Fire and Ice
Who: Annamaria Forgione
Where: 41 JL Nehru Road (opposite Jeevan Deep)
When: July 16, 2005
Why: “I wanted to create a meeting place where people would come together to enjoy our ambience; get to know a bit of Italy and of course Italian food,” says Annamaria. But that was not the only reason. “I was excited by the concept of micro financing. I brought our people who make mozzarella in Kathmandu to Calcutta to teach this little group of farmers how to make this cheese here. This would empower the rural women and achieve self-sufficiency. The loan is given not as money but in the form of a cow. They repay the loan with litres of milk. This milk is brought to the little dairy where the mozzarella is made. I buy the mozzarella and the money goes back into the bank which lends more money and gives more families a better way of life,” she explains.
What: “Fire and Ice is about bringing authentic Italian pizza to our customers and getting people to enjoy the real taste of a famous part of Italian heritage, the way it is and has been enjoyed in Italy for many years,” explains Annamaria. So the platter comprises an assortment of soups, pizzas, calzones, pastas, risottos, lasagnas and desserts.
Hands-on: From being managing director to chef, taking the cooks through the process of making various Italian preparations, Annamaria has her hands full. “I keep an eye on every aspect of Fire and Ice to ensure the satisfaction of our customers,” she says.
Plus: “Fire and Ice has many strengths but I believe our main strength is the simplicity and authenticity of our food combined with good service. Also through the years we have maintained the quality that our customers can enjoy every day,” she smiles.
Minus: “When running a business there are always positive and negative issues to be solved daily. Maybe I would say one big disadvantage that we face here is the pollution,” rues Annamaria.
Future: “We have plans but cannot disclose them at the moment,” she says.
Mangio
Who: Lovey Burman
Where: 17/1F Alipore Road (off SBI roundabout)
When: Lovey Burman has been synonymous with all things sweet. Her Kookie Jar that started off back in 1985 is big, and Mangio that opened doors in August 2006 is a pop pick now.
Why: “We were doing special orders for a while and we were doing well. Finally we decided to go the restaurant way, full fledged,” says Lovey. According to her, the restaurant business is very different from cakes and pastries, her area of expertise, but she is no less confident about the success of Mangio (which means ‘I eat’ in Italian).
What: New-world cuisine. Explains Lovey: “It is world cuisine adapted to the current taste.” There’s European, Oriental, Russian, Japanese and more.
Hands-on: Lovey is “very involved” when it comes to the menu, sometimes in the kitchen trying out sauces herself. Says Lovey: “I make it a point the dishes look good, and are standardised perfectly before they are rolled out to the guests…. I ensure there are various options for different taste palettes.”. About a month back Lovey was at the kitchen whipping up yummies for a special booking of 20 people. “If I’m there at the restaurant I like talking to diners and getting an honest feedback.” And yes, going through the comments cards is a must. “It’s a great way to be in touch with your guests,” says Lovey. “Accounts is not my cup of tea,” she admits and so there are professional accountants to mind the gap.
Plus: The all-day dining facility from 8am to 11pm.
Minus: No bar.
Future: “We are trying for a bar license. We would also like to take Mangio all over the country,” says Lovey.
Dolly’s Tea Shop
Who: Dolly Roy
Where: 2 Gariahat Road, Dakshinapan, Shop no: G62
When: Armed with the love for her favourite beverage, Dolly Roy, “India’s first woman tea-taster and the first woman tea auctioneer in the world”, mastered tea know-how within six months. “My boss told me, if you don’t, the only other job I can offer is that of an accountant. I really tried hard,” she laughs. Dolly spends most of her evenings at Dolly’s Tea, a speciality tea venture that she started almost 20 years back.
Why: “I believed that it was time tea was presented differently. Tea is often looked upon as the cheapest option after water.” There is also a deeper, more personal reason. “While I was working in France, I met this lady who used to run a shop similar to mine. She sort of adopted me as her daughter and asked me to open a similar shop in India. She was dying of cancer when she asked me again if I had opened the shop and said that she would help me in any way to open the shop…(pause) I said, ‘I just need your blessings’,” she reminisces.
