What: Rajbarir Khawa Dawa — a Bengali food festival
Where: Buzz, The Gateway Hotel
On till: July 1
Timings: Noon to 3pm, 7pm to 11.30pm
Meal for two: Rs 1,000-plus

It was a warm, humid afternoon when I stepped into Buzz, the all-day dining at The Gateway Hotel. It was my first visit to the hotel and my first exposure to Bengali cuisine.

I came with the idea that Indian food is spicy. I was a little worried the night before, apprehending that the food would be overwhelming. I was not sure whether my British tastebuds would take to the new taste in a friendly way. But I was excited at the same time with the prospect of trying a new cuisine, and getting to learn the stories behind them.

Even before the dishes arrived on the table, the hotel’s general manager, Sourav Ghosal, had started filling me in on the history of the rajas or kings of Bengal, who were the first connoisseurs to reform the Bengali cuisine. He also spoke about the Turkish, British, French and other European influences that got reflected in the local cuisine with time.
The hotel has laid out a festival menu — Rajbarir Khawa Dawa— celebrating Bengali cuisine as experienced by the kings of yesteryears.

“Rajbari means a palace and whatever the kings used to have, we will have for lunch today,” announced Deep Mitra Thakur, the hotel’s executive chef.

Each dish was as unfamiliar as expected, yet I instantly fell in love with the new meat, flavours and spices. By the end, I had a bittersweet feeling, with a rite of passage into Bengali cuisine that I only wish had occured  sooner.

Text: Emily Whitaker
Pictures: Rashbehari Das