With the Bengali new year round the corner, city restaurants have put on platter a variety of cuisine for customers to savour on as they roll out dishes with traditional taste to Chinese and Kashmiri feast on plates.
Several Bengali restaurants have rolled out 'Bhetki Paturi' and 'Gandhoraj Chicken', 'Baked Rosogolla' for Poila Baisakh (Bengali New Year) on April 15.
At the same time demonstrating the love for global cuisine, a well-known young Chinese eatery has organised a three-week long food fiesta to offer Hoisin and Schezwan delicacies.
"We offer the choicest 'Duck with Pineapple', 'Schezwan Squid', 'Jumbo Prawn in Butter garlic sauce' and 'Lamb in Oriental Veggies' and to gulp that with summer cooler mocktails," Executive Chef Michael Ho, flown from the province, and Saoli Majumder, hosting the China-Bengal fusion cuisine, at Buddha Bites said.
"As I liked Bhetki Paturi a lot on my arrival here, let's see if we could try some new fusion between Bengali and Chinese dishes on your Nabobarsho day. It could be tailored to your tastes," Ho said.
Around the same time, to satisfy the continental loving Bengali's taste buds - Kashmiri cuisine Harissa Grills, Cripsy Lavouche breads, Mutabel dip and Lamb Kibbeh, divine Shashlik from tender marinated lamb, the royal Pilaf will be on platter along with the crispy Baklava as dessert at Sigree Global Grill, one of India's largest chain of restaurants.
In Kolkata's heritage sweet shops, delicacies like 'Subho Nobobarsho Sandesh', 'Watermelon Sandesh' are available at Balaram Mallick and Radharaman Mallick while Girishchandra Dey Nakurchandra Nandi will offer chocolates in myriad flavours and the ages-old 'Parijat'.
Eminent fashion designer Sarbari Dutta feels "In costumes, in food, in language and festivities there can be changes with the passage of time, but something remains the same for a resident of Bengal, i.E the spirit of tradition which reminds one of Tagore's lines 'Janoi Toh... Sab sera bandhon rasonay'.
"There is the same trend in fashion and accessories where innovation goes with rootedness," she said.
Concurring with Sarbari Dutta, another well-known city designer Agnimitra Paul said, "The Bengalee rootedness somehow manifests in our Nobobarsho celebrations.
