Diners at Mainland China on Gurusaday Road (top) and a Chinese spread at the same venue. Pictures by Rashbehari Das

The scrumptious Club Chicken from the hallowed Bengal Club kitchen, or other quintessentially old Calcutta cuisine from the city?s club rosters like roast turkey and steaks, all recreated in a contemporary context to go with today?s credo of eat, shop and celebrate?

Ending months of speculation, Anjan Chatterjee, director, Speciality Restaurants Pvt Ltd, which owns the Oh! Calcutta and Mainland China brands, has declared he is ready to launch his third restaurant in Calcutta ? at Salt Lake?s City Centre.

?We are definitely coming to City Centre, possibly in a multi-cuisine format with a twist, and hope to be up and running by the Pujas,? Chatterjee tells Metro.

The yet-to-be christened 4,000-sq-ft ?fine-dining restaurant? plans to start up with 100-odd covers and a likely combo of Continental and Indian cuisine.

?We have spent hours and hours brainstorming to firm up the spread that would fit the profile of the unique property designed by Charles Correa. While conventional Indian fare has to be there, I would like our chef to reinvent some of the popular old club dishes and put them on the plate at our new address,? says Chatterjee, who kick-started the dining revolution south of Park Street with his Mainland China on Gurusaday Road.

Working backwards to ?align with the actual taste of Calcutta?, a survey conducted by the chain has thrown up a ?core clientele? coming from a radius of four to five km.

?Our research shows that in the Salt Lake scenario, we have to keep slots for quick whole meals on trays, besides the a la carte spread,? he adds.

To keep its ?pole position in the real simulated China experience?, the group is roping in Chef Lai from Hong Kong, the ?best dim sum chef in the world?. Of course, Chatterjee?s trips to the heart of the Chinese mainland continue, accompanied by master chef Rajesh Dubey, to check out the ?best Sichuan pepper? on the streets of Shanghai or the luscious kebabs from Moslem China.

Speciality Restaurants, which has a tie-up with global major Diversey Lever for structured hygiene audits at its facilities, will carry the arrangement to City Centre as well. ?We are food doctors and people come to us in good faith for clean, safe food, not just great taste. We are committed to keep the trust through constant checks and balances and serious R&D.?

As for the wait, Chatterjee says he is ?grateful to Harsh Neotia (the developer of City Centre) for bearing with us through this period of indecision?.

But the Mainland China and Oh! Calcutta boss is confident the wait will be worth the township?s while as it will get the landmark eatery it pines for.