For the last year or so she has been beguiling London with classic Bengali dishes from her family home. Now with more than a dozen successful pop-ups and events to her name, Shrimoyee Chakraborty will be opening the shutters of her first permanent site this July.
Bringing something totally new to the city, the launch of Calcutta Street is a long held dream for the girl The Telegraph dubbed “the next young entrepreneur to watch out for”.
A vibrant mix of modern London and traditional Calcutta, here you’ll find all the ingredients that characterise meals in a Bengali household – affection, hospitality, great company and recipes handed down through the generations.
Guests can opt to eat in the ground floor, ‘no reservations’ restaurant with its focus on smaller tables and casual gatherings around the kitchen island bar. But it is the downstairs dining room that offers something truly unique. Available for both bookings and walk-ins during the day, here each evening at 7pm or 9.30pm up to 20 diners can enjoy an authentic Bengali home dining experience as they eat, drink and socialise around two communal tables. Parties of any number can reserve to join the party; eating from a menu of shared dishes accompanied by endless breads, rice, chutneys, pickles and a dedicated bar.
Calcutta Street’s menus revolve around Shrimoyee’s family dishes, passed down from mother to daughter over several generations but here made with great, seasonal British ingredients.
Choose one of the quicker, simpler dishes available during the day or from the small but perfectly formed a la carte menu, where highlights range from Doi Phuchka, crispy, tangy semolina balls with potato, black chick peas, tamarind and yogurt filling, through to Malai Curry – jumbo prawns cooked in a coconut and mustard sauce – one of the many favourites from the Chakraborty’s Gariahat Road residence.
Calcuttans love to pick up their dinner party desserts from Chittaranjan Avenue and here you’ll be able to savour local favourites such as Pithe, pancakes made with rice flour with a coconut and jaggery filling.
Shrimoyee will also be introducing her guests to classic Bengali drinks – including bespoke Shorbot cocktails born on the streets of Calcutta – sometimes with a twist and served alongside a concise list of natural wines and modern craft London products, including bottled beers from Redchurch Brewery.
Says Shrimoyee, “Calcutta Street is a celebration of my city and a montage of happy memories growing up in a household obsessed with food and entertaining. We can’t wait to have you over.”
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