South Kolkata’s neighbourhood café Kaldi Bean turns a year old and has introduced a menu steeped in farm-to-table aesthetics. Started by three friends, Debanuj Das Gupta, Anasuya Gupta and Amit Sharma, the café brings new flavours, subtle experiments and, above all, stands as a bridge between modern foodies, vanishing ingredients and the farmers and cultivators.
The tea-loving Bengali was naturally curious about the hot Shiuli tea, extracted from the white flowers. Moving beyond the polarisation of Assam and Darjeeling, this subtle floral essence of the drink, sourced from the mangrove delta Sunderbans, was an absolute delight.
We paired it with the Palak patta chaat. Crispy fried leaves with a side of spiced yoghurt made for a perfect starter. In fact, this combination is a classic evening snack during the rainy season.
The Neapolitan bread base for the Chicken pocket sandwich was a clever thought. Crunchy bread on the outside, with tomato, onion, lettuce, and warm grilled chicken slices inside, makes for a spot-on meal for a quick work lunch or when you are in a hurry.
We paired it with the Basil Bomb, a cold concoction of coffee and basil leaves that balanced the bitter coffee with subtle tartness.
A spoonful of Sesame basil chicken is perfect when you want to share and snack light. A hearty mix of bell pepper, tomato, onion, peanut, and chicken bits in spiced sauces, this savoury starter tastes best with the cold notes of sweet and earthy Strawberry iced matcha latte or bittersweet French press coffee.
Perhaps we saved the best for last. The main course, comprising Champaran mutton with kodbel sotto, brought a classic twist to this Bihari dish. Slow-cooked mutton in whole garlic roast gravy served with chamormoni rice from the Sunderbans, which left a sweet aftertaste, was enhanced with the subtle sweetness and tanginess of Kodbel sotto, spiced elephant wood apple pulp dried and cut into varied shapes. We wrapped up our meal with Honey trap, a cold cinnamon and coffee drink with a stick of cinnamon brilliantly used as the stirrer to reinforce the sweetness with each stir.
Meal for two (approx.): Rs 1,000+
Opening times: 12 pm – 11 pm (Monday-Saturday) / 8 am – 10.30 pm (Sunday).
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