Calcutta Restaurant Guide> Someplace Else

Image 1 - Behold - the menu card..err...plank!

Image 2: The crowd at Someplace Else

Image 3 - Basket of fries - where's the basket and where are the fries?

Text by: Tanya Munshi

Someplace Else is a haven for wannabes, snooty people, women with loud costumes and the like. I am sorry to say, Someplace Else is by far the worst place I have ever visited. Where do I begin from? Their menu card which looks like a cross between a weapon, boomerang and a Frisbee. Come on, being stylish is one thing, but one should know where to draw the line.

The food is overpriced for the paltry portions they offer. The waiters at Someplace Else have their ego and snoot up their sleeves. I am really amazed that in Calcutta, the places that I have visited so far are full of snooty staff and people and for what? Why can't just people be normal, be human!

This time some of us childhood friends who are from Mumbai met up for the first time in Calcutta. We thought it would be best to celebrate over dinner at Bar-be-Que. But one of them who was visiting Calcutta after seven years was keen on checking out the night life of the city, and was adamant no matter how much we thought it would be best for a quiet dinner for four. Reluctantly, we headed to our pub hopping spree in Calcutta.

The other friend who is also from Mumbai and owns a company in Calcutta is now more familiar with the city. He did mention that Thursdays are the most boring days for pubbing in Calcutta. Reluctantly, we headed to the Underground, but it was not open to public thanks to a private party. Then we headed to Tantra - it was empty and finally we headed to Someplace Else and it was full of I don't know what to call them.

There was a live band performance that Thursday night in Someplace Else and they were trying so hard to be cool. Somewhere they lost the connection between their audience and what they were playing.

There were hardly any women in the pub, only two or three who walked in and with what they were wearing, it was blast from the past. The dress sense was atrocious, please ladies, those are passé. Its time you moved on with your dress sense.

I am told that Someplace Else was one of the best and hottest night clubs in Calcutta, I believe them. But now, they tell me, its no longer that good.

A place gets its reputation, character and style not only from the people who work there, but also with the clientele who visit; and neither of this was good at Someplace Else. I recommend, if at all you are planning to visit Someplace Else in Calcutta, either you skip it or go in a group as you're going to get thoroughly bored and irritated with the crowd and ambience.

When I was looking at the wooden plank of a menu card, the waiter came up to our table and turned the plank around for me with a raised eyebrow, as if I don't know how to read a menu card. I gave him dagger looks and said thanks and he apologized immediately as he realized he was trying his stunts at the wrong place.

The so called basket of fries, minus the basket of course came with a few fried onion rings, french fries and some cheese balls. We were fed up by the place and left within an hour of arriving. Someplace Else - can be totally skipped, unless The Park decides to do something positive about it.

A party at home with friends is a much better option than a visit to Someplace Else. In short, Someplace Else is a highly overpriced, snooty and a not-so-happening pub in Calcutta.

*Pricing:
Basket of Fries - Rs. 315/-
Large Blender's Pride - Rs. 350/-
Large Celebration - Rs. 350/-
Small Baccardi Breezer - Rs. 250/-

Overall Rating:
Ambience - *
Service - *
Presentation of food & drinks -  *
Quantity of food served - *
Quality of food - *
Price - *
The Snoot Factor - They top the chart!

Location:
Someplace Else,
The Park

*Please Note - Pricing may change/ vary according to location and time.

Calcutta Restaurant Guide> Arsalan

Text by: Tanya Munshi

Our flight was late, thanks to the single operational runaway at Mumbai airport. We reached Calcutta after 10pm and the hunger pangs were running overdrive and so on our way home, we stopped by at Arsalan an extremely popular Biryani joint.

It was almost 11 pm, mutton biryani was over. We were disappointed, but we opted for the next best thing - chicken biryani and two plates of reshmi kebabs. We reached home by midnight and wolfed down the biryani with not a trace of the food left on the plate; which means, the food was fantastic and of course we were hungry.

If you're in Calcutta, and you don't taste biryani, then I think you may have missed something. You must have a biryani dish at least once in your trip and of course from Arsalan.

The place was packed that night, while some chose to eat there, others did takeaways. Since it was Christmas week, Arsalan declined all home delivery offers. I don't think people minded that. I got their takeaway menu and they have a lot to offer from Mutton in gravy, Chicken in gravy, Tandoori and Kebabs, Fishy kebabs, gravy and seafood, vegetarian and rolls.

The only thing I remember that night was enjoying a warm goblet of brandy, relishing the fluffy rice of the chicken biryani and dozing off to sound sleep in the cool wintry night of Calcutta.


*Pricing:
Mutton Biryani - Rs. 75/-
Mutton Biryani special - Rs. 120/-
Biryani Arsalan - Rs. 80/-
Chicken Biryani - Rs. 75/-
Chicken Biryani special  - Rs. 120/-
Vegetable Biryani - Rs. 30/-

Overall Rating:
Ambience - * * * * (food is more important here)
Service - * * * * * (super fast)
Presentation of food & drinks -  Don't bother
Quantity of food served - * * * * * (excellent)
Quality of food - * * * * * (brilliant)
Price - * * * * * (total VFM)
The Snoot Factor - None.

Location:
1) Marina Garden Court,
191, Park Street
7 Point Crossing
Phone - 033 - 2284-8556/ 3291-8297

2) 28, Circus Avenue
Phone - 2281-3921/ 2290-0487

*Please Note - Pricing may change/ vary according to location and time.

Calcutta Restaurant Guide> Mama Mia

Image 1: Mama Mia! What is all this?

Image 2: The staff. Their in-charge (missing in this photo) was super snooty

Image 3: Dreamy desserts

Image 4: Cup cakes!

Image 5: Dessert delight

Image 6: Dessert dream

Photographs by: Tanya Munshi

Text by: Tanya Munshi

My only interaction with Mama Mia was at the Calcutta Club's Bakery Carnival. They made my visit to the carnival memorable by being snooty. Frankly speaking, they had the best stall at the carnival with some of the best baked exhibits on display, but mama mia, it won't earn your bread and butter -sorry, pastry and gelato (pun intended)  from being snooty and rude to your customers. But honestly, had I been a judge at the carnival, I would have given them first prize for the best presentation, but then the buck stops there.

I asked for a slice of a chocolate cake and the staff at Mama Mia said, "Ma'am, would you like an ice cream to go with it? We have ice creams too."

I thought, why not and when I paid Rs. 65/- worth of coupon (we had to buy coupons from the club counter), he said, "Another Rs.65/- Ma'am."

I asked, "For what?"

He said, "The ice cream."

I said, "You should have told me it's extra cost, and there was no price list that says, ice cream scoop cost extra!"

The snooty Mama Mia guy said, "If you don't want it, don't take it'!"

Woah! I thought...what attitude. Doing us a favour by serving ordinary pastries and ice creams. Let me tell you, Monginis is far better ;) The point is, it is not about paying the extra Rs. 65/- bucks, but to be honest and not thinking your clients are fools.

There is a lot that goes into making a brand successful and being snooty and over smart is definitely not going to take anybody anywhere. There is a way of handling miscommunication. The price of the pastries were mentioned in tags, but if you are charging extra for something, do let your customers know.

So if I did ask them as to why they did not mention the extra cost in the first place, there was no reason for the guy in charge at Mama Mia to raise an eye brow. Dude, you're just an employee, and you behave like you own the place! (You can see how pissed I am with their unprofessional behaviour).

You may think you have made an extra profit of 65 bucks, but ask yourself, is it really worth the bad publicity and your customers going back disgruntled? Anyway, we paid that extra Rs. 65/- for a piddly vanilla ice cream scoop and I made up my mind to write about this. 

We have grown up with brands like Monginis, they were never rude to us. There is a Monginis everywhere in India and we remember growing up celebrating every birthday with a cake ordered from Monginis (my favourite Pineapple Pastry Cake), and they never made us feel out of place. So why the snoot factor from new comers? Just because brands like Mama Mia come up with gelato and pastries which are phoren sounding,  does not give you the licence to be rude to your customers. 