What: It’s a one-stop address for all things tea. Gift packets of tea are very popular, especially the Muscatel Darjeeling Second Flush. “A lot of my customers choose their own blends of tea. They have a cup of that tea before buying it so that they are assured of the quality,” says Dolly. Besides you can also grab a seat at one of the small tables and enjoy a cuppa or a tall glass of iced tea. The menu also includes sandwiches, brownies, tarts and other savouries.
Hands-on: “I’m involved in every step,” smiles Dolly. “The shop is like my child. I source the baked products from this Parsi lady who makes everything by hand. Other than that every cup of tea is brewed separately,” says Dolly, who is there in her shop almost every day and is always around to explain the nuances of every blend.
Plus: “One of our greatest plus points is that people are assured of good quality and good service. It’s warm, friendly and like an oasis in this shopping complex,” she says.
Minus: That it is too far for people who don’t stay down south.
Future: Dolly is working on a book on tea and would love to open a tea museum.
The Blue Potato Trattoria
Who: Shaun Kenworthy
Where: 27 Shakespeare Sarani (crossing of Outram Street and Shakespeare Sarani)
When: January 2007
Why: “I’ve always been interested in cooking this kind of food. Besides there was no fine-dining restaurant with an adult atmosphere, that didn’t allow children, where one could come for a nice relaxed meal,” he says.
What: Quality ingredients. Continental cuisine. With soups, salads, sandwiches, pastas, risottos, grills etc. “It’s a place where we serve good honest food, do not compromise on quality, provide a relaxed dining experience to guests,” says Shaun.
Hands-on: Shaun has been involved in almost every step from designing to execution and administration. “After we transformed the Blue Potato into a Trattoria I don’t have to be present in the kitchen every day from start to finish, as the menu is comparatively simple,” says Shaun.
Plus: “We set out to be the only fine-dining restaurant in Calcutta, which we have accomplished successfully,” says Shaun.
Minus: “Not having a liquor licence is obviously a drawback as the fine-dining experience is not complete without quality wines,” he admits.
Future: Shaun and partner Naveen Pai plan on opening another restaurant under The Blue Potato banner that will stick to their original plan of a fine-dining restaurant serving wine as well.
Kewpie’s
Who: Rakhi Purnima Dasgupta.
Where: 2, Lala Lajpat Rai Sarani (off Northern Park)
When: 10 years back.
Why: “We found a niche in the market as there were not many Bengali places. The USP would be home-cooked food, served in a traditional manner. We were all set to change misconceptions like Bengali cuisine was only about mustard oil and ilish maachh,” says Rakhi, in whose mother’s name the restaurant is.
What: Traditional Bengali restaurant. During festivals it dishes out Anglo-Indian, Jewish, British and continental delicacies.
Hands-on: Majority of the menu mechanisms are looked after by Rakhi. “I look at availability of ingredients among many other important aspects.” When it comes to cooking, Rakhi has for the time being restricted herself to supervising. She is into spot checking, and also keeps a regular check on the “produce that comes in”. Says Rakhi: “I meet my customers once in a while. When you have built up a reputation, you cannot be complacent.”
Plus: “A lot of traditional Bengali items, with its authentic flavour.”
Minus: Located in a 140-year-old house, it is cramped and a little rundown.
Future: “I’m looking at opening in Delhi,” reveals Rakhi.
KK’s Fusion
Who: Pradip Rozario
Where: 89C Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Sarani, (next to 89 Cinemas)
When: After his first venture in the city Kurry Klub took off on Sarat Bose Road he wanted to experiment more and hit upon the idea of starting a fusion restaurant. KK’s Fusion was born in 2004.
Why: “There is fusion fashion, fusion music, why not fusion food? And Calcutta did not have any such experimental venture. There are straight multi-cuisine, Indian, Chinese speciality places but nothing that combines all,” says Pradip.
What: One can ask for just about anything here. “There have been occasions when customers have asked for khichdi and fried fish and I’ve served it to them with a twist,” he smiles. The twist can get truly eclectic. Like the kebab platter that has Japanese, Indian, Mediterranean, Thai and Indonesian kebabs served with Mexican Salsa and chutney.
