Innovation yet rooted in tradition defines the limited edition Anglo –Indian Menu at this boutique Kolkata hotel

Talk of the iconic eateries of Kolkata and The Astor is one name that inevitably comes out of anybody’s lips. A heritage boutique hotel that preserves the elements of the last century and yet moves ahead with the demands of contemporary audiences has done it again with its Anglo-Indian food festival starting today. This a la carte menu available at Kebab-e-Que and curated by executive chef Azad brings to the forefront Anglo-Indian dishes, each with a story of its own. We headed over for a brief lunch and here’s what we absolutely recommend.

The easiest way to beat the funny weather is to indulge in the East Indian Mulligatawny soup. With distinct South Indian flavours of curry leaves, lentils, and the soft and fluffy paniyaram, this soul-warming soup was a fabulous way to set the premise for the rest of the menu. Ched Azad mentions, “Mulligatawny is a Tamil soup. The British found rasam or sambhar spicy on their palate. So they diluted the soup with more lentils and added spices like coconut milk, curry powder, ginger, garlic, and black pepper.”

We next moved to the British style Vegetable cutlet which is perfect to munch on with a hot cuppa. The cutlets were crispy on the outside and velvety smooth on the inside with a beetroot and mixed vegetable filling. The beetroot not only lent the dish its colour but also balanced the texture and made it a guilt-free indulgence. The quintessential pungent Bengali kasundi was the game changer in elevating the taste of the cutlet.

When it comes to Bengal, can fish be far behind? Made from the freshest and choicest Bekti, the Fish Rissoles were a happy delight. Circular fish cake patties with finely chopped onion bits for a crunch along with mayonnaise and mint chutney with sprinkled cajun spice for the heat was a balanced dish with savoury, spice, and sweet notes. Up next, the spicy Pork Roast, full of whole spices and a strong black pepper flavour laid on top of thinly sliced potatoes were succulent dices of meat and fat which melted in our mouth as soon as we took a bite.

For the mains, we jumped straight into the buttery Chicken a la kiev. The chicken was cooked to perfection with a host of sides from sautéed vegetables like carrots and broccolis to mashed potatoes with a three-spice –mix which  reiterated why it has always been a crowd favourite.

To conclude our delectable course, we were served the Old School Bread and Butter Pudding. Mildly sweet but full of roasted dry fruits like raisins and cashew nuts and placed on top of a caramel pool, the pudding was soft, delicious,and the perfect ending we could have wanted for lunch.

Price for two (approx.): Rs 1000 onwards

Available till March 2, 2025