Amai, We Meet Again… Or Rather, I’ve Been Driving Past You!

We were on our way back home on Sunday evening after some shopping when my wife suddenly decided that what we really needed was a coffee.

Now, this is hardly an unusual occurrence.

My wife has a remarkable ability to discover new cafés, particularly the ones that I have somehow managed to drive past numerous times without ever noticing properly.

And this time was no different.

She had spotted a new place a couple of times and, with the help of Google Maps, proceeded to take me through the lanes and bylanes of Jodhpur Park.

We twisted, turned, negotiated the sort of roads where you begin wondering whether Google Maps actually knows where it is going, and eventually arrived at AMAI – Asian Bakes and Brews.

I looked at the place.

Then I looked at my wife.

And said something along the lines of:

“You could have just told me this was the place. I've seen this several times over the last couple of weeks while driving past!”

Apparently, recognising a place while driving past it and actually knowing that it is a café are two entirely different skills.

Anyway, we parked ourselves inside.

The café was pretty much empty, which suited us perfectly. We weren't in any hurry and could take our time looking around.

My wife, naturally, didn't need much time to decide what she wanted.

Strawberry Matcha Latte.

Of course.

At this point, I think I would be genuinely surprised if we walked into a café and she didn't find Matcha somewhere on the menu.

I, on the other hand, went through the usual process of deliberation.

Coffee.

Something different.

Maybe this.

Maybe that.

Finally, I settled on a Salted Caramel Cafe Latte.

A rather more conventional choice than Strawberry Matcha, but I was quite happy with it.

While we sat there enjoying our respective brews, I started looking around.

And that's when I noticed the little details.

There were quite a few quirky decorative items scattered around the café, the sort of things that make a new place more interesting than simply four walls, tables and chairs.

Since we were the only ones there, I could wander around with my camera—or, more accurately, my phone—without worrying about getting in anyone's way.

So naturally, I clicked a few pictures.

Because what's the point of discovering a new place if you can't photograph the interesting bits?

And once again, we discovered that we had stumbled upon another brand-new Kolkata café.

AMAI too is only about a month old.

It seems that new cafés and restaurants are popping up all over Kolkata these days, and somehow my wife has appointed herself as our very own Café Discovery Department.

My role is apparently to drive her there, drink coffee, eat whatever she orders, and take photographs.

Not a bad job description, really.

And so, after a quiet Sunday evening coffee in the lanes of Jodhpur Park, we got back into the car and headed home.

Another new café discovered.

Another coffee sampled.

Another Matcha successfully consumed.

And another little corner of Kolkata added to our growing list of places we've found along the way.

And What’s a Saturday Night Without Coffee… or Matcha?

Can you imagine that our Saturday night dinner outing would be over without dessert or coffee?

Of course not!

That would simply be unacceptable.

So, after leaving Chow Town, my wife called EvaBrew, which fortunately was very close by, to find out if they were still open.

They were.

But only just.

They would be closing soon.

So we headed over.

By the time we got there, the seating had already shut down for the day, but thankfully the takeaway counter was still operational.

And that was good enough for us.

My wife ordered herself a Strawberry Matcha Latte.

I went for a Mocha.

Two very different beverages for two very different people!

We got back into the car, drinks in hand, and sipped them as we headed home after what had turned out to be a rather pleasant evening out on the town.

Although, if I think about it, our definition of “out on the town” ten years ago would probably have been quite different.

There might have been a considerably later night involved.

Maybe music.

Maybe drinks.

Maybe a lot more noise and considerably less concern about whether a restaurant was about to close!

But life changes.

And somewhere along the way, a nice meal, a pleasant conversation, a new restaurant to discover and a coffee—or, in my wife's case, something involving Matcha—has become a comforting Saturday night rhythm.

Not particularly wild.

Not particularly late.

But very much ours.

And really, that's what these little Saturday outings are all about.

We go out looking for something new, discover a restaurant, eat far more than we probably should, finish with a coffee, and head home feeling that the evening was well spent.

And as long as there is Matcha, my wife is happy.

Which, come to think of it, is probably the easiest way to ensure that Saturday night ends well!

No Hot Pot, But Chow Town Had Other Plans!

It was Saturday once more and we had reached the end of another day with that eternal question staring us in the face.

“So, what are we having for dinner?”

This time there was hardly any discussion.

We just got into the car and headed out.

My wife had spotted a new place called Chow Town that served Hot Pot, and that was what we were going to have.

Simple.

Or so we thought.

As we approached Chow Town, the entrance itself looked like it had been lifted straight out of a Jackie Chan movie. I half expected someone to come flying through a window, roll over a table and disappear into the kitchen!

Then we entered the restaurant and things got even more interesting.

For some inexplicable reason, the interiors reminded me of a Railway Dining Car.

An Oriental Railway Dining Car, to be precise.

I can't quite explain why.

You'll get it when you visit.

Anyway, we settled down and asked for the menu, ready to embark on our Hot Pot adventure.

And that's when we were told:

“Hot Pot is not available.”

Apparently, only Chinese Cuisine was possible that evening.

Well… we were already there.

So, Chinese it was!

We decided to start with Chicken Manchow Soup, one-by-two, followed by Pork Tangra Style Dry Chilli.

For the main course, we ordered Mixed Pan Fried Noodles, Chicken Japanese Egg Rice and Chicken Hot Black Bean Sauce.

We also wanted something to drink.

Unfortunately, they had run out of cold drinks.

Clearly, this was not going to be a completely straightforward dinner.

But one of the ladies serving us disappeared for a while and, after some effort, managed to come back with one bottle of Thums Up.

One!

Naturally, we took it.

At this point, we had figured out what was going on.

We had arrived at yet another restaurant practically at the moment it had opened its doors. In fact, Chow Town was only three days old.

Three days!

So the little hiccups were understandable. Stock, menus, kitchen operations, service routines — all the things that eventually become second nature in a restaurant were obviously still finding their rhythm.

But there was something else.

The ambience was nice.

And the people were even nicer.

So instead of judging a three-day-old restaurant by the standards of a three-year-old one, we decided to give them a chance.

And I'm glad we did.

The Chicken Manchow Soup arrived first.

And it was really good.

Two bowls of thick, steaming soup packed with chicken and vegetables, accompanied by crunchy fried noodles that provided exactly the texture they were supposed to.

It was a promising beginning.

Then came the Pork Tangra Style Dry Chilli.

Delectable.

The pork was beautifully flavoured and the chilli gave it just the right amount of punch without overwhelming the dish.

Now we were getting somewhere.

Then the main course arrived.

The Mixed Pan Fried Noodles, Chicken Japanese Egg Rice and Chicken Hot Black Bean Sauce were laid out before us, and suddenly our failed Hot Pot expedition had transformed itself into quite a substantial Chinese feast.

Everything was sumptuous.

Everything was delicious.

But what really caught my attention was that the dishes didn't simply taste like generic versions of Chinese food that one encounters everywhere.

Each one had its own flavour identity.

Their interpretation of these familiar dishes had a character of its own, and that made the meal particularly interesting.

The noodles had their own taste.

The Japanese Egg Rice had its own personality.

And the Hot Black Bean Sauce had a flavour that was distinctly different from what I've encountered elsewhere.

So, despite starting the evening with one plan and discovering that plan wasn't going to happen, dinner turned out rather well.

In fact, the meal and the service were delightful.

And as we finished, we had already decided that we're definitely coming back.

Next time, hopefully, the Hot Pot will actually be available!

And we'll explore some of the other Asian offerings as well.

For a restaurant that had been open for just three days, Chow Town had made a rather promising beginning.

Sometimes you set out looking for Hot Pot and end up discovering something else entirely.

And on this Saturday night, Chow Town had definitely given us enough reason to come back for a second helping.

Sunday Night Seafood Adventures at Kolkata Bay House!

It was already 8:30 pm on a Sunday night! Where exactly had the weekend disappeared? Oh yes, Saturday night had been rather spectacular with Usha Uthup keeping us entertained, but Sunday had somehow gone by in a bit of a haze. And now, as is customary on a Sunday evening, we were faced with the all-important question: What's for dinner?

Cooking a meal was definitely out of the question. So, heading out it was!

As we were driving out of our building's gate, my wife happened to spot a new seafood restaurant that had apparently opened nearby. And when I say nearby, I mean practically in our neighbourhood, barely six minutes away! Well, that certainly sounded like an idea worth exploring.

We reached the place much quicker than anticipated and were a little surprised to discover just how close it was. We could hardly remember the establishment that had occupied the premises earlier, mainly because we had never actually eaten there!

Anyway, the new entrant was Kolkata Bay House, and the signage and the rather inviting lighting at the entrance certainly caught our attention.

The place is a quaint little establishment, with an interesting seating arrangement that even includes floor-level seating for those brave enough to embrace the experience. It certainly has the makings of a cosy little joint where one can settle down for a leisurely coastal cuisine feast.

We got ourselves a table and started with two Mint Bay Rejuvenators, which were essentially their take on a Virgin Mojito. Quite refreshing and a good way to begin the evening.

For food, we decided to try their Seafood Platter, which came with:

• 3 pieces of Garlic Butter Prawns
• 3 pieces of Panko Fried Fish
• Half portion of Chilli Octopus
• Half portion of Crispy Calamari

We also ordered a Masala Mackerel.

The drinks arrived fairly quickly, but the Seafood Platter took a little while, which was understandable given that everything was being freshly prepared. There were a few technical hiccups along the way, but considering this is a tiny establishment that has only been around for a few days and is being run by a bunch of youngsters, one could perhaps cut them some slack. Growing pains, I suppose!

That said, the Seafood Platter was quite commendable. The individual preparations were tasty, and there was enough variety to make it an interesting assortment of seafood.

However, the real star of the evening turned out to be the Masala Mackerel. Absolutely delicious! This was the dish that really saved the day and left us wanting more. A well-prepared fish dish can make all the difference, and this one certainly delivered.

Overall, it was an interesting discovery, especially considering that we have a new seafood joint practically in our backyard. There is still some settling in to do, and hopefully the initial technical glitches will disappear as the team finds its rhythm.

We certainly intend to return and explore more of the menu. After all, when a new restaurant opens just six minutes from home, it would be rather silly not to investigate further!

Here's wishing Kolkata Bay House all the best. We'll be back for more seafood adventures!

Music, Masti & Mishti – An Evening with the Original Didi, Usha Uthup!

There are some events that you know you simply cannot miss, and when I received the notification about “A Moment Apart with Usha Uthup” at the Tollygunge Club, I knew almost immediately that this was going to be one of those evenings. Music, Masti and, as it turned out, a little Mishti thrown in for good measure!

Scheduled for 26th September 2026, from 7 pm to 9 pm, the evening promised an entertaining musical experience. And believe you me, it delivered exactly that, notwithstanding the rather slick presentation by the sponsors at the beginning of the show. After all, we hadn't come there to listen to presentations!

It had been quite some time since I had witnessed Usha Uthup perform live, and what an experience it was to see her back on stage. While she may have lost a little of her mobility over the years, she more than compensated for it with her gorgeous sari, trademark oversized bindi, infectious wit, wonderful sense of humour and, of course, that absolutely amazing voice.

I was seated right at the back of the hall, so I couldn't quite make out all the finer details, but I'm fairly certain those trademark sneakers were there too!

She kicked off the evening with some of her classic English numbers from yesteryears, and the audience was more than happy to sing along. There is something quite magical about hearing songs that have been part of your life for decades, especially when they're being belted out by the very person who made them popular.

However, the real transformation happened midway through the evening when she switched gears and moved on to Bollywood.

The moment songs like Dum Maro Dum started playing, the atmosphere changed completely. The audience, which had until then been quite comfortably enjoying the music from their seats, suddenly seemed to discover a new lease of life. People got up, abandoned their chairs and made their way towards the front of the stage. Before we knew it, half the audience was on its feet, dancing and having the time of their lives!

And that, ladies and gentlemen, is the magic of Usha Uthup. She doesn't merely sing songs; she gets an entire room to participate in the experience.

An hour and a half later, she had once again reminded everyone why she remains an absolute legend and, more importantly, who the ORIGINAL DIDI of CALCUTTA is!

Of course, no evening out is complete without some attention to the stomach, and we had certainly done justice to the rather amazing assortment of snacks served at the event. Dinner was therefore completely out of the question.

Or so we thought!

As we drove out of the club gates and crossed the road into the lane opposite, my mother-in-law spotted a sweet shop called Narendra Mistanna Bhander. Now, you can take the foodie out for an evening of music, but you certainly cannot take the sweet tooth out of the foodie!

She immediately expressed a desire to have something sweet, and naturally, we had to oblige.

Rasmalai it was!

I hopped out of the car and walked into the shop, only to discover that they were already putting things away and getting ready to close for the day. Thankfully, they were kind enough to entertain my request.

"Rasmalai, please."

"How much?"

Now, not knowing what quantity would be appropriate, I rather tentatively asked for 100 grams.

The gentleman picked up a container and began filling it. I stopped him almost immediately.

"Is that all 100 grams?"

Clearly, that wasn't going to do justice to the occasion.

"How about 250 grams?"

He picked up a different container. Now we were talking! This looked considerably more respectable for a family of serious foodies.

Eventually, 260 grams went into the container. I knew perfectly well that my mother-in-law and wife weren't going to finish all of that between them, which meant I was going to have to take responsibility for the leftovers.

A responsibility I was quite prepared to shoulder!

But wait, there was more.

While the Rasmalai was being packed, I happened to spot Kheer Kadamba. Now, that's one sweet I find particularly difficult to resist. So I picked one up and popped it into my mouth.

Oh man! What a rush!

One simply wasn't enough, and before I knew it, I had polished off another one. Some decisions in life don't require much deliberation, and this was certainly one of them.

With the Rasmalai packed and the bill paid, I returned triumphantly to the car.

My mother-in-law took one look at the container and immediately pointed out that it was far too much for her. My wife and I promptly offered to help her out. She had a couple of spoonfuls, my wife had a few more, and YIPPEE! The rest was all mine!

There went all those millions of steps I had religiously walked during the week. Never mind. I'll make up for them next week. Perhaps!

Looking back, it was quite the perfect evening. A legendary performer taking us down memory lane with songs that have been part of our lives since childhood, an audience that rediscovered its dancing feet, some wonderful snacks and, finally, an unexpected sweet-shop adventure.

What better way to round off an evening of Music & Masti than with a little Mishti?

Thank you, Usha Uthup, for reminding us that age is just a number, music has no expiry date, and the Original Didi will always remain the Original Didi!

And thank you, Narendra Mistanna Bhander, for making sure that we didn't go home without dessert. Some evenings deserve an encore, and this one certainly did!

From Fancy Watches to Fancy Food

 

My mother-in-law wanted to get a couple of her fancy watches attended to, possibly just needing their batteries changed. So, naturally, we offered to take her to South City Mall, where there was a watch shop that could hopefully sort them out.

And since we were going to be out anyway, the obvious next question was — where are we having lunch?

My original master plan was quite straightforward. Leave home around 11 in the morning, beat the Sunday-and-Puja-shopping crowds, get the watch business done and then go for lunch.

Simple.

Which, of course, meant there was absolutely no chance of it happening that way.

We got delayed and eventually left home only a little after noon. We first headed to my in-laws' place, picked them up and, by then, the carefully constructed sequence of events had already fallen apart.

So we changed the order of the plan.

Pet Puja first. Watches later.

As usual, my wife had already discovered a new place to eat. She put the details into the navigation and off we went towards Ballygunge Place.

Our destination was Drip Culture Cafe & Bakery.

One immediate relief was the presence of valet parking. With two senior citizens in tow, not having to worry about finding a parking spot was a very welcome start to the afternoon.

And then we walked in.

