’Tis the season to be jolly but ’tis also the season to be sneezing and hacking. Beat the winter chill with a heart-warming broth. Here are some of the soups that have been staving away our sniffles while being delicious.
t2 Pick
Chimney Soup @ Eau Chew
This wholesome hot broth has our vote. And you’ll need a group of six or more to finish the large portion. What lends the chimney soup its particular flavour are the burning coals that keep it bubbling. And there’s enough seafood in there for a whole ocean. If you’ve never been to Eau Chew, it’s at 12 Ganesh Chandra Avenue, a two-minute jog from the t2 office!
Rs 700 for large, Rs 500 for medium.
Smoked Ilish Consomme @ Bohemian
Who said hilsa can only be had with rice? If you truly love the fish, this light, hot broth, almost like a delicate jhol, with meaty chunks of fish floating in it, is just for you. It’s spicy too! Available at chef Joymalya Banerjee’s restaurant off Bondel Road.
Rs 159
Mushroom Chai @ Gabbar’s Bar & Kitchen
The Ho Chi Minh Sarani dine den serves up this light mushroom consomme accompanied by a spoonful of truffle powder which you stir in like sugar. The dehydrated mushroom comes in an edible packet that dissolves in the soup.
Rs 275
Creamy Prawns and Green Apples @ The Corner Courtyard
The prawn stock is lent a certain freshness by the chopped green apples in the broth. With fresh ciabatta garlic bread, this one is for the wedding diets. The restaurant is not far from the Lansdowne-Hazra Road crossing.
Rs 325
Mulligatawny @ Mocambo
A Calcutta classic that this soup trail would not be complete without. Packed with protein, the lentil soup is peppered with chicken slivers. A side of kebabs would be just right.
Rs 141
Kubbah Soup @ Calcutta Stories
This Jewish soup at the Keyatala Road restaurant is easy on the palate. The clear liquid is dotted with kibbeh i.e. Jewish rice flour dumplings with a minced meat filling. Lightly flavoured with parsley, it’s ideal for cold winter evenings. Rs 200
Paya Ki Nihari @ Tamarind
Is it a soup? Is it a gravy? Whatever it is, it is delish! This winter favourite, available year-round at the Sarat Bose Road restaurant, is made with reduced mutton stock and Indian spices like ginger-garlic paste, garam masala and chilli powder. The succulent paya (lamb trotters) has the meat falling off the bone. You might want to order a naan or two with this. Rs 150
Miso Soup @ Fuji
Made with fermented soya beans, the flavours are complex because of ingredients like wakame (edible seaweed) and sake. A Japanese tasting powder called Hondashi enhances the flavour. The soup is available in veg and non-veg versions at the Sarat Bose Road restaurant (en route to Rabindra Sarobar). Rs 150
Bok Choy and Shrimp Soup @ Sienna Cafe
An antidote for the sore throat as this soup is light and not too spicy. It is made with chicken stock, baby corn, carrot and bok choy and peppered with shrimps. It comes with a home-made chilli dip, so you can customise the spice level at this Hindusthan Park cafe. Rs 200
The Laksa Tribute @ Mamagoto
If you’re looking for something a little heavier than soup, try this Chinese-Malay meal in a bowl, which comes in vegetarian, prawn and chicken options at the Park Street “fun Asian dining” food stop. Rs 469/Rs 599/Rs 529
Tom Kha @ Asia Kitchen
This thick coconut milk-based Thai broth is comfort soup for the soul, even though its sibling, Tom Yum, continues to be more popular. The classic Thai flavours come from the Kaffir lime and galangal, and the Asia Kitchen version in Acropolis mall comes in veggie, chicken and prawn variants. The vegetable Tom Kha is a colourful pot with broccoli, mushroom, carrots and Chinese cabbage. Rs 170-Rs 210
Text: Ramona Sen and Deborima Ganguly
Pictures: Rashbehari Das, B. Halder and Arnab Mondal
