(From top) Rimjhim, Swastika, Ratul and Kamalika at Orko’s; a chef shows off the Dim Sum spread at The Taj; a cookery workshop in progress at Pan Asian in ITC Sonar Bangla. Pictures by Rashbehari Das

With the city stuffing itself with hilsa and biryani carnivals, this one’s sure to bring in a breath of fresh air. Chinoiserie at Taj Bengal is playing host to Yum Cha, a Dim Sum festival, on till October 2.

“To most Calcuttans, Dim Sum is nothing but steamed starters. But they could be fried tit bits and soups with fish and meatballs, too. The festival shall bring foodies authentic and exotic Dim Sum fare, which literally means ‘to dot the heart with’. So, the festival is sure to touch the heart,” says executive chef Sujan Mukherjee.

“Moreover, the festival culture has undergone a change. It is not only pampering yourself with delicacies but also checking on your calorie count. Dim Sum with less oil content is light, tasty and yet healthy,” adds Mukherjee.

One can start with Sticky Rice Soup with Chicken or Sticky Rice Soup with Coriander. Peppered with a dash of creativity is the Sweet Corn Soup Lian Style that comes in options of vegetables or chicken or crab.

Non-vegetarians can gorge on the traditional Phoenix Claw Dim Sum and Steamed Pork Spare Ribs with Black Beans, the Lamb Wotib, Crispy Lamb Spare Ribs and Steamed Duck and Vegetable Broth. The Prawn and Sesame Suimai is also worth a try.

On the vegetarian platter, the chef’s choices include the Sticky Rice Suimai, an open-faced dumpling with rice fillings, Three Eyed Vegetable Dumpling, the Spinach and Golden Corn Steamed Money Bag and Steamed Glutinous Rice Dumpling with Coconut.

Other interesting offerings include the Chinese Cabbage and Peppers Chingkao and Fried Glutinous Rice Dumpling with Sesame.

One can also dig into the Bao, fluffy and steamed with fillings of vegetable or chicken. The Fried Wanton and Steamed Wanton have options of vegetable, chicken and prawn stuffings. Prices start at Rs 275.

Bengali bite

In the run-up to the Pujas, Orko’s Restaurant and Lounge Bar at City Centre has come up with its own festive fare. On Thursday night, Orko’s unveiled a range to give customers a “taste of Bengal”.

Attending the launch of the new range of Bengali cuisine at the Salt Lake hangout was a star-studded line-up led by Swastika, Deboleena, Arunima, Kamalika, Ratul, Arindam and Biplab.

The spread was true-blue Bangali khabar ? Bhaat, Luchi, Aloo Bhaaja, Mochar Ghonto, Postor Bora, Chholar Dal, Dhokar Dalna and Chhanar Dalna for vegetarians and Sorshe Ilish, Daab Chingri, Murgir Mangsho and Kochi Pathar Jhol for the non-vegetarians.

With Papad and Aam Sotto Khejurer Chutney to round it off, the Bengali bhoj was quite a treat.

And then there was the sweet platter including rosogolla, mishti doi, sandesh and payesh.

But why lay out a Bengali spread? Says Ratna Sen, one of the managing directors of Orko’s: “Bengal has a long tradition of people who love to eat. And Indian cuisine can never be complete without Bengali food, which is so varied in both taste and flavour. Since we reach out to a wide clientele, we thought of launching this cuisine. And it could not have come at a better time.”

Most dishes are priced between Rs 200 and Rs 250.

Cook look

When you attend a cookery workshop that gives you every detail, serving up an Oriental fare seems to be no big deal.

Ladies Circle Area 4, in association with ITC Sonar Bangla, played host to a cookery workshop at the Pan Asian on September 21.

The six items showcased by chef Pramod Sinha were an assortment of Japanese, Chinese, Thai and Mongolian.

“I have whipped up the dishes keeping in mind the Indian palate. Feasibility of raw ingredients has been an important aspect, too,” explained Sinha.

Forty ladies from all over the city witnessed a live demonstration of vegetarian delicacies like the Gong Bao- Stir Fried Asian Vegetables with Cashew Nuts, Ginger Corn Fried Rice, Spinach Pancakes, Braised Noodle served with Bell Peppers, Black Mushroom and Spring Onion, Red Date Pancake and Thai Vegetable Curry.

It was an interactive session with the chef patiently answering every query.

Anecdotes about the origins of the dishes and their names made the session more interesting. Also on offer were some useful culinary tips.

A workshop on these lines will be served up every two months at one of the signature outlets in town. So, keep cooking.