Quaint casual diner The Food Storey is South Kolkata's best-kept secret

Finding the perfect weekend brunching spot can be tricky, but we did the hard work for you, and discovered a gem of an eatery right in the heart of South Kolkata. The Food Storey is an adorably Instagrammable diner at Lake Road, serving up the most delicious continental comfort food, and choicest European and Asian specialties. From Oriental street foods like Laksa, Khao Suey and Sour Curry, to Italian and English dishes like Scaloppini, Chicken Parmigiana, Risotto, Shepherd’s Pie, and even some adventurous Bong numbers, you get a superbly eclectic assortment of global delicacies. The Food Storey is tucked away in a homely lane, quite apart from the bustling traffic, which definitely works for its agenda to offer you some unhurried downtime with your squad. “We wanted to create a space where you can sit with your people for hours, and get access to almost any genre of food that you want. Most people have to choose between going to an Italian or Asian eatery; we find offering up a mix of genres helps people as they can have more than one kind of specialty, and always mix it up. We are also delivering and catering to parties, and have found a wonderful reception from the people,” Sreela Rao, of The Food Storey tells us, as we await our lunch.

Set up at an airy, unassuming mezzanine area, the relaxed layout of the eatery has a quaint charm, with a splattering of old world decor. The shock white walls, teamed with vintage, wall plates, are a revelation, and add a refreshingly congenial touch. “Some of the decor is actually from my personal collection,” Rao tells us. We even found a comfy seating area, featuring an old timey sofa and centre table, which can also be used as a reading area. As we looked around, our appetizer for the afternoon arrived: a hot plate of Cheesy Bacon Rosti. If you don’t know what a Rosti is, it’s probably because you don’t get to see this wonderful breakfast food a lot in the city. This Swiss number is a mini pancake-style fritter, traditionally made with potatoes, cheese, butter, and any kind of protein. The Food Storey’s version gave us wonderfully dense and wholesome crunchy triangles, made with an even blend of creamy cheese, potatoes, and generous bits of bacon.  It was exactly as appetizing and scrumptious as we’d hoped it would be; you can also opt for mushroom/jalapeno or chicken or ham rostis from the menu. They are quite filling, and the perfect brunch material.

One of their signature dishes is Kacha Lanka Baata diye Mangsho (Meat cooked with chilli paste), which is a full entree, and features spicy mutton with pulao and a fish fry. For our main entree, we ordered some chicken Tetrazzini, the well-beloved casserole dish, and found it to be the most wholesome thing on the menu. Most of you will know, that the whipped creamy sauce is the superstar of any Tetrazzini, and in this case the delicious white sauce had just the right kind of consistency; it was not too soupy, not too thick, and smelled utterly inviting. The Tetrazzini only costs Rs 300, which is a steal, especially in comparison to other high-end options. You can also find more traditional Italian dishes on the menu like the Spaghetti Carbonara, Stroganoff, A-La-Kiev etc. Price for Two: Rs 900