Very few spaces in Kolkata cater to bona fide Oriental and North Indian options, while simultaneously offering the privileges of a gastroclub and a sheesha parlour. But the month-old Club Urban Tyro is doing it all, and it’s kind of unbelievable. Located at the ground floor of the Old Sikkim House, it obviously has the benefit of being right at the heart of Kolkata’s nightlife.
The swanky and luxe 1,850 square feet set-up has been conveniently sectioned into dining, lounging and private dining areas. Raunak Nath, the millennial owner of the joint makes his foray into the lifestyle industry with this space; after graduating as a civil engineer from the United States, he knew he had to come to his own city to pursue his ambition of owning a restaurant here.
For Club Urban Tyro’s authentic Asian culinary line-up Raunak drew inspiration from the city’s very own, Chinatown and the much-celebrated Chinese food from Tangra. ‘’Kolkata has a taste for appreciating good Chinese food like nowhere else, which is why we created the menu with utmost care to pick and choose only the most exclusive delicacies of the cuisine,” Raunak tells us. For the limited edition Valentine’s Menu the Club is offering a fantastic spread of items like the Thai Chicken Rose Dumplings, the Truffle Mushroom Dumplings and beverages like the Red Kiss, Sweetheart and much more.
Club Urban Tyro’s Tandoori selection is also impeccably curated and features some adventurous picks like Fish Anarkali, Chicken Tangdi Kebab, Awadhi Murgh etc. We started our lunch with a serving of Truffle Cream Cheese Dumpling, a delicacy which is doing exceptionally well in the city; Club Tyro’s version features a complex, creamy richness, and relies upon the wholesomeness of the cream cheese. We also tried some Chicken Black Pepper Dumplings and the Thai Corn Fritters, both of which had incredible consistency in taste.
Club Urban Tyro’s menu also gives culinary spectacle a chance, so quite a few of their numbers are incredibly styled, for perfect Instagrammable captures. Their Dynamite Prawns, for instance, feature generously picked succulent, batter-fried prawns, served in a shot glass featuring a spiced mayo dip at the bottom. We also paired some Chongqing Chicken Clay pot paired with Burnt Garlic Fried Rice, which is perfect because the intense peppery relish of the chicken counteracts the earthiness of the wok-fried rice. From the North Indian Menu, the Fish Anarkali and the Chicken Tikka are some of the best options you could go for.
There are also some elaborate numbers like Sarso Mahi Malai and Rahra Gosht which feature strong homegrown flavours. For dessert, we obviously settled for their gorgeous Blueberry Cheesecake, made in the no-nonsense traditional way; the cheesecake was just the right kind of dense, not too overwhelming in its texture, boasting of a balanced fruitiness, which let us taste the cheese. Price for two: Rs 1,000