Showing posts with label Places to eat in Kolkata. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Places to eat in Kolkata. Show all posts

Sunday, July 3, 2016

The Great Awadhi Biriyani Festival at Oudh 1590

The Great Awadhi Biriyani Festival at Oudh 1590

Kolkata's love affair with Biriyani is extremely difficult to explain. Calcuttans are very particular about their biriyanis. If they don't see an aloo in their plate of biriyani, they confidently proclaim the biriyani not up to the mark :P well, that's the identity of Kolkata biriyani.

Every Calcuttan has his/her list of favourite joints and very few new joints in the city have been able to make inroads into that list. One of such restaurants, which enjoy a place of honour in that list is, Oudh 1590

Founded by brothers, Shiladitya and Debaditya, Oudh has been a favourite for their galauti kebabs. The biriyanis along with soft juicy portions of meat come a close second. Not only does Oudh bring the best of Awadhi cuisine to Kolkata, it also focusses on the period dining experience. The moment you enter the place, the dimmed red lights and wall graffiti showcasing the rich culture and heritage of Lucknow take you to a different era altogether.


Oudh 1590



The period dining experience at Oudh1590
When I was invited to sample the Great Awadhi Biriyani festival, which is an annual affair at Oudh 1590, I knew this will be a superb experience. They had an array of biriyanis on offer - incorporating vegetables, meat and fish to make this a wholesome affair. 



We sampled the following: The classic Yakhni Gosht Biriyani cooked to perfection with the meat super juicy and soft, the Keema Biriyani, the Awadhi Nargisi biriyani which had egg wrapped in a layer to minced meat, The Gomti Mahi Pulao which is traditionally prepared from fishes of the Gomti river and had a hint of gondhoraaj lemon to add that bengali touch to it. Frankly, I am not very fond of fish biriyanis and this time also, the mahi biriyani did not appeal to me so much! 


Gosht Bhuna Khichdi





The winner among all the dishes was the Gosht Bhuna Khichdi - a rice and lentil dish cooked with boneless mutton pieces. Oh, this was pure pleasure ! With oodles of ghee, this was sinful yet we couldn't resist having second and third servings because of the pure pleasure that this dish was :)

Then there is Aawadhi Palak Biriyani and the Subz Kofta Biriyani to keep the vegetarians happy. Though I am not someone to sample a vegetarian biriyani, I have to admit the Subz Kofta Biriyani was good !

It was a great evening with all fellow bloggers and yummy food :)

Oudh 1590 outlets in Kolkata - Deshapriya Park and Salt Lake Sector 1.














Friday, December 4, 2015

Review of the newest Pan Asian gallery in town - Stud!o at Novotel Kolkata Hotel & Residences

Novotel Kolkata Hotel & Residences, has recently come up with yet another interesting offering - Its Pan Asian Gallery - Stud!o. Yes, that's how they choose to describe it ! Because it offers much more than just food.



The newest Pan Asian Restaurant in town offers live music, art exhibitions and so much more while serving the best of Pan Asian Cuisine to the guests. The best part is the chic decor of the place. The outlet plays with natural and artificial lights in the most efficient way, with light reflecting through the steel sheets in the ceilings and the prismatic kitchen. The prismatic kitchen offers a sneak peak of all the action in the kitchen. Overlooking the beautiful poolside of the property, the Stud!o is elegant in its own unique way.


Stud!o offers a lot more than just the regular dumplings, Thai curries and noodles.You will start seeing the Pan Asian cuisines in a new light once you go through their menu. This time, I sampled the vegetarian offerings of Stud!o. A hardcore non-vegetarian since childhood and a fussy eater than I am, I have always been extremely picky with vegetables. However, Chef  Neelabh assured us that we will love it :P


What was on the menu?



Thai Spiced vegetables

We started our meal with Thai Spiced vegetables and kakiage tempura(a deep fried Japanese delicacy) . I loved the appetizers. With the right amount of flavour and spice, they were just perfect. Further, we moved on to the vegetable baoji and the water chestnut and chive dumpling. Baoji's outer coating had an interesting mix of flour and sesame seeds but the dumpling emerged as the winner. I had never thought that a dumpling with no meat in it could taste so good :D




Vegetable Baoji ; Water Chestnut and chive dumplings

From the sushis, there was the cucumber and pickled radish maki after which came the Udon noodle broth with sesame seeds.Udon is wheat noodles and is the Japnese noodle soup. It was too sour for my taste though.


Cucumber and pickled radish maki


Udon Noodle Broth



As for the main course spread, I loved the jasmine rice and the Thai green curry, both rich in their own distinct flavours. The chilli garlic noodles too was quite a favourite.



Chilli Garlic Noodles


Jasmine Rice and Thai green curry


The dessert offerings at Novotel Kolkata is something that I always look forward to whenever I am eating at Novotel and they impress me every single time with their unique offerings. This time I had Tab Tim Samsee, a coconut flavoured dessert with water chestnuts. Next on offer was a sweet dish made with poached pears with galangal(thai ginger), mascarpone cream and chocolate soil. This one was a surprise for me as the usage of pear for this was new to me.



Galangal Poached pears, mascarpone cream, chocolate soil

Overall, the food was good. The ambiance of the place is the best thing about Stud!o and is something to look out for. The experience of dining at Stud!o is sure to remain with you for a long time.


Studio - The Pan-Asian Gallery Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato