Classics of Bengali Restaurant Cuisine: The Master List

Sri Kuladananda Brahmachari was one of the principal disciples of Sadguru Sri Bijoykrishna Goswami. Kuladananda's ardent follower was Jitendranath Modok. Putiram Modok was his uncle. It was Kuladananda who was instrumental in setting up a sweet shop for Jitendranath on Mirzapur street more than 150 years ago. The shop was then called Putiram Modok. Now, we know it as Putiram. Putiram's kochuri with alur torkari and radha ballabi with cholar dal has always been legendary. Old timers recall that a plate of radhaballabi used to cost only Rs 4 at one time. Putiram is also synonymous with the rajbhog, a larger version of the rossogolla, shor bhaja, abar khabo, shada doi and in winter, gurer rossogolla. It is said that Putiram was probably the first Bengali sweet shop to have introduced dry fruits such as cashew and pista in mishti. 150 years later, this shop still is as popular as it was when it started.

The story of Swadhin Bharat Hindu Hotel is a fascinating one. It started as a simple rice hotel by a migrant from Orissa serving fish and rice mainly to students and the working population, then became linked to India’s freedom struggle, and finally evolved to become one of the city’s best places for traditional Bengali food. Mangobindo Panda started Hindu Hotel in 1912 and after it gained popularity, he was looking to move the location to somewhere bigger. It was a Muslim family who gave Mangobindo a place at Bhabani Dutta Lane and that is where it has stayed since 1927. Any mention of Swadhin Bharat will inevitably mention Netaji and that he was a regular here. You will rarely read anything about the owner but he was an incredible character. Even though the name given by him was Hindu Hotel, it was always open to people belonging to all religions. Mangobindo was affectionately called ‘Thakurmoshai’ and thakurmoshai was extremely protective about the young freedom fighters who visited his hotel. One time, there was a group of freedom fighters inside the hotel conducting a meeting and there was a sudden raid by the police. Mangobindo stood at the doorway, refusing to budge. He was hit repeatedly but he did not move an inch and ultimately the men were forced to retreat. In 1930, when Subhash Chandra Bose alongwith other freedom fighters visited the hotel and raised the slogans, Jai Hind, Bande Mataram, Thakurmoshai was also an enthusiastic participant. During the Bengal famine of 1943, Mangobindo served food regularly to the hundreds starving on the streets. On 15th Aug, 1947, he changed the name of the hotel to Swadhin Bharat Hindu Hotel to celebrate that momentous occasion for which he and so many of his fellow countrymen sacrificed so much for years. Swadhin Bharat Hindu Hotel is not just a hotel. It is an institution. A reminder of the struggles of a generation, a celebration of people like Mangobindo. If there is a true Kolkata Classic, this is it.

In the Chattogram region in Bangladesh, flows Sangu river. H.P Barua came from this region to Calcutta and in 1945, started a restaurant that he named Sangu Valley to keep the memory of his homeland alive. At one time, there were three outlets of Sangu Valley in south Calcutta, near the popular cinema halls. Now, only the one next to Purna cinema hall remains. Sangu Valley started off as a cabin restaurant offering the usual cabin fare and subsequently added Indian and Chinese dishes to the menu at very reasonable rates. Infact, it was one of the first restaurants back then to serve pork. Chilly pork was its most famous dish which is no longer on the menu. However the restaurant’s signature Chicken Afghani cutlet and Moghlai parantha that were hot favourites with legends like Chhabi Biswas and Bhanu Bandopadhyay are still best sellers.

The cabins have a fascinating history. They provided an opportunity for the common man to experience the pleasure of eating out. The name "cabin" itself comes from the seating style where wooden cubicles were divided by curtains or saloon-style doors. These establishments allowed women privacy to relish their meals shielded from the public's gaze. Cabin restaurants also played a role in India's struggle for independence. The privacy afforded by the closed cabins enabled the freedom fighters to plan and strategize against the British. The concept of cabins has changed with the passage of time. Basanta Cabin, established in 1931 used to be a favorite of Uttam Kumar, Basanta Chowdhury, Ganesh Pyne and many others. It is said that the Kabiraji, a cutlet wrapped in a coating of crunchy deep-fried egg floss was likely invented here, with the head chef creating it to impress Rabindranath Tagore. Basanta Cabin has now transformed into a regular open eatery with an expanded menu that also includes Chinese food. The interiors are lackluster and there are better restaurants in the area however Basanta Cabin continues to provide an experience that goes beyond food, inviting vistors to relish the history, the people, and the conversations that have shaped Kolkata's cultural heritage.

This 65 year old pice hotel, located in the rear end of Gariahat market is one of the most popular pice hotels in south Kolkata. Established by Kalipada Maity, it was locally called Maitir hotel and then the formal name of Adarsha Hindu Hotel was given, perhaps taking inspiration from Bibhutibhushan Bandopadhyay's novel. We did not meet Hajari thakur there but we did make friends with Nitai da, the star of the hotel. He is a cook, server, marketing manager, all rolled into one and what a fabulous character. Out of all the pice hotels that we have visited so far, this one had the most number of fish dishes on the menu, and thanks to Nitai da's cooking, they tasted very good. Atleast the ones we tried.

Established in 1928, by Mrityunjoy Ghosh, a resident of Howrah, Mrityunjoy Ghosh & Sons is now managed by Somnath Ghosh, his grandson. It was handed down to Somnath Ghosh’s father and then he joined the business. Every morning, the air around Mrityunjoy smells of kochuri and singara. In winter, they are famous for their phulkopi or cauliflower singara with the slight sweet tinge. There is more of aloo than phulkopi in the singara now but one can’t deny that it still tastes pretty good. The koraishuti kochuri and the radhaballabhi are served with aloor torkari or chholar dal and they are fried fresh. While the singara and kochuri get the most attention, the actual star of Mrityunjoy is their roshomundir payesh - tiny rosogollas in sweet, heavy, thickened milk with nolen gur.