Drip Culture was quite a pleasure to the eyes. The interiors were warm, spacious and nicely done. Sober without being boring, sophisticated without trying too hard and stylish while still being practical.

But what really caught my attention was the table.

We were shown to a large table for four and, honestly, it felt luxurious.

Nowadays, so many cafés seem to be designed around the principle that a table should barely have enough room for two people and their phones. If you order anything more than a couple of plates, you immediately start playing Tetris with the crockery.

Here, we actually had space.

A large table. Four comfortable chairs. Room to put things down.

What a concept!

The menu arrived next. It was a decent-sized menu without being one of those encyclopaedic affairs where you need half an hour just to decide which section to read.

I like being decisive, and I also knew that with four of us ordering, the decision-making process could easily become an extended family conference. So I quickly settled on a Brownie Loaded Shake and a Pizza Volcano.

My wife went for a Strawberry Ice Matcha Latte, my mother-in-law chose a Raspberry Crème Brûlée, while my father-in-law went through the usual process of considering practically everything before finally settling on a Strawberry Cheesecake Shake.

We also ordered Bratwurst, Chicken Liver Pâté and Penne in Pink Sauce with Chicken.

And then we waited.

Which gave me a chance to properly look around.

There was a lot of staff.

In fact, there seemed to be almost one person for every table. I was quite surprised at how well staffed the place was. Someone always seemed to be around, but thankfully without that feeling of being watched.

As we chatted, the drinks began arriving one after another.

And these weren't tiny café glasses pretending to be drinks.

They were properly sized drinks in actual glassware, each served in different shapes of generous proportions. My kind of café.

Then the food started arriving, beginning with the Pizza Volcano.

Now, this was something I hadn't seen before.

The pizza had eggs on it, with the yolks almost perfectly poached. It looked quite spectacular when it arrived and, more importantly, tasted just as good as it looked.

It disappeared rather quickly.

The Chicken Liver Pâté was another revelation. As far as I can remember, this was possibly the best I've had in a very long time. Rich, smooth and absolutely delicious.

The Bratwurst was tasty, while the Penne in Pink Sauce with Chicken was equally satisfying.

Everything was beautifully presented, but more importantly, the food actually lived up to the presentation. That isn't always the case.

And then there was the service.

Exemplary.

Attentive without being intrusive, quick without making us feel rushed and genuinely pleasant throughout.

By the time we had finished eating, we were very definitely skipping dessert. Which, considering what we had already consumed, was probably a sensible decision.

We asked for the bill.

But before leaving, curiosity got the better of me.

I asked if I could have a look upstairs.

One of the young ladies immediately offered to show me around and escorted me through the building.

And that's when I realised just how ambitious this entire operation was.

The first and second floors housed Hungry Sardar, serving Indian and Chinese cuisine.

The third floor was the kitchen and bakery.

And then the fourth floor housed Yaara – Shisha Lounge.

So this wasn't simply a café occupying a little corner of a building. This was a full-fledged food and hospitality project spread across multiple floors, with three distinct offerings.

Quite an ambitious undertaking.

But after experiencing Drip Culture and getting a glimpse of the rest of the building, I could understand the vision. If the other outlets maintain the same attention to detail, food and service that we experienced at the café, I wouldn't be surprised if this place does rather well.

Eventually, we made our way back downstairs.

The valet brought our car around and we were on our way to South City Mall, mission number two of the afternoon: the watches.

By now, of course, the Sunday-Puja-shopping madness had properly awakened.

Getting to the back of South City, where the entrance to the multi-level parking is located, seemed to take forever.

And then we discovered why.

The parking was full.

Completely full.

So much for my brilliant morning strategy of beating the crowds.

The Puja shopping season had clearly arrived.

I suggested that we abandon South City and head to Acropolis Mall instead. I figured it would hopefully be a little less maddening.

So we backtracked all the way there.

Eventually, after another round of parking, walking and navigating the mall, we managed to get the watch business somewhat sorted.

And by then, it was evening.

Just like that, another Sunday had disappeared.

