An eatery in Sector V is swearing by the sea and all its finned and finless culinary riches. Ocean Grill, which reopened recently with a new look, new menu and new owner, has taken a dip underwater to seek inspiration for its decor as well. 

“All these years, the place had a connection to the ocean only in name,” says Shane Chatterjee, the owner-chef who has brought about the sea change. The hotel management graduate from Institute of Management, Taratala, who rose through the kitchen ranks in Australia to own a restaurant in Melbourne, has returned home. And Ocean Grill is the place where he is demonstrating his cooking chops. 

As one walks into the first floor eatery opposite RDB Boulevard, one steps on semi-transparent plastic water mats inside which a liquid gel-like substance gets displaced from under one’s feet and pools around. A black octopus perches on the floor tiles nearby. 

The 6,000sq-ft space can be divided into a lounge and the restaurant by a sliding glass partition. “The core area of the restaurant seats 90. The lounge is a 30-seater and can host separate parties when partitioned off,” says

Sumona Sen, Chatterjee’s wife, who looks after the administration. 
The wall of the corner with the lounge seats has the head of a shark jutting out. A school of tiny silvery fish swim by it. The buffet table is shaped like a boat. Over it, a fishing net has been hung out as if to dry but a part of the last catch - some stray crabs and prawns — are still left in a heap at the centre. A net hangs over the adjacent wall as well with a couple of star fish clinging on. From the ceiling hang lights in shades shaped like jelly fish. The day’s special is chalked out on a black board shaped like mini shark. Even the knobs of the cutlery cabinets are shaped like shells. 

“Grilled seafood is our speciality but our menu includes the best of world cuisine — continental, tandoor, West Asian and Asian flavours,” says Chatterjee, a resident of Uniworld City in New Town. 

The most colourful dish on offer has to be the seafood platter. Prawns, squid, octopus, mussels, sea bass, clams and crab are cooked in the style of one’s preference — chargrilled, grilled, smoked, poached or oven baked. Add lobster and the price goes up from Rs 1,022 to Rs 1,793 (all inclusive). The dish, the chef says, suffices for two. But the quantity is so formidable that the duo would have to skip all other courses to polish that off, one suspects. 
The menu, shaped by the 32-year-old chef’s experience Down Under, draws from various corners of the globe. For example, the vegetarian starter section has dishes from Greece, Mexico, Italy, Japan, China and France.

Among soups, the Mushroom Capuccino is a creamy delight for mushroom lovers (Rs 206). The Vietnamese Chicken and Noodle Soup (Rs 206) is a deep-flavoured broth with rice noodles. “This used to be my staple after a busy day in the kitchen in Melbourne,” Chatterjee smiles. Other options include the Lamb and Lentil Shorba (Rs 193) and the Khowsuey Soup (Rs 167). The Ocean Grill special bisque (Rs 218) is also worth a try. The French soup is a rich concoction of shrimp, crab and white fish. 

“A lot of our foreign guests go for healthy classics like Chicken Caesar Salad (Rs 205) and Greek Lamb Salad (Rs 334) . Since we serve these salads as part of the buffet, we had thought of keeping them on the menu as well,” said Chatterjee.

Starters are more popular among Indian guests, with Harissa Grilled Chicken, a spicy Moroccan item priced at Rs 245, being the favourite.

For those favouring fried food, there is a Fish Basket on offer (Rs 353). Fillets of fish are coated in a batter of rice flour, plain flour and potato starch and fried. It is flaky and crispy.

Chatterjee has introduced a taste of Australia to the main course options. “Chicken Surf and Turf that we serve is a popular beachside order. Lamb Souvlaki Skewers, though originating in Greece, is a part of Aussie food culture too.”
For a Mediterranean dish like Lamb Tagine, the owner-chef has to access a tagine, a typical clay cooking pot with a pinhole in the top half. “The lamb is placed inside the tagine after being covered with all the spices and then slow cooked. In an oven. Meat adequate for a group of 10 takes about three hours to cook. It is served with khus khus and salad. 

Though it is not on the menu, one ought to ask for the Thai Mix Seafood. “It is part of our today’s special picks and we make it on request,” Chatterjee says. Priced Rs 610, it has prawn, mussels and squids cooked in coconut milk and Thai red curry and served with jasmine rice and kimchi salad. The flavour is mild, is rich and creamy to taste and the gravy goes well with the rice to make a wholesome meal.

“Initially we did have problems sourcing seafood in Calcutta but now we have found a dependable supplier. Among gourmands in the city, seafood lovers account for about 30 per cent. We want to reach out to them,” Chattejee signs off. 

saltlake@abpmail.com