Pan-fried Bekti

The Pride Hotel

Want a quiet drink with a loved one after work or in the hours in between with something more filling than canapes? The Pride Hotel in New Town is laying out a Valentine spread for the week beginning today at its bar Fuel. “It is a Continental menu keeping in mind the preferences of the youth,” says executive chef Kumarjyoti Chakraborty. So for Rs 418, one can pick from a range of fried, grilled, roasted and smoked non-vegetarian items to munch on while sipping on a chosen drink.

Vegetarians have a similar range of choices, with a pasta thrown in as well, all for Rs 358. The desserts — dark chocolate crunchy mousse to Strawberry Swiss Roll — cost Rs 239 each.

Taste of the Far East

With the Year of the Horse kicking in, The Pride Hotel is celebrating the Chinese New Year serving dishes that have a hint of China in them over the next seven days.

“Calcuttans are used to Chinese dishes round the year. So for a change, we are offering a scoop of the Far East. The dishes are low calorie and need little preparation time. It’s mostly cut and stir and eat,” says executive chef Kumarjyoti Chakraborty.

Kung Pao Prawn

When Chinese food travels to other neighbouring countries in the Far East, it acquires local influences, be it Japanese, Indian or Malay. “So you have a Kung Pao Prawn from Singapore the ingredients of which include curd, pudina leaves and garam masala, which is a clear indication of Indian influence.” The dish, served with Vegetable Fried Rice and Pickle Salad, is priced Rs 418.

Tofu (for use in Szechwan Tofu, served with Eight Jewel Fried Rice, costing Rs 358, and Tofu with Babycorn Salad, costing Rs 209) is being imported from Singapore while tom yum paste for the soup is being flown in from Bangkok, as are some herbs and spices. Wanton strips from Singapore are being stuffed with mushroom, babycorn and zucchini for the Fried Wanton Vegetable Soup. Another soup the chef recommends is the Tom Kha Soup for which coconut milk gets added to Tom Yum paste in which chicken slices are added. All the soups cost Rs 180. Seafood enthusiasts would enjoy Squid-stuffed Fried Wanton (Rs 209). Once the squids are cut and tossed in the wok they become rubbery.

Squid-stuffed Fried Wanton

Though none of the chosen dishes are spicy, those who prefer their food hot should opt for Crab in Red Curry, which is served with steamed rice and sour pickle and priced Rs 418.

A lot of daily fare has gone into the festival menu, like Eggplant Masaman Curry (Rs 358) or Moo Goo Gai Pan (Rs 418). “The latter is cooked in Thai homes. A preparation of chicken breast, mushrooms and babycorn is heaped on a bed of sticky rice.”

The festival is on till February 23.

Sudeshna Banerjee
Pictures by Sanjoy Ghosh

Bakstage

Almost every dish that you order at Bakstage today will come shaped like a heart. Pizza, cutlets, cakes…. And not just the shape, this Sector V restaurant has come up with two combo menus for couples to celebrate Valentine’s Day with.

The first combo includes unlimited starters, pizza, a dessert and a bottle of wine. The starters include dishes like Cheese Kurkure, which are bite-sized rumali rotis stuffed with spicy cottage cheese or C4, an abbreviation for Crumb Corn Cheese Coin that will, despite its name, be heart-shaped today.

Under pizzas, couples can order any topping from paneer tikka to chicken in barbecue sauce. “They can even order a half-and-half pizza where slices can have two different toppings,” says executive chef manager Amrita Mukherjee. “And for dessert they can choose from rum mousse chocolate cake and fresh strawberry gateau.” The combination costs Rs 3,000 plus taxes.

The second combination begins with two glasses of wine or mocktails such as Pina Colada and Strawberry Oreo Shake. The starters here come as platters. “For instance, the chicken wings platter comes with an assortment of wings in honey mustard sauce, barbecue sauce and a super spicy option we call OMG. And the mezze platter comprises felafel, humus, baba ghanoush and more middle-eastern delicacies,” adds Mukherjee.

Besides pizzas couples can also try nazzas, an innovation of the pizza made on the base of a naan. “It’s softer and fluffier. The nazza is on our regular menu too and is a favourite of diners,” says Mukherjee. This combination will cost Rs 2,500 plus taxes.

Both combinations will be served with complimentary choco shots, which is a take on the chocolate shake and stirred with vodka, if customers prefer. There will also be a karaoke facility for couples to sing to one another.

Bon Apetit

For a serving of sweet somethings, head to AD Block’s Bon Apetit today. The outlet has prepared a new menu for couples to devour on Valentine’s Day and the highlight is the delectable desserts.

The cupcakes are unmissable. Available in flavours like Red Velvet Cheese Frosting, Strawberry and Cream and Cinnamon Apple White Chocolate, they are cute to look at and good to eat. “I myself am a huge fan of cupcakes but can’t eat them anywhere in Calcutta as they are always dry on the inside,” says chef-cum-proprietor Rahul Arora. “We take extra measures to keep them soft and moist from within.”

The Red Velvet flavour has rich buttermilk content and a mild salty taste of cheese while the Chocolate Caramel Crunch is made of butterscotch and has a teasing hint of orange. The cupcakes come in two sizes, at Rs 25 and Rs 75 each. They also have edible roses that are icing-like fondants on lollypops and are available in reds, whites, pinks and in combinations of these colours. They cost Rs 55 a piece.

They have Strawberry Lollies that are succulent strawberries coated in home-made chocolate and fudge available in Mocca and Orange in Chocolate flavours. “We introduced fudge in our New Year menu last month and they did exceptionally well, selling over 1,500 pieces and getting several bulk orders,” adds Rahul.

For the main course one can choose from Mexican and Italian cuisine. The paneer or chicken Mexican Rice Bowl is a filling meal in itself as is the Keema Do Pyaza Pizza or Baby Corn and Three Pepper Pizza. That last one is rather spicy, made of black pepper, bell pepper, pickled red chillies and topped with black pepper sauce. For a quick bite, dig into the quiches or crostinis. “Valentine’s Day is a time for us to explore our culinary creativity. And we shall retain the best sellers in our regular menu,” Rahul promises.

Brinda Sarkar