The renowned Delhi diners The Old Delhi and Fat Tiger have opened doors in Kolkata and that too under the same roof. Located on Sarat Bose Road, the brands focus on bringing authentic and ethnic Mughlai and Asian cuisine under one roof. While The Old Delhi provides a culinary experience of the Old Delhi gullies, Fat Tiger focuses on a variety of Asian and continental dishes.
The common outlet co-owned by Apurva Chokhani, Sankhoj Das, and Deepak Chotwani is spread over 1,500 sq ft with 62 covers, and has quirky artwork on bright walls with the seating area divided into two sections, demarcating an area for shisha lovers. They also have a well-stocked bar serving some amazing concoctions and as we took a quick walk around the diner. Apurva says, “I was mesmerised with the food they serve at The Old Delhi, which made me bring this brand here. Also, I wanted a multicuisine restaurant, so I zeroed down on Fat Tiger too. The recipes are authentic and served the way they do it in Delhi.”
We were excited to see the extensive menu of signature drinks and settled for a sweet Blue frozen mountain, which had blue lagoon-flavoured shaved ice, topped with a dollop of vanilla ice cream. The Chilli grapes number was drop-dead tangy and spicy. Their signature Long beach iced tea is a twist to the classic LIIT, making it a perfect summer drink. One may also try their Boba cheese tea, an innovative twist on the classic Korean boba tea, has a cheese foam topping rendering the drink creamy, sweet and sour.
Starting off with the Old Delhi style Butter chicken and khamiri roti, we were stumped by the sheer taste from the very first bite. And no, this is not the butter chicken we are familiar with — it is more like kebabs doused in a light buttery gravy and the khamiri simply elevated the experience. The Mutton seekh kebabs were succulent and flavourful, and so were the juicy Grilled bhetki fish with hollandaise sauce, and New Zealand lamb chop from Fat Tiger. For the mains, we had Shak Sukat — a green take on Shakshuka, Dal bukhara, and Panee tikka masala, paired with Ulte tawe ka paratha. The dal sat lightly on our stomachs despite the play of spices. We also loved the taste of the paneer well-marinated in Tikka masala and how could we not try the Mutton biryani? A meal like that definitely called for an apt conclusion with Phirni and Shahi tukda.
Price for 2: Rs 800+
Pictures by Anindya Saha