A short drive from E M Bypass towards Kalikapur Road lead us to The Canisters’ which opened its doors on a rooftop just a month ago. The cafeteria, which is quite a popular one in the Salt Lake area for its quirky décor, has travelled all the way to the South to serve foodies out here. Nestled atop the 4th floor of an office building, this humble eatery will catch your eye with its vibrant multi-layered décor from the moment you step in. Opening up into a basic rooftop space, owners Subhajeet Debnath and Pritam Roy decided to take things a notch higher by adding levels to the interiors. A short flight of staircases will lead connoisseurs up to an open air area secluded from the hullabaloo. We chose to settle in the semi-open area whose walls are studded with recycled daily use materials in a rainbow of colours such as window panes, bottles, hairbrush paddles and so on. Each of these artefacts are further hand painted with unique and funky motifs that for sure makes this one of the most Instagrammable spots in the café, not to mention the almost 180 degree view of the Bypass and its adjacent areas. Some tables in the outdoor seating area are even upcycled barrels with wooden tops.
As we settled on one of the vibrant tables replete with cushioned seats in quirky patchwork patterns, the fragrant Charsi Gosht Bowl graced our olfactory senses with the perfect milieu of freshly cooked rice, well spiced mutton and veggies. Contrary to what one may think when it comes to a mutton bowl, this complete meal actually stole our hearts at the very first go with its tender pieces falling off the bones and melting in with the buttered rice. The mutton is one of the most succulent ones we have tasted in recent times, smothered with lamb fat sautéed with five Indian spices and onions. Moving on to another one of their latest introductions in this outlet, we chose to try the Jumbo Snacking Platter heaped with sufficient portions of chicken candy, two types of chicken wings, mouth-watering tempura prawns and french fries. This platter happens to be the perfect choice that can be shared between a group of friends. If you wish to order your dose of meat yet a big fat platter seems too much to digest, you may as well order the Hawain Seekh Kebab topped with Mexican salsa. Do away with your usual coffee to replace it with in-house special mocktails such as the Berry Bite or Honey Pomegranate.
“The journey has been quite adventurous for me and Subhajeet from the corporate world, to our Salt Lake outlet followed by Kalikapur. For the Kalikapur outlet we have focussed mainly on Indian and Continental offerings and stirred up quite a few signature dishes such as the Egg Wrapped Kathi Kebab. A host of bowls has also been introduced keeping in mind the need for an all-inclusive-meal,” shares Pritam.
Price: Rs. 600 onwards (inclusive of taxes)
Pictures by: Anindya Saha