Authentic Bengali food at unbelievable prices. That might sound very like an advertisement but trust me that what “Sholo Ana Bangali” is all about! I had discovered this place while I was a student and this time when we visited Calcutta, my husband and I decided to try out this place once again. It’s a 1 minute walk from the South City Mall. If I remembered it as good, it had turned out to be better. For one, the place has extended (yet it still remains very small, hardly accommodating about 10-12 tables in all). There were beautiful lanterns hanging and the entire place has received a redo.
We ordered Luchi(poori), Paneer er Kofta and Jhuri Aaloo bhaja. I can use only one word to describe the experience – bliss! The luchis were soft and fluffy, the paneer was succulent (something that even the very best of restaurants sometimes fail at) and the jhuri aaloo bhaja was crispy! Then came the Sadaa Bhaat (Plain Rice), Kosha Mangsho (Chicken curry) and Barishal er Sorshe Ilish (Hilsa in mustard sauce). The way the food tastes, I have only one worry – proper marketing technique employed and this place will soon give Bhojohori Manna or 6 Ballygunge Place a run for their money! Had a fulfilling Bengali meal after a really long time. We ended our lunch with Maalpua (Indian sweet pancake) and Aam Doi (a dessert made out of mango and yogurt).
However, not all is so goody-goody at this place. Two things that stand out in stark contrast to the great food and the homely ambience are the unavailability of certain dishes and the unprofessional attitude of the waiters. At first we were pretty disappointed with the fact that "Mangsher Chop" wasn’t available although it was mentioned in the menu. Nor was Aalu’r Dom available, which one would have thought to be a pretty common side dish to be ordered with the luchis. We had to reframe our choices, but once the food came; it bowled you over! The second thing that deserves mention is also something which needs to be improved. The waiters are very polite but thoroughly unprofessional. One of them tried to fit in the frame every time we clicked a photograph and I had to actually suggest him to move out of the way. However, what I found disappointing is that the bill is put before you on the table even before you are done with the finger bowl! Now that is definitely something that leaves room for improvement. However, I assume these are teething problems that should resolve themselves with time.
Now for the prices. Sit tight or you may fall off the chair. Literally. 1 plate had 4 luchis and came for a price of Rs. 25/plate while the aaloo bhaja (which sufficed for 2) was priced at Rs. 10/- for a plate. The Ilish maach was Rs. 100/- and you can see the size for yourself. The chicken was Rs. 80/plate for 4 huge pieces. The Maalpua and the Aam Doi were priced at Rs 50 each and I thought that the latter was a bit over priced, given the quantity. But then, when something tastes so heavenly, who is complaining? We finished gobbling all that plus some soft drinks and managed to pay Rs. 500/- for a meal of two including the tips!
All in all, a place you should definitely visit if you crave Bengali food.
OUR RATINGS:
Ambience: 3.5/5
Food: 4.5/5
Service: 4/5
Price: 4.5/5
Overall: 4.5/5
OUR TAKE:
What we found interesting that this place is frequented by college students and families alike. I was rather amused when a Non Bengali guy coaxed his Bengali friend to try out the awesome “Mochar Ghonto” which he vouched was “the best in Kolkata”. A complete must visit.
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