Aheli at the AXIS Mall, New Town, Kolkata

I went to this place, with seven other colleagues on a Wednesday, during the lunch hours. For popular choice, we decided to take "Jamai er Raj Bhoj", which is a fixed bengali menu option.

Being lunch time, on a weekday, the restaurant was not even half filled to capacity. Those who were present, were a mix of office executives, as well as casual diners. The ambience was bengali, the restaurant being a speciality restaurant, and the cuisine was good, which was the only thing positive about the restaurant.

Service
At the restaurant, which is at the highest price point, you would assume the service would be excellent. The restaurant severely fails to cater to this objective.

• There were brass diya's on each table. The waiters never made any attempt to light them in the two tables where we are sitting.
  
• There were two 500 ml water bottles for each table, for 4 persons. The waiter made no attempts to fill up the glasses, or ask if anyone would need a re-fill. Also, I would think that sharing a water bottle, can be a trifle humiliating, if someone is from outside bengal, specially clients from overseas
  
• We opted for a fixed menu, and the restaurant was not even half-full. We still had to wait for 45 minutes, before any traces of food appeared on the table. This is absolutely unacceptable, specially during the lunch time
  
• We opted for a fixed menu, but still I would have expected a menu card, explaining what is available, which I belive was never given to the table.
  
• Bengali rice and dal is always accompanied by gandharaj lebu (A variety of lime). They provided a bowl of 3 lime slices, for each table of 4 (weird!!!)
  

Menu
The menu is fixed, and second helpings is available only for rice, and luchi (Poori). Only customization you can make is to select between a chicken or a mutton dish. I could not test some of the items, as they were not something which I eat (or like).

• Rice - It was good, and was as expected
  
• Loochi (Puri) - Good, but service was slow
  
• Yellow Dal - Below average
  
• Aloo - Jhinge Posto (Potato, and jhinge (Green indian vegetable) tossed in poppy seeds - I don't like jhinge so I had to miss it. My colleagues said it was good
  
• Bhetki Mach Bhaja (Bhetki fish fried in batter) - The fish was good. The portion size was microscopic
  
• Alur Dom (Spicy Potato in a spicy tomato curry) - Good Quality
  
• Chingri Mach er malai curry (Small lobsters in a coconut gravy) - I am not a fan of fish/sea food, but I had to eat this as I had not much choice. The lobster was fresh, but the gravy (my colleagues opinion) was below average
  
• Sorshe Ilish (Hilsa Fish, in a pungent mustard curry) - I had to miss this again, but I tasted the gravy. It was average
  
• Mutton curry - This was good, and the muttons were tendered to perfection
  
• Chutney - It was served in a single bowl for two tables of 8 people. I never noticed this, before I have finished my meal, and have washed my fingers !!!
  
• Chamcham (An indian sweet) - Noting worth mentioning
  
  

The food can be aptly described by the statement of one of my colleagues. The incredients used are fresh, and of excellent quality. It can sometime be difficult to buy from these from the retail market, as no longer have people have the inclination to scout the market for the freshest of incredients. However, given the same incredients, anyone who is half a cook can prepare a similar, or better meal.

Price
I belive the price is slightly on the higher side (Rs 600+tax per person), given that no customizations can be made on the menu, and the size of each individual portions are small.

Final Verdict
This restaurant is definitely a miss, if you are on a business lunch.
Quality wise, you can get a better meal at 6 Ballygunj Place, Salt Lake, or at Oh Calcutta (If you are willing to pay a much higher price).
Price wise, 6 Ballygunj place is cheaper.
However, it can be a quiet dining place for a couple who can probably spend 2-3 hours without being disturbed

Catch me if you can: Movie Review

Name: Catch Me if you can
Year: 2002
Director: Steven Speilberg
Cast: Leonardo DiCaprio, Tom Hanks

This movie made a mark with me because of the undercurrent of love between Frank Abagnale Jr. (Leonardo DiCaprio) and Carl Hanratty (Tom Hanks). Frank has a brilliant mind, which he uses to forge checks and and embezzle money masquarading as a Pan Am airline pilot, a doctor and an attorney. Carl on the other hand is a FBI agent specializing on bank frauds and is determined to catch him. To find what happens, you have to watch the movie.

