THE posh and Continental diners of Park Street h av e a n e w B e n g a l i neighbour. Ilish Truly Bong, a sprawling 2,400 sqft space spread over two floors, serving authentic Bengali cuisine, opened its doors a month back, much to the delight of the city’s gastronomes, who always regretted the conspicuous absence of a Bengali diner on Park Street.
The good news is that you don’t have to wait till the monsoons to arrive, to have a taste of hilsa, the queen of fish. You can get it here any time! We were quite impressed with the very Bengali decor of the eatery. Simple dokra installations and frames capturing Old Calcutta adorn the walls of the restaurant, which has a lovely rooftop overlooking Allen Park, the only patch of green in an otherwise concrete jungle called Park Street. “There wasn’t any fine diner in this area that offered Bengali food. We are happy to fill that space. Ilish is a tribute to the queen of fish,” says Ashish Baral, who has opened this venture with partner, Lopa Mudra Kamlaya.
Relish the taste
The Ilish fare in the menu includes the variations of Bhaja Ilish, Bhapa Ilish, Kalo Jeere Ilish , Asto Masto Ilish and Ilish Biryani as well. While we waited for the freshly prepared fish to arrive, we were served Patha Beguner Madhuchandrima, which literally translates to ‘a honeymoon between mutton and aubergine’! Trust this happy union of the two unlikely items to leave a lasting impression on your taste buds. The humble eggplant went well with the spicy minced mutton keema and we polished it off no sooner than it was served. We washed this down with a sip of the Gondhoraj Lebu Sarbet, but you can also have a go at their Aam panna mocktail.
The menu is a bit heavier on Bangladeshi fish items, since their focus is on sweet water fish, informs Ashish. The mildly aromatic yellow Basanti Pulao, cooked with a punch of dry fruits, was served next with the evergreen Bhapa Ilish in a gravy of pungent, Bengali mustard sauce. The tender piece of bony fish was one of the best we’ve had in recent times, and is definitely a must try.
Their desserts are a mix of contemporary and Bengali delicacies with options like Mishti Doi, Baked Rosogolla, Baked Mihidana and Hot Chocolate Fudge to spoil you. Ilish has a lot of plan up its sleeves and the immediate one includes converting the rooftop area into a café for the young crowd to sip on crafted mocktails, shakes and smoothies. We’re really looking forward to that! Meal for two: `1,200 approx.