If you are in the City of Joy and have not experienced an authentic Bengali meal, then your trip remains incomplete. A cuisine that has been thoroughly under represented in other parts of the country, the is nothing more delicious than having the food that you eat at home being cooked with new techniques. The ITC Sonar is built in the form of a Bagan Badi or a Garden home of a typical Bengali Bhadralok or Gentleman. The calm serene ambience at the hotel is something that you will soothe you completely. The Eden Pavilion is the 24 hour workhorse of Itc Sonar serving out a buffet along with an a la carte menu. The truly global nature of ITC hotels is seen from the fact that a Bengali from Delhi is fed a Bengali meal in a Bengali Hotel by a chef from Delhi. Executive Chef Vijay Malhotra emphasis the supporting of local Indian cuisine as the meal starts off with a Gondhoraj Lebu Lassi.
The starters include a Begun Bhaja(Fried Brinjal), Aloo Bhaja(Fried sliced potato), Chicken Kabiraji and Machcher Paturi. Layered on the side is a dollop of the authentic explosive Kasundi. The first two are every Bengali’s childhood favourites. The thinly sliced and diced potatoes and the big chunky eggplants are staple in every household. But even here, a small innovation in the form of a small cut right down the middle of the eggplant ensures that the centre of it remains crispy and crusted with masala. The Chicken Kobiraji remains a street favourite with the covering of egg lovingly enclosing the soft, tender marinated chicken. The Machcher Paturi is fish cooked in an enclosed Banana leaf which imparts flavours that impress with it’s subtlety.
The mains are a Bengali Thaali. The vegetarian fare includes three of Bengal’s famous dishes: Shukto, Chorchori and Aloo Posto. The three pretty much sum up all the gamut of Bengali flavours which the creamy, royal yet subtle hints of bitterness on the Shukto. The spicy, fiery flavours of the Chorchori and the soothing, calming and most definitely sleep inducing Posto. For the non-vegetarian part of the meal, Chef Malhotra ladles out the most scrumptious of Chingri Machcher Malai Curry and Kosha Mangsho. The Prawn is lovingly enveloped in a thick, creamy curry while the stark yet beautiful flavours of the mutton will make you fall in love with it. We accompany it with some fluffy Luchis and a Papaya Chutney to finish it off. The Papaya Chutney is also known as a plastic chutney as the thin slices of the papaya becomes translucent along with a sheen of the sugar syrup.
We end off our meal with a platter of desserts. Sweets are an essential part of any Bengali meal be it breakfast or even evening tea. I have a perilous sweet tooth and love devouring every type of sweets that Bengal makes. But two really stand out on the platter. The Gur Makha consists of palm jaggery mixed with Chena and given a smooth yet granular texture. The Baked Nikhuti is an innovation on the classic from the Bankura district. The Nikhuti is deep fried Chena with sugar syrup something akin to the Gulab Jamun of Northern India. But baking it provides it textures not really found anywhere else.
Eden Pavilion is your one stop destination if you’re visiting Kolkata and plan on having an authentic Bengali meal. Otherwise their omnipresent buffet makes sure that your tummies are satisfied.
Prices: Lunch Buffet INR 1600++, Dinner Buffet INR 1850++, Sunday Brunch starts at INR 2250++
Where: ITC Sonar, Science City Area, Kolkata, West Bengal, India
