Mango, Kasundi, Paneer Mixed Sabzi

     If you love mangoes then you are absolutely spoiled for choices this season. Tolly Tales is celebrating "Mango Tales" where, you guessed it, you can sample dishes made from the king of fruits! I have been to another mango food festival recently and I didn't know if it would be a deja vu kind of a situation for me as both the places do North Indian cuisine (well Tolly Tales does other types of cuisine too) or if I would get something totally innovative. Well you need to read till the end of the post to find that out now wont you :D I have been to Tolly Tales earlier with a group of fellow foodies and found it to be some what of a mix bag. The ambiance is beautiful and quirky but the food had this hit and miss element to it. Some dishes were really good while the rest were mediocre. Though I do give them credit for making their own cheese balls, having a really good vilayati sabzi and a bangin brownie (hey I'm partial to the whole home made cake flavor kinda thing).

Summer Coolers Festival, Cafe Pranah, Kolkata

     The moment the temperature amps up I get this huge craving for a tall cool glass of preferably sweet drink. My biggest vice is caving in and indulging in a cola drink which I know is not good for my health but the lack of better options makes this a highly attractive as well as an addicting option. When Rahul (owner Cafe Pranah and Bon Appetit) told me about the Summer Coolers Festival I was super excited coz I knew I was in for a treat. He does the best flavor combinations, putting things together that most people would not even dream of pairing. He has introduced some drinks all naturally made with fruits, flowers and/or spices along with popsicles. The popsicle thing reminded me of my childhood and those long sticks of frozen liquid in different flavors sold outside school and famously know as "pepsi stick" :D

Zongzi - Sticky Rice in Lotus Leaf with Edamame Beans & Vegetarian Duck

     Last year Kolkata witnessed the Dragon Boat Festival or Duanwujie being celebrated by its Chinese community in a grand manner. Though the rain did try to play spoil sport on the day but the enthusiasm of the people attending such an event for the first time didn't waver and hoards of people turned up to enjoy the festivities and the traditional Lion Dance performance. The festival is celebrated in memorial of a Chinese poet called Qu Yuan. Zongzi, a pyramid shaped sticky rice dumpling and rice wine play an important part in the celebrations. Yauatcha is celebrating the Dragon Boat Festival this year by holding a month long festival from the 1st to the 30th of June 2016. Keeping true to a 2000 year old tradition they are introducing some traditional dishes (like Zongzi) with a contemporary twist in their limited edition menu.

Kairi Samosa

     As soon as the summers set we would eagerly await the time when mom would fill the freezer with her  containers of Aamras milkshake and kulfi. My dad had his separate boxes of both which we kids were not allowed to touch :D "My wife has made them for me" would be the answer each time. I think he would be more excited about this ritual than us coz before the food would get half a chance to cool down or set my dad would be through it already :D Isnt it strange how something so simple can evoke so many memories of the past? Well here is a chance for you to relive your favorite summer memories as Rajdhani is hosting an "Aamlicious" festival till the 15th of June 2016. They are serving different dishes each day of the week and this is available for both their lunch and dinner thalis. Rajdhani has always been one of my favorite Thali restaurants and they just made things whole lot sweeter :)

Pearl Barley Risotto

     Like most people I feel that the word tasty and healthy dont fit in the same line. Anyone who has ever gone through the motions of following a diet knows how painful the entire process can be. Firstly as a vegetarian my options get cut down next to nothing and then the entire hassle of preparing the food is a major turnoff for me. And then being denied the pleasures of indulging in a dessert when you have a sweet tooth is torturous. Your favorite food starts swirling in your head while you are trying miserably to chew on that lettuce leaf or munch the bland carrot stick. ARGH!!! No wonder most people on a diet are so cranky :P But hold the phone...you can get tasty & healthy, DIET food??? Plus a dessert??? And not stress about calorie count??? Where does such a place exist except in our imaginations...Well Hena Nafis, the top nutritionist and dietitian in Kolkata, opened her own restaurant called Eat Good Food recently and they promise all this plus more...

The Park - Cointreau Cream Caramel

     On the 21st of March 2016, the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs and International Development will hold the 2nd Gout de France/Good France event where over 1500 restaurants worldwide will participate and celebrate the wonders of French cuisine. A few of us were invited to a special press preview where 8 restaurants from the city are participating in the event. They had bought in some of their signature dishes inspired by French expertise for it. The meal will comprise of appetizers and canapes, starter, main course, cheese and dessert paired with French wines/champagnes. Let's take a look at what was in store for us...

Mochar Ghonto

     Lokahaar, a Bengali food restaurant, is celebrating the arrival of spring with a special Bashanter Thali which will be available from 20th February to 31st of March 2016. Even though I have lived all my life in Bengal at max that I have tried Bengali food is once or twice. Apart from the famous "lucchi and cholar dal" (this is an absolute must have!) combo I have had very little interaction with this region's food and none of it has been memorable. Though I absolutely adore Bengali sweets the food itself was not something that attracted me. Has Lokahaar been able to change that for me? Let's find out...

