Come monsoon and trust the chefs at Oh! Calcutta to roll out a hilsa festival that combines both traditional and innovative dishes on the menu. This time, too, there’s no exception.

The River Water Hilsa Festival 2017 boasts of an a la carte menu that has something for everybody, especially those who find the art of deboning the fish tedious. Options for boneless hilsa range from Posto Narkol Ilish to Aam Tel Ilish, served with seasoned steamed rice in a clay pot. A dish off the beaten track? Ilisher Fish Fingers! A new favourite? Kuakatar Ilish Er Curry. “This dish has been inspired from Kuakata, a coastal town in Bangladesh where we had first tasted it,” said executive chef Subir Kumar Deb.

“To make things different, we add little twists in the menu every year. With Puja just two months away, we have a lot of NRBs (non-resident Bengalis) coming in for the festival. Lots of foreigners also try our hilsa since we serve the fish deboned,” said Debashish Ghosh, general manager, Speciality Restaurants Ltd.

What: River Water Hilsa Festival
Where: Oh! Calcutta (Forum and Silver Spring Arcade)
On till: August 31; 12.15pm to 3.30pm, 7pm to 11pm
Pocket pinch: Rs 1,800-plus for two

Text: Soham Ghosh
Pictures: Rashbehari Das