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The name is befitting, as the food will leave you exclaiming as well. Oh! Calcutta has recently launched The Colonial Club Festival. As the name suggests, the dishes are originally British but wholeheartedly Indianised. The British came to India with their ‘propah’ preferences but left, two hundred years later, with some ‘masti’ introduced to their food. Once the British departed, these Brit-Indian dishes were inherited by colonial clubs like The Royal Calcutta Golf Club and The Calcutta Club. Oh! Calcutta now brings them to Delhi.

The starters provide plentiful choice. The spicy stuffed mushrooms are chilli hot but delightful. But a must have is the club style curry leaf fish. Slices of bekti combined with spices and sun dried curry leaves, are pan-tossed with chillies, mustard seeds and dried red onions. The curry leaves provide a delicious roast taste, which is well complimented by the spunk of the mustard. The barbecued chicken wings taste good but are slightly plebeian. The dimer devil is an exciting dish. It is a boiled egg, coated in mince meat masala and deep fried. Cutting through it one is reminded of the colonial boarding schools, where this was a common dish for breakfasts. The three different layers, the outside crunchiness, the graininess of the mince and the smoothness of the egg, make an interesting combination.

For the main course, the stuffed crepes is a good bet. It combines the pancakes of England with the spiced vegetable of India. Fish A La Orly is an ungainly dish. Pieces of orly come deep fried in a light gold batter. But once you plough through the outer layer, the fish within is excellent. The shredded mutton with mushrooms, made in red wine with pureed tomatoes, is served with a gentle bed of mashed potatoes. Cooked to tenderness, it would give any American diner a run for its money.

The baked Alaska for desert succeeds in being novel but not brilliant. The caramel custard, or the mishti doi, from their traditional menu, is a safer option. A meal for two will be approximately Rs.1500.

NANDINI NAIR

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