourmet nawabs like Asaf-ud-Daulah and Wajid Ali Shah - extensive use of spices like zafran, cinnamon, cardamom, dry fruits and herbs creates an unique taste but also helps retain it's authenticity.. 

MUTTON GALAWATI KABAB

My all time favourite kabab which i fondly call the king of all kababs and honestly speaking - nobody creates it better than Oudh 1590.. The Kababs simply melt in your mouth and leaves you with a lingering aftertaste - the ulte tawa ki parantha complements the kababs perfectly.. What better way to start a full course Awadhi dinner!! 

AWADHI SUGANDHI MAHI (FISH)

The fish tikka kababs were awesome as well - spicy and soft with an unique taste..

MURGH MUSSALLAM

Ahh!! Chicken can be so delectable as well - you have to taste this one to truly understand my feeling.. The cashewnut and walnut thick gravy makes a world of difference to the taste of this iconic dish.. 

MURGH PURDAH BIRYANI

Awadhi biryani is starkly different in terms of taste and texture from Kolkata biryani - the notable difference is the absence of aloo or potato which is otherwise an indispensable ingredient of Kolkata biryani. Murgh Purdah biryani is cooked in earthen pots covered with a covering or purdah made of broth - it is good but i will still be a little partial towards Kolkata Biryani..

RAAN BIRYANI

Now, this is where things go crazy taste wise - eating Rann (mutton) biryani out here is a heavenly experience for any carnivore like me.. The aroma, tender mutton, fine basmati rice, the ghee filled texture and aftertaste simply makes this dish stand out from the rest.. It is the best Rann Biryani available hands down anywhere in Kolkata and can compete with any other city in India if i may add..

SHAHI TUKDA

After such a hearty meal, one desperately looks for ending on a high note - what better dessert to have that than devouring this royal Shahi Tukda which tastes as good as it looks.. The kesar flavour adds to the whole feel and there is a measured sweetness to the dish which will be appreciated by a large section of the patrons..

As someone said somewhere, all well that ends well.. Walk in anytime to enjoy this epicurean experience and you won't regret a bit..

P.S: This was a food tasting session attended by invitation from Oudh 1590..


Verdict : STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.. 

Feel free to FOLLOW, COMMENT, LIKE and SHARE if you find the review worthwhile..

Happy eating friends,

Somek Choudhury..

You can reach me @ 9004490413 or somekc@gmail.com

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My Big Fat Belly - any carnivore's paradise..

It was a lazy Sunday evening and i had this sudden craving for gorging on some awesome non veg stuff.. I had visited My Big Fat Belly (22, Sarat Bose Road) once before and had loved the overall experience - hence, decided to give it one more shot.. It is an aesthetically designed cafe..

First on the hitlist were two thirst quenchers - Kiwi Frappe

It had a slight spicy and tangy tone to it which made the drink tastier but it didn't have much of a Kiwi flavour unfortunately..

Next in line was Brownie shake

The Brownie shake was outstanding to say the least - it had a distinct brownie flavour to it and was thick..

Done with the drinks - it was time for some meat hogging finally!!

The Juicy Lucy Burger

                                                                                
Juicy Lucy Burger is a very well known burger served in umpteen number of burger chains and cafes across the world and i have had the privilege of tasting the same at quite a few of those chains in India and abroad as well.. Having said that, the one served here certainly lives up to it's name and is the best that i have tasted in Kolkata till date in respect to burgers with the same nomenclature in other chains. The lamb patty is seriously juicy and the buns are soft. The fried eggs added to the overall taste and the french fries along with the coleslaw were perfect add ons to the burger. I just hope the onion rings served on top of the burger are a lot more crunchier in the future..

BRAISED LAMB SHANK

As someone has rightly said somewhere that one should save the best for the last - that is what happened with me on that night - the Braised Lamb Shank was undoubtedly the highlight of the dinner.. The garlic bread, mashed potato and that delicious gravy sauce was outstanding additions to the over all dish. The meat portion (quite a portion - i must say) was very tender and superb taste wise to say the least - a heavenly feeling for any carnivore like me.. 

Now, you must be thinking that if the food is that good - the pocket pinch might be proportionately on the higher end as well. Thankfully, that is not the case at this cafe because the food served is value for money and yet light on pocket.. 

                                                                            

Glimpses from an earlier visit:

The BACON BOMB

Well, as the name suggests - it is truly a bomb by all means filled with goodness of minced pork surrounded by a thick layer of Bacon.. You have to taste this one to feel the true effect on your pallet.. 

THE BIG BELLY CHALLENGER

This is one hell of a burger challenge with enticing rewards to say the least - please visit the cafe for more details if you are up for the challenge..

Verdict : STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.. 

Feel free to FOLLOW, COMMENT, LIKE and SHARE if you find the review worthwhile..

Happy eating friends,

Somek Choudhury..

You can reach me @ 9004490413 or somekc@gmail.com

Facebook: https://facebook.com/epicureancinetrotter/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/epicureancinetrotter/                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                          

                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

JAB HARRY MET SEJAL - an European travelogue..

