Anyone familiar with Amar Khamar would know Annaja on Hindustan Road, which served creative cuisine championing Bengali ingredients for more than a year. The brand has now shifted its gears to explore the roots of Bengali cuisine. The kitchen team of the brand, from different parts of Bengal, are bringing their best dishes to the expanded dining space of a 20-seater restaurant. Amar Khamar has made its re-debut as Lunch Room. My Kolkata dropped in for an exclusive preview.
The restaurant is focussing on authentic Bengali cuisine that resonates with the regional dishes across different districts of Bengal. The full course menu features some of Bengal’s best rice varieties, seasonal vegetables, fish and meat, pickles, in-house fermented beverages, and desserts.
The table was laid out with a banana leaf. The first course was a bowl full of aromatic Chinekamini rice drizzled with Kalimpong ghee. Tormuj (watermelon peel) er Shukto with Motor Dal Bori, along with Kolmi Shak Bhaja, Deshi Potol er Khosha Bata and in-house aam shorshe. The course blended nostalgia with the comfort of the kitchen of a Bengali home.
The rice for the next course was Soru Seddho Lal-Sada Dudhersar Rice, topped with ghee from North 24-Parganas. Aam diye Masoor er Tok Dal, a summer staple at every Bengali home, was served along with a flavourful Dudh Potol Shorshe. The star of this course was a crispy Pat Patar Bora that represented the bhaja of the day.
The next course had four options of non-vegetarian dishes — Campbell Hnash-er Jora Kusum-er Dim Posto, Knachkola diye Shingi Mach-er Jhol, Deshi Murgi-r Jhol with Uttorbango-r Badami Aalu or Amar Khamar's special Chui Jhal Mangsho. We opted for the egg and mutton dishes. The double yolk egg preparation is a treat for egg lovers, while the Chui Jhal Mangsho felt like a dose inducing robibarer bhat ghum. A Chui Jhal Aachar was also served on the sides.
After the mandatory chutney and papad, came the desserts promoting Bengal’s Taal Gur. A white mishti doi topped with liquid tal-er gur from North 24-Parganas and Badshahbhog Chal-er Payesh. As the seasonal palm gur put a sweet ending to the meal, it highlighted that Nolen Gur isn’t the only Gur of Bengal.
The menu card at the Lunch Room is designed to look like a postcard — a postcard that takes you back to the times of simple yet elaborate Bengali lunch on a chutir din. Moving from modern cuisine, the new menu highlights the regional, seasonal and hyperlocal ingredients of Bengal.