Calcutta Restaurant Guide> Wow Momos

Image: The Bakery Carnival at Calcutta Club

Text by: Tanya Munshi

Started by Sagar Daryani, Wow Momos is the new momo destination in Calcutta. I met him with my aunt at Spencer's in Calcutta two years ago, when he had just launched Wow Momos. While my mom and aunt shopped for groceries, I longingly admired the hot steaming momos and was pleasantly surprised when they offered me a free sample. Now I am a Wow Momo fan!

Later when Sagar came up to my aunt and she was very happy to see that the little boy she taught in Class IV is now a proud owner of Wow Momos.

When we were in Calcutta in December 2010 for Christmas, we attended the Bakery Carnival at the Calcutta Club. It was a field day for my husband and I as we love the food in Calcutta and thanks to the carnival, we got a wide variety in one single destination. What more could we ask for!

While we browsed through the many stalls, we came across the snooty Mama Mia stall. Nothing extraordinary. Just that their stall had some of the best looking exhibits. I asked for a slice of a chocolate cake and the staff at Mama Mia said, "Ma'am, would you like an ice cream to go with it? We have ice creams too."

I thought, why not and when I paid Rs. 65/- worth of coupon (we had to buy coupons from the club counter), he said, "Another Rs.65/- ma'am." I asked, for what? He said, the ice cream. You should have told me it's extra cost, and there was no price list as well! The snooty Mama Mia guy said, "If you don't want it, don't take it'!  Woah! I thought...what attitude. Doing us a favour by serving ordinary pastries and ice creams. Let me tell you, Monginis is far better ;) The point is, it is not about paying the extra Rs. 65/- bucks, but to be honest and not thinking your clients are fools.

Anyway, we paid that extra Rs. 65/- for a piddly vanilla ice cream scoop and I made up my mind to write about this. People at the Calcutta Club were brimming with ego and snoot! So ofcourse, only lesser mortals like me would ask why don't you put up a price list like the other stalls and why don't you say that an ice cream scoop will cost extra along with a cake slice! I could see the aunties with kilos of make up and off shoulder blouses almost fainting upon hearing what I said. Come on kakimas and mashimas. it's really okay.

What saved the day, were the chicken momos at Wow Momos and I got to meet Sagar Daryani again. It was really nice to meet him again and seeing him do very well. He had also placed a copy of The Telegraph with an article about him and his friend and how they started Wow Momos. I am very happy for him and more so, I can see my aunt beaming with pride as well.

I like Sagar's marketing skills, his perseverance which gave momos a brand new dimension to the people of Calcutta. I know, a lot of people swear by the momos in China Town and else where, but then this isn't bad either. His staff was warm and courteous and I was glad to see how well they handled the heavy rush at the carnival with no signs of distress. Hats off to Wow Momos.


*Pricing:
Steamed Chicken Momos - Rs. 45/- per plate
Chicken Capsicum Momos - Rs. 45/- per plate
Prawn Momos - Rs. 70/- per plate (can be better)
Paneer Momos - Rs. 39/- per plate
Mushroom Momos - Rs. 50/- per plate

Overall Rating:
Ambience - Fast food stalls in various malls
Service - * * * * *
Presentation of food & drinks - * * * * *
Quantity of food served - * * * *
Quality of food - * * * * *
Price - * * * * *
The Snoot Factor - None.

Location:
You'll find Wow Momos in Spencer's in South City Mall, Avishar, Pantaloons in Gariahat, Big Bazaar in Sealdah, Gangulibagan, Ecospace in Rajarhat and New Empire Cinema in Lindsay Street.

Phone: +91-9830744776
*Please Note - Pricing may change/ vary according to location and time.