Well, this one is not actually a film but a travelogue across Europe soaked in romance alongwith bits and pieces of witty comedy spread here and there.. I won't talk about the storyline bcz i myself hate reading one before watching the movie - yes, don't walk in to the movie theatre expecting a solid script because the script is wafer thin and it has been tried and tested several times before - I had huge expectations from Imtiaz Ali but he seems to be going on a repeat mode unfortunately.. K.Mohannan has done a superb job with the cinematography and the music by Pritam is hummable with one or two songs standing out like Main banno teri Radha which will be played in parties for quite sometime now.. Editing could have been much more tighter especially in the first half.. The second half was much better but sadly had a cliched ending..

Now coming to the acting department and there is only the lead pair to talk about bcz everyone else plays a miss and blink role - Chandan Roy Sanyal stands out as Bangladeshi immigrant inspite of that.. Anushka Sharma - take a bow - she just killed it with her Gujrati accent and mannerisms and almost stole the show - she matched shoulder to shoulder with her enigmatic co-star.. She brings Sejal to life effortlessly..

SRK is just like old wine - he just seems to get better and better with age in regards to romance where he just kills it without blinking.. Plays Harry to the tee - looks dapper as a charming tour guide.. Eyes and expressions does most of the talking..

Ofcourse, this is certainly not the best film of SRK or ANUSHKA but it is definitely watchable and peeps who love the orginial Bollywood line of song, dance and romance will actually love the movie as well.. I just hope that the script was a lot more tighter - this movie is watchable only on the basis of the top notch performance dwlivered by the lead pair - no one else would have played Harry or Sejal better..

As they say, who cares about the tour when you have such a handsome tour guide and a ravishing tourist - forget about the flaws and simply enjoy the journey..

Verdict: Recommended..

THE BIRYANI COMPANY - Biryani & Kolkata equals food orgasm..

Being an quintessential Bong, i prefer to call myself a biriyani connoisseur.. Especially, people in Kolkata are very particular about their preferred taste of Biriyani.. Hence, when i first heard about THE BIRYANI COMPANY - i thought that this will be yet another addition to those hundreds of restaurants which claim to serve the so called Kolkatar Biriyani but thankfully this one is different because it actually serves an authentic version of the Kolkata biriyani..

It is located near Mudiali club - 24, S.R DAS ROAD, Kolkata - 700026. It looks minuscule from outside however once you enter the restaurant - you get a very spacious vibe - doesn't look cramped from any angle. The decor is pretty simple yet very elegantly done..

We were greeted with a glass of buttermilk - it was yum!! to say the least - one of the best that i have tasted till date with a very distinct flavour.

Next in line were ULTE TAWA KE PARANTHE & MUTTON GALAWTI KEBAB - The kebabs were supremely delicious and for a change, one can feel the meat along with the spices when tasting the same as it melts in your mouth unlike most other places where the whole thing just melts and you don't get to feel the meat.. The parantha was a good add on..

We were then served with CHICKEN TANGDI KEBAB - very well prepared and left a good flavour on our taste buds.

It was time for the main course - we started off with MALABARI PARANTHE and MUTTON REZALA and CHICKEN CHAAP.. Firstly, i feel those paranthas were a great alternative to tandoori roti which is generally served with these two dishes in most eateries - Chicken Chaap was upto the mark (nothing special) and so was the Mutton Rezala but the addition of Malabari paranthe made all the difference ultimately.

Finally, it was time for the real deal - MUTTON BIRIYANI.. Deliciously made and was certainly a mouth watering experience. The aroma of the spices used in the biriyani which they import from Iran did set the tone perfectly even before we could dig in - the potato (a very important ingredient of Kolkata biriyani) was cooked to perfection and the mutton was juicy and very tender which complimented the fine rice quality as well..

Last but not the least, it was time for a dessert and what better than a delicious FIRNI served to you - it tempted us to dig in immediately and man we were really content to say the least - it was super yummy and a perfect end to an amazing dinner undoubtedly.

As the saying goes in Kolkata - if your biriyani is good - nothing else matters in that restaurant - it applies here as well and the icing on the cake is that everything else was also pretty good at this place.. Visit now -  you won't regret..

Verdict : STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.. 

Feel free to FOLLOW, COMMENT, LIKE and SHARE if you find the review worthwhile..

Happy eating friends,

Somek Choudhury..

You can reach me @ 9004490413 or somekc@gmail.com

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LIPSTICK UNDER MY BURKHA - a tight slap on MALE CHAUVINISM..

#LIPSTICKUNDERMYBURKHA - is not a fim actually - it's an honest mirror to Indian society and #MEN at large - no, let me put me more bluntly - it's a #TIGHTSLAP on #MALECHAUVINISM and the fact that we claim to treat both genders equally.. Thank you #AlankritaSrivastava for directing a much needed film potryaing the true colours of #MOSTMEN and #Indiansociety at large.. I feel every man needs to watch this movie and then hopefully stand for equality amongst both genders in all respects.. We need to realize and accept that every girl or every lady has a right to dream and make those dreams come true in life (which they are already doing inspite of every resistance possible)..

The narrative constantly talks about this fictional character "ROSY" but i feel it is the story of almost every girl or lady in India unfortunately - the moment she tries to go out of the set pattern - we try everything possible to clip her wings.. #WHY - are we insecure that they might overtake us (they are already)??  Damn right - we are - how unfortunate though - #SHAMEONUS.. It's high time we stand up for each other irrespective of our gender - i am sure India will only become a much stronger country and a much better and healthier place to live in if that ever becomes a reality.. #WAKEUP before it's too late - that's all i can say to every man around and myself too.. All the actors played thier respective characters to the tee but #RATNAPATHAKSHAH &  #KONKONASENSHARMA showed yet again why they are a class apart.. Kudos to the producer for putting their money into such a so called controversial subject.. But the biggest #THANKYOU is reserved for the #INDIANCENSORBOARD for helping this film big time with the much needed #FREEPUBLICITY..

#MUSTWATCH if you haven't already..

China Wok - you got to be there whether you love Chinese or not!!

Indians and especially Bengalis have always had a special love for Chinese food suited to Indian palettes and off late, we seem to be developing a love for Thai food as well.. It seems i am no different either which is why it was one of those rare occasions on 13th July, when i went to a pre-planned Chinese cum Thai dinner at China Wok with fellow foodies although most of my luncheons or dine outs are generally unplanned.. Little did i know then that i will fall in love with Chinese and Thai food yet again by the time i leave that eatery courtesy the lavish spread of food that was waiting for us..

It was a quaint restaurant situated at 37/1, Purna Das Road, Hindustan Park (i have aptly named this street the food hub of Kolkata because of the sheer variety of eating joints situated here which also signifies cut throat competition amongst them to stand out from the rest).. 

We started off with CORIANDER CHICKEN SOUP - it was a coriander flavoured thick soup with generous chunks of chicken and garden fresh vegetables - nothing special about the taste but not too bad either.

Next on the list was SPINACH and BLACK PEPPER DUMPLINGS (chicken) - the first thing that you will notice about these momos are it's unique green colour which attracted my attention instantly. They tasted good as well being steamed with a sauce containing pan glazed soy and mushrooms. However, the SMOKED RED OIL DUMPLINGS (chicken) was clearly the more tastier one amongst the two - these were red in colour owing to the fact that they were topped with fresh Krakow sauce with generous fillings of chicken inside.. 

Then came the moment of surprise for a carnivore like me - the STEAMED VEGETARIAN DUMPLINGS topped with a sauce of pan glazed soy and mushrooms clearly appealed to me more than it's non veg counterpart and in fact, we requested for a repeat serve of the same.. It was actually that good..

HUA HIN HIGHWAY ROLLS (chicken) - Thai crispy rolls stuffed with Vermicelli, Kaffir lime, peanuts and roasted butter along with chicken.. These looked like the usual spring rolls but tasted a thousand times better - very crispy yet very soft on your tongue..

The last two dishes on the list of starters were PAD NAM PRIK POW (Thai crispy vegetables with Kaffir lime and Lemongrass) and PRIK KAI SOT SAI THOD (Chicken wings tossed in Thai sweet chilli sauce with Kaffir lime and Lemongrass) - both were yummy taste wise especially with that lemongrass effect however, the vegetarian dish was the clear winner yet again.. 

After an extensive list of amazing starters, it was time to try out the main course which started off with PIA GO TIEM (sliced fish tossed with black pepper and Basil sauce) and KHAO PAD KRATIEM (thai smoked oil and burnt garlic rice). Both the dishes complemented each other well however, they were pretty usual taste wise - nothing out of the box certainly.. 

KUNG POO CHICKEN (chicken served with Kung Pao sauce, bell papers and cashew nuts) along with CHILLI GARLIC NOODLES was next on the list - the chicken tasted good and the noodles were same as elsewhere..

The best of the main course was served at the end - THAI CHICKEN CURRY WITH STEAMED RICE.. It was delicious and that lemongrass flavour lingered on my taste buds for a long time. Everything seemed to be perfect about this dish - certainly the best Thai Chicken Curry that i have ever tasted anywhere till date..

It was time for the dessert after a hearty meal - CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM SANDWICH.. As someone said somewhere that one should always save the best for the last - this was indeed an icing on the cake.. It looks tempting and tastes equally yummy as well.. One bite and you will feel like in heaven irrespective of whether you like chocolates or not - it just melts to perfection inside your mouth and leaves you wanting for more..

Overall, it was one hell of a dinner which will stay on with me for a long time to come.. Drop in to this wonderful restaurant with a welcoming owner and you will come out happy and gastronomically satisfied for sure..

Verdict: Strongly Recommended..

Feel free to FOLLOW, COMMENT, LIKE and SHARE if you find the review worthwhile..

Happy eating,

Somek Choudhury..

You can reach me on 9004490413 or somekc@gmail.com