The Salt House has been a landmark space in modern European cuisine ever since it opened five years ago. From their granola-inspired desserts to indigenous cocktails and drinks, fusion mains and a wide variety of innovative small plates, they have won the heart of city diners and still continue to do so. As the restaurant turns five, owners Saloni Jhunjhunwala and Prachi Saraogi brought back their consulting chef Viraf Patel, who had designed their very first menu, for a new menu that retains bestsellers and offers a lot of new dishes too. t2 caught up with Saloni for a hearty new menu launch and also on the journey so far...
What’s the five-year journey been like?
The journey has been fabulous. We have come a long way and learnt a lot! Since we got the liquor license much later, we did a lot of events and pop-ups to ensure patrons were engaged because of which we were able to build a very loyal consumer base.
The Salt House has carved a niche when it comes to European food with a global influence. What made you come up with that idea?
We saw a gap in the city’s restaurant industry and wanted to fill it — pure, hearty, new-age European food made with the choicest of ingredients. We don’t compromise on quality and that was our foremost priority; we continue to take pride in that!
What have some of the landmark moments been in the past five years?
Getting the liquor licence was the biggest landmark, we never gave up hope.
What are some of the challenges that you faced as a team, especially during the pandemic and post it?
Keeping together a big team without a liquor licence was a big challenge. But we had built ourselves up as a family so they never left us. Same goes for the pandemic — we ensured our family was well looked after and that goes a long way.
What is the idea behind the new menu?
Calcutta is very advanced when it comes to food, they want newness and a menu refresh is what we wanted to give to our much-loved patrons. While some classics will be retained, we hope the city embraces the new items with open arms!
What are some personal faves from the new and old menu?
From the old menu my personal favourites are our classic tomato basil and parmesan pasta in handmade papardelle, Burrata pizza and the hazelnut mousse. From the new menu I think the tapas platter, the salads and the pizzettes will soon become my favourites!
Tell us a little more about your gigs/events and lounge experience that you guys have planned?
We have artists coming in from all over the country starting end of December and this will continue. We are now open till 2am on Fridays and Saturdays and the lounge has a completely new vibe. The idea is to transform post-10pm once the dinner service is over.
What are the bestsellers on the menu?
The Salt House Spritzer (formerly known as The Salt House Shikanji), the Quinoa and Millet Risotto and the Hazelnut Mousse continue to be top three since the very first day.
Viraf Patel, consulting chef, The Salt House
“The Salt House is known as one of the premier dining restaurants in Calcutta. What we created years ago has been loved by our patrons due to which we will retain some old classics. In the new menu we have refreshed our offerings keeping in mind the times and trends of today. TSH has always focused on the ingredient being the most important part of our fabric. We pride ourselves in sourcing the finest produce and allowing the ingredients to shine through with our techniques,” said Viraf Patel, consulting chef, The Salt House.
NEW MENU FAVES
Tapas Platter: This is inspired from tapas food from all over the world. It can be placed on the side of your table or placed at different spots on the table. A variety of dips, crackers, breads, fried munchies and salads come together to create this shareable dish.
Butter Board with Crisps & Toasted Foccacia: You’ve seen this on reels, and now is the time to munch on it too. This butter board is a great conversation starter and comes with crackers, croutons and the butter is topped with roasted tomatoes, jalapeños, micro greens, radish, and pomegranate along with scallions and olives.
The new menu has a range of fresh and potent cocktails such as The Leo (left) a concoction of gin with elderflower, lavender, orange blossom, spritzer and orchid ice. The Passion Fruit Martini is also a fruity fave.
Avocado Pizzette: These single-serve-style pizza pockets come fresh off the oven and are available in vegetarian as well as non-vegetarian variants. We loved this fresh avocado and micro greens variant.
Rigatoni + Grilled Chicken: This pesto-flavoured rigatoni pasta with a generous helping of juicy grilled chicken is a quintessential hearty main course.
Paprika Braised Lamb, Creamy Mashed Potatoes: The lamb chunks are soft and juicy, the paprika gravy is the right pungent addition to the bed of creamy mashed potatoes.
La Creme Nutella: Vanilla custard, nutty Nutella, butterscotch, seasonal fruits and chocolate flakes come together to create this fresh and absolutely decadent dessert.
