When it comes to food, Kolkata never ceases to amaze me. There is something new every time I visit the city. Neon signs on the roadsides shout out the names of the restaurants that have come up in recent times. But some of the old favourites are no longer there. Not surprisingly, I am always in a quandary when I am in the city – where should I go for a meal, and which restaurant should I blithely bypass is the question that nags me.
But I have, in the shape of my friends, the food-loving Mukherjis, a set of walking-and-talking food guides. They live in Calcutta and have strong opinions on what one should eat where. And that is why, when I mentioned that I was looking forward to some good pork and steaks, they at once suggested that we visit a fairly new restaurant called The Blue Door on Raja Basanta Roy Road (opposite Thyagaraja Hall) in south Calcutta (Phone nos: 033-40089607/9459 and 0-9836424919).
A blue door tells me that I am at the right place. I find that I am actually in a house which has turned its many rooms into dining areas. The kitchen is where their chef, Sanjeev Nag, rustles up all kinds of delicious dishes, including bakes, roasts and grills. Our friends, who have eaten there on many occasions and always enjoyed their meals, ordered the starters for us – bacon-wrapped prawns (Rs.375) and crab chilli garlic (Rs.450). For mains, we asked for barbecued pork (it’s not on the menu, but they prepare it for you on request), a plate of spinach and corn cannelloni (Rs.310) and chicken a la Kiev (Rs.275). And for dessert, we had the old faithful, caramel custard.
I would unhesitatingly urge you to visit this place when you are next in Kolkata. First, the prices are reasonable, second, the service is excellent, third the portions are large, and five, the food is, in one word, excellent.
The bacon-wrapped prawns, for instance, were juicy. The prawns were sweet, and the salty bacon gave it a sharp kick. The crabmeat was soft, and the sauce that it came in was a delicious mix of sweet and hot. I have used this sweet chilli sauce for cooking beans at home, and I know how they turn a dish around. I am, I confess, not much of a crabmeat lover, but I enjoyed the combination of the sweet taste of the meat and the piquancy of the sauce.
My pork, I am happy to see, was simply superb. The meat was nice and fatty, and it was so soft that it melted like butter. And the sauce, again a mix of the sweet and the hot (with some pineapples adding to the texture and the taste), was delicious. I mopped it up with a bit of garlic bread, and raised a burpy toast to the animal who had sacrificed his life for us. I tried out the chicken a la Kiev, which didn’t impress me much. My happy memories of this dish revolve around the butter that the chicken comes encased in. I suppose because people these days are wary of eating too much butter, the fat quantity had been lowered. Butter didn’t spurt out, as it should, when the chicken was pierced. But then in these cholesterol-led times, I suppose we all have to be a bit careful.
We ended with the caramel custard, which was a sinful delight – soft, eggy and well caramelised.
It was a meal that’s going to stay with me. Let the doors of The Blue Door always stay open.