South Indian Food Festival, K19 Restaurant, Park Plaza Hotel, Kolkata

     K19 restaurant over at Park Plaza Hotel, Kolkata is holding a South Indian food festival which started on the 26th of February and will go on till the 6th of March. The lunch is a-la-carte and the dinner is a buffet (Rs 1299/- + taxes). When I first heard about it I was super excited to try it out coz I love South Indian food and no I just don't mean the dosa or idlis or upma...which I do love a lot...but what makes my soul happy is some appam with spicy coconut curry! Oh sweet lord! So good!!! I was quite looking forward to the meal and the food over at K19 has not disappointed me yet. I have had some of the best food there and no I'm not just saying to promote the place :P I have not yet forgotten the Awadhi food festival I had the pleasure to enjoy last time so I had high expectations of this one too...

Valentine Menu, KK Fusion, Kolkata

     I absolutely love Chinese food! Anytime and anyday I can indulge in it endlessly. But here is the thing...the Chinese food that I like (quote unquote) is actually the Indo-Chinese version which also can be seen as fusion food. Someone recently said that India does the most and some of the best fusion food. We have a tendency to adopt the finer points of other cuisines and make it our own. I think we can see examples of this in all the international food chains (especially) that have setup shop here. There will be always something catering to the local palate. I recently was invited to sample the Valentine's day menu at KK Fusion where I was promised some Indo European fusion food. 

Mac and Cheese Fries

     Come the weekend you want a place that you can enjoy a nice drink with you friends (irrespective of the time - hey happy hours is a thing and I'm going to get my drink on whether it 4 pm or 7 pm or whatever), grab some nom nom's and basically talk (or b*tch) your heart out. A cool and comfortable ambiance and courteous staff is just a bonus to top it all off. Since the time that Irish House opened its doors out here they have been packed to rafters. Sometimes it becomes really hard to find a seat especially on the weekends. Well I guess that is only a sign of how good the place is. It is one of the favorite watering holes in the city which gives you good food, great liquor and some really nice service.

Awadhi Food Festival, K19 Restaurant, Park Plaza Hotel, Kolkata

     When Mr. Ashish Chopra, Culinary Historian, asked me what my fondest memories of food were I remembered all the times when I was traveling with my folks when I was a kid and the strange experiences that I had which I remember cause they were not very pleasant. But I think my fondest memories come from my school days. We had this tiny canteen aka store that would sell things like chowmein, fried rice, moghlai parantha with aloo or lucchi and channa dal (only one of this dish per day) with the omnipresent veg chop. All the girls from the senior and junior block would crowd around and literally fight tooth and nail to buy food worth 10 bucks! But I haven't had food that tastes like that even remotely. Not that it was anything exceptional but I guess the memories make it special...or was it the "survival of the fittest' appeal of it :P Isn't it strange how many memories/emotions food can evoke?

Orange cake with chocolate drizzle

     These days I am drifting through a Korean drama (& music) haze...or riding the Hallyu wave as it better known as (cowabunga!!). The aspect that has caught my attention the most...well after the eye candy of course...is the mouthwatering food! Oh sweet lord the food!!! I'm dying to try some black bean noodles like right now. My intake of Chinese food (that is all that I can get my hands on) has increased exponentially since I started watching the dramas. I think the saddest part is that even if I can make the dream trip to Seoul I will not be able to enjoy the food that I have become familiar with...why you ask? Sigh! Coz I'm a vegetarian. Am I forever destined to not be able to enjoy world cuisine due to my preference??? Hmm maybe not. Not if the ladies of Eat Out @ Home have something to say about it :)

Asche Bocchor Abar Hobe

     This is something I have said a number of times now but it is still not enough to express the magic that happens during this time of the year. Kolkata transforms itself to welcome the great goddess and even the air carries a special buzz of energy or rather anticipation. Truly one of the best times that one should be visiting the city (well the jams and blockages aside). Among all that is going around (twinkling of bright fairy lights at every nook, the pandals in their different stages of creation, the sweet smell in the air, the slight change in the weather...) getting to sample the new Puja Special Menu at Bon Appetit was the cherry on top...hmm or in this case the rose petal on top?!?

Bombay Brasserie

     It is amazing to see how much the Kolkata scene has changed in a matter of 2 years especially where food is concerned. Earlier when my friends who lived outside of the city asked me about the places to go and see I would draw a complete blank after giving them the mandatory tourist spots. The question - "so like where do you hang out man? Where do you chill?" drew a face marked with question marks all over it from me. Not saying there weren't any but seriously I couldn't point out some that who please a wide range of tastes. But now I can proudly throw the names around of a couple of them without hesitation and sounding like a complete snobbish pro :D The establishment of Quest Mall bought in quite a few places to us and among them is Bombay Brasserie. 

Uttam Bhoj at ITC Sonar, Kolkata part of Dinner Buffet Price Rs. 2250/- plus taxes