The first part of the movie is characterized by the smartness of Frank, the second part holds us to the edge of the seats as Carl is hot on Frank's trail and the third part is heady with the sublime affection between the detective and the fugitive. A well balanced movie.

Bhojohori Manna, Swimming Pool Area, Salt Lake, Kolkata: Restaurant Review

Bhojohori Manna at Salt Lake, near Salt Lake Swimming pool is a restaurant serving Bengali cuisine. It is a chain with multiple branches in the city, all being served from the same kitchen.
I have visited this restaurant many times, and have enjoyed the quality food. The last visit was on Friday, 9th January, 2008.
I have eaten at two of their franchisee restaurants: at Sector V and at the Swimming pool branch. In both cases the restaurant is cramped, densely populated and no room for a breather. Before the sector 5 branch opened, there would always be a huge wait time to get a seat in this restaurant. Now, in this last visit we got a seat promptly in this restaurant, which is quite a surprise. Leaving this particular visit however, during all other visits we have to wait for a long time, in fact often we have decided to move to a different restaurant as time is precious during a working day.
We had the vegeterian thali along with Mutton Dakbunglow and crab curry. The vegeterian thali is a good option with Rice, dal (lentil soup), shukto (mildly bitter mixed veg curry), alu bhaja (fried shredded potato), polau (flavored rice) and once choice of vegeterian entree. Since there were three of us we selected three separate entrees : Mochar' ghonto (Can't describe this in english) , chana'r kalia (curried cottage-cheese) and dhokar dalna (fried lentil cake,curried). The food was ok but as always I did not like the chanar kalia, the cottege-cheese balls being too soft and too sweet. The mutton dish was okay and the crab too.

Review
The vegeterian options are quite good, specially if you get few chances to taste authentic bengali cuisine.
There is not much options for meat eaters, this restaurant specializes in fish as non-vegeterian entrees. If you like fish, cooked in a traditional bengali way, this is the place to be.
This restaurant serves to the mass, not to the class. Be prepared for long wait-times, cramped space, people brushing around you and below-average courtesey.
The restaurant is fairly priced for its class, except for the fish dishes. Average fish dish costs Rs 120-Rs 150 for 1 piece of fish, which I think is very over-priced. (even for a classy restaurant, which this is not)
The service is prompt as they served pre-cooked food.
A meal for two will cost you around Rs 500/-
The taste is authentic bengali and the chefs are excellent.

Verdict
Go to this place if you want to taste some of the best bengali fish cuisine available outside a bengali home, and you don't mind 30 min wait for a table and below average service in a cramped room.

Rahmania, FC Block, Saltlake, Kolkata: Restaurant Review

Rahmania at FC Block in Salt Lake is the franchisee of the main Rahmania restaurant. The cricket tournament of our Company was being held at FC Grounds, and 4 of us decided to have our lunch here.

Before venturing out to restaurants like Rahmania, please remember that they lace their food freely with "Hydrogenated vegetable oil" (Vanaspati) and it is very difficult to digest. Though the free use of vanaspati does great to the tastes, they are hard on our digestive system.
I am sure this is an exception, but the meat in mutton biriyani which my friends ordered was rotten. On complaining they changed the food, but the new biriyani was the same. Finally they courteously replaced with Chicken Biriyani, which was OK. I had "Shammi Kabab" (Minced meat mixed with gram flour and fried) which was ok.

A meal for four cost Rs 400 i.e. Rs. 100/- per person.

Cuisine:
Mughlai
Pros
Taste, Courtesy, Price,
Cons
Lack of Quality Control, Use of vanaspati (Hydrogenated vegetable oil), Lack of amenities like place to wash your hand, etc...
My Verdict
I may visit these place sometimes when I am adventurous, looking for a great taste and don't mind the inconvenience of indigestion later.