Summers in Kolkata are anything but comfortable. When the scorching heat makes us want to give up, a plate of comfort food in a soothing environment can heal us.
Kolkata’s popular café, The Daily, has brought comfort and taste together in their new summer menu that feels gourmet. Curated by Chef Urvika Kanoi with care and passion, the menu offers everything good about summer.
While mangoes sourced from all over the country take the centre stage, other summer coolers like kokum and coconut feature in this one-of-a-kind menu too.
When asked about her inspiration behind the curation, Chef Urvika Kanoi says, "The summer menu is our homage to local produce. India is very blessed because each season has a set of unique produce. That’s precisely what we wanted to showcase in the menu. From drinks to desserts, we have a little bit of something for everybody."
The summer menu instantly gets you interested. With a variety of items on the card, it features names from all over the world. We, of course, started with drinks, given the tiresome afternoon heat outside.
We tried a summer classic, Mango Mojito, and moved on to Mango Mule before finally settling down with the viral Matcha with a mango twist. While the first two drinks were slightly tangier than usual, the Mango Matcha beautifully infused the two flavours. if you are trying Matcha for the first time, this is the drink for you.
For food, we tried different flavour profiles that showcased the variety on display. Served with a side of sweet chilli sauce, the Green Grilled Chicken was just spicy enough not to overpower the fresh flavour of raw mango, thecha, and herbs.
Next, we tried the famous Turkish Eggs, which looked as good as they tasted. While the bread served on the side was stiff, the main dish was refreshing and cooling.
Finally, we had the tangy and unique Asian Chop’t Salad, an interesting pairing of glass noodles with raw mango served with salad condiments. If you are looking for something healthy and cooling, this is the dish. However, if you are not a fan of glass noodles, it is best to skip.
The dessert did not disappoint at all. We decided to skip mango this time and went for the Tender Coconut Panna Cotta. This is a tropical take on the classic Italian dessert.
With a silky base of tender coconut and gelatin, it came with sprinkles of mango, and the flavour was perfectly balanced.
The Daily’s summer menu features exciting food combinations because, as Chef Urvika said, she loves taking risks, and the city doesn’t mind. "I like keeping a lot of things safe, but I mostly like playing in unsafe territory," she tells us.
So, if you are tired of the boring café menus and are looking for a place that excels at experimenting, do give The Daily’s new summer menu a try.
For more updates, join/follow our WhatsApp, Telegram and YouTube channels.