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Typical Begali fare

Sept. 26: At Flavours of India, the current “haute” taste is that of Bengal.

Launched formally today at the Bhooban Plaza in Panbazar, Flavours of India is the city newest destination for foodies, making its debut with a Bengali food festival, that will continue till October 4, to add a bit of zing to the Durga Puja celebrations.

“We started out with Bengali mahabhoj because the city is known to develop a penchant for Bengali cuisine during the Pujas,” said Sanjeev Das, the restaurateur.

The food festival will be held in a special hall on a floor above the restaurant.

Flavours of India is the city’s first theme restaurant and one that will also change themes bi-annually.

“Eating out at the same restaurant and sampling the same dishes can be boring. We have, therefore, decided to change both the decor and the cuisine theme every six months,” said Saumitra Sengupta, general manager of the restaurant and a well-known master chef.

The theme of the current decor is ethnic Rajasthani complete with shining rag dolls, bhandhej curtains and warli design murals on the wall.

The menu is a mix of Rajasthani, Awadh, Hyderabadi and Mughlai. “There are not many authentic Rajasthani dishes. So we have included other fare. The menu has been done keeping the tastes of the clientele in mind,” added Sengupta.

The Bengali food festival will serve a 14-item buffet meal — from hors d’oeuvre to dessert — that includes the all-time favourite luchi, begun bhaja, ghee bhat, shukto, macher jhal, murgi malai, tomator chutney and rosogolla, besides others.

The ambience of the festival venue has been given a touch of Puja with a thermocol cutout of Durga placed against a wall and Mahalaya songs playing softly in the background.

Bhooban Plaza has also opened the city’s first executive lounge equipped with fax, Internet and secretarial services et al, which will offer a busy executive the right ambience for conducting business in a relaxed atmosphere, “other than his hotel room”, said Das.

He also has plans for a rooftop bar with a succulent kebab corner and a fast food joint.

“During Magh Bihu there will be a weeklong Assamese food festival in tune with the festivities. We are also mulling over changing the decor of the restaurant into Assamese,” Das said.

The other themes that the restaurateur has thought of are Goan, Oriya and the eternal south Indian favourites idli and dosa.