Chicky’s on Dover Road. Picture by Rashbehari Das

Exit Thai Tonight, enter Chicky?s. Don?t look Southeast, go Northwest.

That is the menu motif the Madans are bringing to Dover Road.

Where Thai Tonight came and collapsed ? just before Taaja?s as you turn off Ballygunge Circular Road ? now Chicky?s hopes to rule the roost.

The name and cuisine descend from catering king Chicky Madan. After him, son Nitin and grandson Uday (who has just completed his hotel management training from Les Roches, Switzerland), have been dishing out multi-cuisine delicacies for the past 30 years.

The Madans are household names when it comes to catering at parties, weddings or other formal occasions. But this time, they have decided to cater to a walk-in clientele, day in and night out.

Starting Sunday, the Madans are here to stake their claim as restaurateurs bringing a bit of the Capital to Calcutta.

Chicky?s makes no bones about paying homage to the kebab culture of the Delhi darbars.

?This restaurant is bound to work as there is no place in this city where the food is authentically Delhi darbar-style (like the stuff you find near Jama Masjid and Nizamuddin). We have even brought down cooks from Delhi to ensure that the food has that exact flavour,? declares Uday Madan.

Completed in a frenzied 15 days, the place is brightly done up with silver figurines, artificial flowers and jamewari tablecloths, all of which have been brought in from Delhi.

With a theme of orange and gold ? there?s no escaping it on the menu, napkins, walls, tablecloths and stained glass windows ? Chicky?s can seat 40 diners at a go.

The show-kitchen adds to the effect, with the kebabs hanging from sheekhs against a decorated copper sheet.

The triple system of fine-dining, takeaway counters and home-delivery should make things easy for Calcuttans who dig Delhi.

Topping the line of Nitin Madan specials are the Bhariwan Tangri (chicken legs stuffed with minced meat), Murg Kalmi Kebab (chunks of chicken cooked with cheese and cream) and Murg ke Wings (chicken wings in tandoori masala) for non-vegetarians, and the Mushroom ki Nazakat (button mushrooms layered with tomato and capsicum and stuffed with paneer), Palak Pasand Apni Apni (spinach with a choice of cheese, peas, potatoes or mushrooms) and the Aloo Achari (pickle-flavoured potatoes), for the green brigade.

Those suffering from a dry-throat itch must make do with the bar serving mocktails, non-alcoholic wine and beer till the liquor license comes through.