Calcutta Restaurant Guide> Peter Cat

Image 1: Peter Cat

Image2: Peter Cat menu card

Image 3: 'The best cuisine in town'

Image 4: The Cream of Chicken and Asparagus Soup

Image 5: Grilled Bhetki with orange sauce and potatoes

Image 6: House Special Sizzler

Image 7: Chocolate Souffle - the best

Text by: Tanya Munshi

When we think of Calcutta (sorry, I prefer call it Calcutta and not Kolkata, the name Calcutta has more history, character and style), the first thing that comes to our mind is food -rasgullas, puchkas, momos, biryani, Park Street - the works!

I spent Chirstmas in Calcutta last year and boy did I love basking in the sunny winter mornings. We spent a day walking on Park Street soaking up the winter sun and working up an appetite for restaurants like Bar-be-Que, Peter Cat or Moulin Rouge. Being the Christmas week, most places were full, but people waited patiently outside.

After a shopping spree at Rajniklal - famous for their ceramic kitchen wear, we headed to Peter Cat for lunch. Since there was a queue, we were asked to come back within 20 minutes to be seated inside Peter Cat. This was my first visit to Peter Cat, as that day my husband decided to try something new. Else, I am a Bar-be-Que fan, love the Chinese there.

I think after visiting Peter Cat, I am now tempted to add a new category for my restaurant reviews - the Snoot Factor. As I was looking at the menu card, which is a huge cut-out of a cat, I placed it aside to discuss with my husband about the menu. One of the head waiters just came by and picked it up on his way somewhere else, without asking whether we were ready to order; when I told him, I am still looking at it.

When we asked for two Cream of Asparagus soup, followed by the main course, the head waiter's enthusiasm dropped as if he were disappointed we weren't ordering any more or not spending enough money. That changed their attitude completely and every time someone new came to serve our main course (which did not come together, mine came first, so I waited till my husband got his sizzler).

I don't think they take stress and heavy rush too well. They appeared to be under-staffed and there was some chaos in the far end of the restaurant, where the air conditioner was non-operational and as a result a client refused to pay money as it was hot and walked away without paying.

Suddenly, there was a commotion in Peter Cat and all the head waiters and stewards were running about trying to do some damage control. Ultimately, what I gathered from their discussions, the client paid the amount (maybe half) and left. The stewards were discussing loudly with the barman, the bar was very close to where we were sitting and I think, he realized that his colleagues where loud while talking about that client and he asked them to lower their voices.

A good restaurant will never make the other clients feel that there is something wrong. They will handle things so well that the others will never come to know about a chaos.

While the name says Peter Cat, I was wondering why the stewards are wearing Indian/ Pathani uniforms - with turbans, kurta, kamar band and pajyamas. Maybe they thought its best not to change the attire from the time they started.

Now coming to the food part - Cream of Chicken Asparagus - strictly okay, Grilled Bhetki Fish with Orange sauce, good, but not great, Special house Sizzler - the usual fare, nothing interesting. But what takes the cake - Chocolate Souffle. It was brilliant - dreamy, soft, fluffy and not very sweet and it saved the day.

I wish the staff were polite, and handled stress better. Peter Cat is a brand and I think they have reached a stage where the staff/ owners don't seem to bother about maintaining the image or the brand of Peter Cat as they know that their clients will still drop by no matter what.

Overall, my experience at Peter Cat was not all that great; it was rather disappointing. I was told their Chello kebabs are the best, maybe I will try that again the next time. Till then, I hope they buckle up their kamarbandhs and do something better.

*Pricing:
Cream of Chicken and Asparagus Soup - Rs. 89/-
Grilled Bhetki Fish with Orange Sauce - Rs. 205/-
House Special Sizzler - Rs. 205/-
Chocolate Souffle - Rs. 92/-

Overall Rating:
Ambience - * * *
Service - * * *
Presentation of food & drinks - * * *
Quantity of food served - * * *
Quality of food - * * *
Price - * * * *
The Snoot Factor - Totally!

Location:
Peter Cat Restaurant
18 Park Street
Kolkata - 700 016
Phone - 033 - 2229-8841

*Please Note - Pricing may change/ vary according to location and time.