ITC Royal Bengal’s Grand Market Pavilion has a grand Poila Baisakh menu

Grand Market Pavilion at ITC Royal Bengal has lived up to its name and rolled out a menu that can be easily described as unending. A trail of dishes landed at the long table, set in perfect symmetry and they included an array of appetizers, mains besides the enticing Bengali sweets and pop-coloured phuchka (think fuschia pink, black and blue).

The Gondhoraj Ghol made for a refreshing choice and was a perfect way to warm up to the grand buffett that followed. Among the appetisers that had the perfect crunch and flavour we sampled Dimer Devil, vegetable and Fish chop and Postor bora. The latter impressed with its delicate texture and green chilli zing. Giving the other small bites a miss we proceeded towards the mains. Basanti rice, crispy eggplant fritters, Posto Bora, Pui Saag Diye Chingri were cooked to perfection and we finished off the elaborate meal with steamed rice and slow cooked kosha mangsho. There was also a bekti preparation in mustard sauce that went well with the rice.  

While staples like chanar sandesh and mishti doi feature in the dessert menu, it was their Coconut Chhenar Payesh that stood out for its smooth texture, pleasant fragrance and chunks of coconut malai. We highly recommend the payesh, which is a delectable break from the regular payesh. 

Pocket pinch: Rs 2,150+ taxes per person