Amazing tastes of opaar Bangla at Kasturi, Jessore Road

Well this blog post was pending for some time! Couple of months back I was pleasantly surprised to discover this relatively new branch of Kasturi so close to my place. It is not always feasible for me to visit their Ballygunge or New Market branch. To start with, I must say that if you are looking for a casual dining restaurant serving Bangladeshi cuisine right here in Kolkata then Kasturi is your place to be. It serves some East Bengali or rather Bangal dishes which are sure to steal your heart.

LOCATION - - - - - The place is conveniently located diagonally opposite to the Diamond Plaza Mall (and beside Alibaba) on Jessore Road close to the Nagerbazar crossing. You can park your car on the road in front of the eatery or better if you park your car inside the Diamond Plaza Mall.

AMBIANCE - - - - - The place which is often called Kasturi Minar has an ambiance which is tad better than its Ballygunge outlet in some respect. The walls adorn lovely wallpapers, starting from Nazrul, Rabindranath, to Uttam, Suchitra, etc who almost define the Bengali culture of undivided Bengal. Interiors are neat, well-lit and humble with pictures of buildings and monuments from both sides of Bengal. The furnitures used are optimally classy. The place has got several window ACs as well as ceiling fans. Tables are placed quite closely making it bit cramped up, the place is not that huge but has got several tables in that little space. But despite of that during the weekends you have to experience long waiting hours before getting your seat. We went at 3pm on a Sunday and had to wait for 30 mins on the road since there was a long queue, they have got no waiting area inside the restaurant. I would advise better not to visit on weekends in that case. One thing I didn't like about the ambiance is - there is one glass wall facing the main road, so when you are having your food inside every passerby is checking out what is there on your plate! :) Not so cool.

Aloo posto

FOOD - - - - - We were super hungry when we got our seats after that long waiting time. We quickly ordered for the below items (though we had to request numerous times to please accept our order!) –

a) Steamed Rice – Steamed rice is available in bowls and plates, that’s how they quantify rice here. One bowl and one plate of rice is good enough for two. Lovely quality of rice used and prepared to perfection.

Sona moong dal

b) Sona moong dal with peas – Dal is one necessary part of Bengali meal and when it comes to sona moong dal it is kind of heaven for a Bengali foodie soul. Sona moong dal with peas here was reasonably priced but served in a small bowl so I must say the quantity was optimally decided keeping in mind the other delicacies available here at Kasturi :)

c) Aloo posto – Really goes very well with Sona moong dal and steamed rice. One of the favorite dishes of West Bengal, Aloo posto is loved by almost every Bengali foodie. The proportion of posto was bit on the lower side here but still the overall taste was appreciable. Quantity was good enough.

d) Kochupata Chingri Bhapa – And here comes the star dish of Kasturi. This is the reason why I was here for this meal. The paste of Kochu pata or the colocasia leaves in mustard and loads of shrimps gives an immaculate taste ad the dash of mustard oil added on top gives all the x-factor and kick to the dish. It goes great with steamed rice. One bowl of this dish is good enough for two. Must try!

Kochupata Chingri Bhapa - Must try!

e) Mutton Kosha – Again I was thoroughly impressed by this very common Bengali non-veg dish. The taste of the dish was spot-on, not too spicy but very rich in flavors. The three mutton pieces provided in that small bowl was very well marinated and cooked. Full marks from my side. Must try!

f) Chutney – This was a complimentary dish given to me, thanks for that gesture. Lovely sweet tomato chutney with all the dates, aam shotto, etc in it. Nice way to end your meal.

Mutton Kosha

g) Mishti Doi – Finally wrap up your meal with one earthen bowl of mishti doi (sweet yogurt). It was nice and the taste was spot on, perfect.

SERVICE - - - - - I would say this is the part they should be careful of. Firstly the person who was maintaining the waiting queue was rather amateurish in behavior, not very used to handle the esteemed customers, was trying to be over-friendly in a rather unpolished way! Secondly they had to be pleaded for atleast 4-5 times to kindly accept our order, that was annoying. Other than these two points the servers and the person at the front desk were courteous. The service was pretty quick and prompt. They serve a bottle of mineral water by default on your table and add its price to the bill without informing, though weird but this is something which I can still accept.

SUMMARY - - - - - The Kochupata Chingri Bhapa is something that draws me to Kasturi on numerous occasions. It is one dish for which you can travel some distance, thus making Kasturi a destination restaurant. Overall the quality of food at this place has never disappointed me, the price is also reasonable though it has got all the tax components. Dhakai or Bangal cuisine which is not very common here, so this place has got very little competition in that niche domain. If they can improve their service and ambiance they are sure to stay, I am assuming the quality of their food will only improve with time. And this new outlet is surely a piece of heaven for lovers of Bangal cuisine like me, so visit this place with your loved ones or friends and you won't repent.

Cheers!