What had started as a simple plan to get a couple of watches' batteries changed had turned into a lunch at a new café, an unexpected tour of a multi-storey food project, some seriously good food, a parking adventure at South City, a detour to Acropolis and, of course, another new place added to our ever-growing list of Kolkata eateries.

Not a bad way to spend a Sunday.

And once again, the watches were almost incidental.

The food, as usual, was the main event.

Hungry Sardar - 1st Floor

Hungry Sadar - 1st Floor

Hungry Sadar - 2nd Floor

Yaara - Shisha Lounge - 4th Floor

A Different Gariahat & The First Signs of Puja

 

After that rather unexpected but absolutely amazing lunch, we got back into the car and resumed our journey towards our original destination for the afternoon. But, as is often the case with our Saturday outings, the plan wasn't quite done changing.

We decided to take a slight detour towards Gariahat Market.

Now, finding parking around Gariahat on a Saturday afternoon is hardly something you look forward to. We drove around for a bit, looking for that elusive parking space which, in this part of Kolkata, can sometimes feel like you've stumbled upon a rare archaeological discovery.

Eventually, we managed to park and made our way into the market.

And then came the surprise.

Gariahat Market had changed. And changed quite dramatically.

The first thing that hit us was the sheer amount of space. The second was how clean it looked.

In fact, for a moment we were a little confused about where we were.

This was Gariahat?

The market that I remember as a glorious maze of shops, people, merchandise and, most importantly, shopkeepers extending their displays well beyond the boundaries of their own shops?

It was almost unrecognisable.

For years, the common areas had gradually become extensions of the shops, with clothes, footwear, bags, household goods and pretty much everything else spilling out into the walking space. Navigating through the market often meant squeezing past displays, shoppers and fellow pedestrians, all while trying not to knock something over.

But this time, most of that had disappeared.

The shops had been pushed back into their proper spaces and suddenly there was room to actually walk through the market.

And what a difference that made!

I had heard that Minister Agnimitra Paul had visited the market and conducted a clean-up drive, but hearing about something and actually seeing the results in person are two very different things.

This was impressive.

Of course, old habits die hard. We did notice some shops already beginning to inch their merchandise back into the common areas. Just a little here... and a little more there.

I suppose they'll discover the consequences of their discretion if and when she comes back for another inspection!

But for the moment, shoppers can actually walk around comfortably, browse the shops and, quite remarkably, see the floor of the market.

Hopefully this isn't just a temporary makeover.

And while we're at it, perhaps the same treatment could be extended to the pavements around Gariahat and Rashbehari Avenue.

Now that would be something.

Imagine being able to walk along those pavements without having to constantly dodge shop extensions, parked vehicles, hawkers, people and whatever else happens to have occupied the footpath that day.

One can dream!

Anyway, our business at Gariahat was done and we got back into the car and continued towards our next destination — Metro Cash & Carry.

And that's where we got our first real indication that the next big Kolkata season was just around the corner.

Right at the entrance was a Durga idol.

Yes, that time of the year was already beginning to make its presence felt.

The Durga Puja shopping season is almost like a festival before the festival itself. The moment the idols, decorations and Puja-themed displays start appearing, you know Kolkata is slowly beginning its annual transformation.

Interestingly, though, once inside Metro Cash & Carry, we were quite happy to discover that the Puja shopping frenzy hadn't quite reached there yet.

Unlike Gariahat, where the signs of shopping for the month ahead were already very much visible, things inside Metro were relatively calm.

Which suited us perfectly.

We had our weekly grocery shopping to do and managed to get that out of the way without having to fight our way through hordes of Puja shoppers.

And since we were already there, I decided to take advantage of the opportunity and squeeze in a little Puja shopping of my own.

After all, if Kolkata is going to spend the next few weeks getting ready for Durga Puja, I suppose I should make some contribution to the process too.

So, from an unexpected craving for Chole Bhature, to sandwiches, a surprisingly transformed Gariahat Market, and finally our weekly grocery run with a little Puja shopping thrown in...

What had started as a simple Saturday lunch was turning into quite a packed afternoon after all.