Built in the year 1879, the mammoth heritage property that now houses the Kenilworth Hotel belonged to David Ezra, an influential Jewish man, who lived in the erstwhile colonial Calcutta. For more than 50 years now, Kenilworth Hotel has been serving its patrons impeccably with great stays and consistently good food.
As the hotel recently welcomed its new executive chef Shibraj Saha, Indulge dropped by their fine diner Aromas to check out the intricate and nuanced culinary changes the chef has introduced into the menu.
“Embarking on a new chapter at Kenilworth Hotel, I am thrilled to bring my 25 years of passion, creativity, and expertise to the vibrant culinary landscape of Kolkata. With every dish here, I want to deliver an unforgettable dining experience that celebrates the rich flavours and cultural heritage of Indian food. Kolkata has always been a melting pot of diverse culinary traditions, and I am excited to weave together innovative and traditional cooking methods to take our patrons to a new level of gustatory journey,” says Shibraj.
As we waited excitedly for the degustation to ensue, we were impressed by the new change in the colour palette, lighting and furnishings of the reputed diner. Soon the mindfully plated portions of appetizers began arriving at our table. We surrendered our tastebuds to the whims of the piquant Achari Ajwain Mahi Tikka – a refreshing take on the classic bekti tandoor. What made a striking difference to the taste was the expert blend of pungent mustard and carrom seeds in the fish marinade. The veg counterpart, Mascarpone Malai Broccoli, too, was an out-of-the-box preparation. The chargrilled broccolis laced with mascarpone tasted heavenly with a dollop of the accompanying sp[iced mint chutney.
The entremets that followed convinced us of Chef Shibraj’s expertise in rustling up novel curations by simply tweaking around with common spices. Extremely finicky about plating, the chef proudly presented the Awadhi Gosht Parda Biryani to us. The heavenly delicacy made with specially aged basmati rice and aromatic spices had chunks of well-cooked succulent lambs in it – all sealed and cooked to precision in a handi.
For those, who love authentic North Indian fares, Aromas has very palatable options. We settled for some freshly baked Missi Roti, Garlic Naan, Bakarkhani and Lachha Pudina Paratha with the ever-comforting creamy Kenilworth Dal Makhani and the sumptuously slow-cooked Dhabe Ke Murgh.
But what floored us were the two delectable vegetarian dishes – Malai Kofta Firdausi and Aloo Jodhpuri – that we rarely get in the city. Cooked to perfection, the creamy cottage cheese dumplings stuffed with pistachio, raisins and khoya, are best had with Bakarkhani. We relished every bit of Aloo Jodhpuri comprising baby potatoes tempered with tomatoes, onion and hand-pounded Rajasthani masalas with missi rotis and ended the meal with some soulful sweet dishes comprising Pistawali Baked Rasamalai and the seasonal Aam Bhapa Sandesh.
Meal for two: Rs 3,000