Hands-on: Rozario spends time in the kitchen and devotes a lot of time to developing new items. “My office is like a kitchen-cum-lab,” he jokes. “I’m constantly trying to blend different kinds of cuisine,” says the restaurateur who has his hands full providing administrative support as well.
Plus: “That it is fusion food!” he stresses. “Our biggest advantage is that we have something for everyone and those who want to experiment can do so.”
Minus: “It’s a lot of hard work,” he laughs; one disadvantage lies in the location.
Future: “I would love to open a fine-dining restaurant where I can serve five-star quality food. I’d serve everything from foie-gras to smoked salmon there,” he muses.
The Wall
Who: Sushanta Sengupta
Where: 31, Sarat Banerjee Road (off Sarat Bose Road, opposite the Sarat Bose Road post office)
When: A collaboration of chef Sushanta, Aninda Palit and S. Ramani resulted in parent company Savourites, that set up 6, Ballygunge Place in 2003, and Comics and The Wall last year. While Ramani takes care of accounts and marketing, Palit is into service and planning, and Sushanta controls the kitchen and production.
Why: The trio, then working at The Park, hit upon the idea “to do something on their own”. Says chef Sushanta: “None of us were from business backgrounds. So the idea was to do something that involved less risk and would be a steady business. We kicked off with office lunch and catering.” A foray into the restaurant business happened with Raga, a vegetarian restaurant at Ganesh Chandra Avenue in 2000. “But it did not do well. 6, Ballygunge Place finally brought us luck,” says Sushanta. While Sushanta was hands-on with 6, Ballygunge Place earlier, The Wall takes up most of his time now.
What: The Wall serves Chinese and Japanese delicacies.
Hands-on: With a specialisation in Oriental cuisine, The Wall is close to Sushanta’s heart — via the stomach. Says he: “I felt I was underplaying my learning. The Wall changed that. The location might not be the greatest, but the cuisine definitely is!” Right from training the staff to tasting to drawing up the menu, Sushanta spearheads it all. “I believe the kitchen is the quality gate to the restaurant.” So be it the kind of fish being bought to the ingredients being chosen, Sushanta is into everything. A regular check of customer feedback is a must. But accounts is a no-no for Sushanta.
Plus: “A non-five-star eatery serving Japanese cuisine.”
Minus: No bar facility.
Future: “I believe you need at least one-and-a-half years to set up a restaurant. And we want it to be set up well. We are also looking at expansion plans for 6, Ballygunge Place in the city, Hyderabad and Chennai.”
The Bistro
Who: Binnoo Chadha
Where: 244A Purna Das Road
When: A course from The Oberoi School of Hotel management and a few years experience with a five-star chain, and Binnoo Chadha set out on a mission to try something of his own. A brief stint with catering and finally Chadha found his calling with Bistro, which he started four years back.
Why: “The long working hours at hotels got too much for me,” confesses Binnoo.
What: “The cuisine of the continent, which we cover… and the variations in it come from the confluence of diverse ethnic, cultural and regional backgrounds of the people. Despite the regional difference in the cuisine, here at The Bistro we have used the common features as the essence of the cuisine — the ingredients are fresh, the techniques are simple…” — the introduction to the menu, explains Binnoo’s concept. The Bistro serves a mix of continental, Italian and Mexican cuisine. The food is “prepared on order, all of it fresh, and cooked in its own juice”.
Hands-on: Binnoo began with 15 items on the menu. Today the platter offers over 100 dishes, all tested and tried by the man himself. Binnoo has an assistant now, who is adept in The Bistro way of cooking, but Binnoo is “very much hands-on at the job.” He does most of his shopping from New Market. “From making the guests feel at home to serving them food, I have no hang ups,” he adds. Binnoo has set high standards of hygiene with mineral water in the kitchen and regular cleaning session. The one area Binnoo is bad at is “accounts”. So, situation vacant: an accountant at The Bistro!
Plus: The food, the friendliness, the hygiene.
Minus: At 400 sq ft, divided into two floors, it’s too little of a good thing.
Future: A host of new items on the menu. |
