It’s an interesting observation I made when I gave my students an assignment. The assignment was to discuss the socio-political landscape of the city they are from or residing in, which in this case was Bengaluru. As the discussions progressed, there was one common aspect that most of them touched on, even if it was…
Category: Food
Cottons and Co. (since 1906)
Before our recent trip to Calcutta, my father kept mentioning that he’d see if Ice Cream Soda was still available. I must say that I was quite confused, because what I knew about Ice Cream Soda and what he was referring to were completely different. Turns out, Ice Cream Soda was the flavour of a…
The Heart of the Home
What really defines a kitchen? Can it only be defined as a room where one engages in culinary adventures or cooking a mundane daily meal? Looking at it only through this lens, reduces the experiences and joy this seemingly ordinary room gives us. I have been reflecting on the kitchens of my friends and family…
Bungalows, Dak Bungalows and the Curry
This article is the result of an interesting debate I had one afternoon while travelling in the car with my mum and dad. My father had come across an interesting but of course questionable and maybe even false (if I may take the liberty to say so) piece of information about the origin of the…
Eau Chew: 96 years of food and heritage
I was looking through some pictures I had taken last year when I visited Kolkata. While I do visit Kolkata every year, it was the first time that I visited Eau Chew. Now if you love eating Chinese food, you’re going to want to read on. Eau Chew is the oldest surviving Chinese restaurant, owned…
The case of the Vegetarian Mutton Curry
Yes, you read that right! It was only a few years ago that I became aware of the Niramish Mangsher Jhol or the Vegetarian Mutton Curry. I attended a Kali Pujo a few years ago. Being a whole night’s affair, beginning around midnight, and me being slightly younger, I could not sit still. This however did not…
How Sabir’s reignited my love for Mughlai food
Every time I visit Kolkata, there are a few eateries I must tick off on my checklist. Sabir’s has never really been one of them. I’m not sure why. The seeds of my visit to Sabir’s last week, were sown by my mother, who wanted me to taste some good Rezala. In Kolkata, Rezala is…
Bengaluru and Biryanis
When I was younger, the only biryanis I knew about were the Kolkata style biryani because of my Bengali bloodline and the Nellore and Hyderabadi style biryanis which were available in Bangalore. As the years went by, I became more aware of the different types of biryani which were actually available in the city. I’ve…
Nikita Chung 