Lifestyle

This new bakery-cum-caf is quintessentially Calcutta

by Arundhati Gupta | @twfindia 18 Dec 2019, 02:11 pm

Elements of Calcutta makes this bakery-cum-caf much different from its neighbourhood outlets. Drawing upon Kolkatas rich gastronomic legacy, Calcutta Bakery Caf has on offer a variety of delectable options inspired by all-time favourites such as Chicken a la Kiev, Chicken Sicilian, Eggs Rolls and much more. Just a few months old, it has already acquired a loyal customer base, all of whom relish their freshly baked breads and assorted confectionery.

It is an intimate place most suited for ‘adda’ sessions with friends. Stationed just off Raja Subodh Mullick Road at 87/276 Ganguly Bagan, Kolkata – 700047 (near Baghajatin Big Bazaar), Calcutta Bakery Café (CBC) is the newest addition to the city’s gastronomic hotspots.

Spread over a 500 square feet area, Calcutta Bakery Café is a twenty-seater eatery serving western and Chinese favourites alongside a variety of kebabs, bakery  items, coffee, mocktails, shakes and tea. Open from 11.30am to 10.30pm every day, this unique Café also has a takeaway counter called the Calcutta Street, which is open from 1pm to 10.30pm serving authentic Chinese and Mughlai dishes, rolls and popular snacks. Calcutta Street also serves a Bengali’s all-time favourite… Biryani!

Conceived by Sumana Saha Mallik, an architect by profession, both the outlets are creative expressions of her passionate love affair with food. Talking about the concept behind these outlets she says, “Both of them epitomises the universal ‘foodie’ spirit of Kolkata with a menu that lists local typicalities such as chop, kachuri, and telebhajas and goes on to include cross-cultural influences  of the  early entrants to Bengal, such as the British, French, Dutch, Portuguese, Chinese and the Mughals.”

The couple—Sumana and her ever supporting husband— has also incorporated the tea and coffee culture of the Bengalis at Calcutta Bakery Café. For those desirous of spending quality time they have selected interesting reading materials. A  Kolkatan's craving for  delectable street food is a well-known fact, and…keeping this in mind they have made a conscious effort to include as many popular and favourite items they could  at the Calcutta Bakery Café (CBC) and Calcutta Street.

The uncluttered and smart interiors have a very ‘Calcutta’ feel. Talking about the interior design of the place, Sumana says, “The interior design has been done keeping in mind the rich history, the vitality and colourful canvas of the city's everyday culture. Kolkata has been represented with a modern outlook without diverting from its roots. We have used coloured glass, wood panels, fancy lights and props that represent Kolkata in its own unique way."

The Calcutta Bakery Café offers a well curated menu selection that would be a delight for foodies to savour…Lord Curzon’s Craving is bread toast, chicken sausage, ham or salami, grilled tomatoes, hashbrown, butter pepper corn and choice of eggs at is served at a royal price of Rs 260/-.

The All Time Breakfast items also include a variety of egg preparations—mushroom and cheese omelettes, masala omelette, cloud eggs, fluffy eggs and egg witch. Then are the soups, sandwiches, burgers, brads and wraps, pastas, starters and of course a fine selection as the main course plus desserts.

The menu is quite exhaustive! One must certainly try their Wheel of Happiness—interestingly offered in a miniature replica of a Giant Wheel in which the bucket seats are replaced by small glass tumblers—having a mix of barbeque chicken, French fries, chicken lollipop, cheese balls offered with a mayonnaise based dip. It is not only visually appetising but equally good to taste. Do not forget to try their Oreo Shake, Chicken a la Kiev, Chicken Sicilian and then round it off with their dessert selection! A meal for two would cost around Rs.500/-.