My sister has been craving Luchi (Puffs made out of refined wheat floor) and Kosha Mangsho (Mutton Bhoona). She said her soul would wander restlessly if she died before having it.

After this historic statement we had to make haste to fulfill her heart’s desire. So last Friday we travelled from one end of the city to another to have authentic Bengali cuisine for lunch at the premium restaurant, Oh! Calcutta.

Pre-lunch we both got our hair cut not because we were having a day out but because it was over due and the outfit happened to be on the way.

As we entered the restaurant, a ‘fish-y’ smell , so typical of a Bengali kitchen pervaded our nostrils. The restaurant has shifted from Gurugram to Delhi. The seating space appeared to be bigger in comparison with the earlier place. 

The restaurant usually takes time to serve. But as our stomachs were touching our spines we ordered mocktails to subdue the hunger pangs and cool our spirits. I ordered Gandhoraj Sharbot , B-I-L took a cucumber juice with cumin seeds and sister a Lichi Gondhoraj mocktail. I don’t remember the exact names though.

Gondhoraj is a variety of lemon grown in West Bengal. Less juicy, it is preferred for its fragrance. As we are small eaters we did not opt for any starters and straightaway ordered the main course. 

Apart from Luchi and Kosha Mangsho , we chose Illish Machher (de-boned) Paturi and Mochaar Ghonto (Banana Flower Curry) with Tandoori Roti and Gobindobhog Rice. Illish Maachh or Hilsa fish is a delicacy and Paturi is one of the ways it is cooked. The fish is wrapped in banana leaf and  steamed with mustard sauce. Gobindobhog is a variety of rice grown in Bengal popular for its soft grain and aroma.

Since Hilsa has very fine bones it takes a lot of time to eat. Hence, our choice of a boneless dish. Banana flower is not available down our side and entails a tedious process of preparation. We deliberately chose those dishes which we salivate over but usually do not make at home, mainly, because of non-availability and lengthy cooking process. 

All the dishes were balanced in spices. The oil content was low. The flavours were not overwhelming. However, the Hilsa fish was a little mild and less tangy in taste. B-I-L said he missed the way my mother used to make it. My favourite was the Mochaar Ghonto. Just delicious with the subtle flavour of Bengali garam masala and garnished with grated coconut. We ended up having Nolen Gurer Icecream for dessert which was just awesome!! Nolen Gur is a jaggery made out of date juice.  It is only available during the winter months in West Bengal.

As usual I forgot to click before eating. More so because the lighting inside was quite dim. I am not sure  whether that adds to the experience of  fine lunching.

Coming back home we had to stop by at our favourite Bengali sweet shop – New Annapurna at Yusuf Sarai Market – to buy sandesh and rassagollahs prepared with Nolen Gur. Additionally, we also bought shingara or samosas and another sweetmeat called Labongolotika. Bengalis have a fetish for ornamental names that can be a subject for another post.

All in all we had a lovely family time. I’ll keep you all posted on our next hogging trip as it happens.

Till then…

Traa..Laaa…Laa

Footnote:

Speciality Restaurants Limited was started in 1992 by Anjan Chatterjee. The Company’s first restaurant called “Only Fish” was started in 1992 in Mumbai followed by “Oh! Calcutta” and “Mainland China” (both in Mumbai) in 1994.

Presently it owns multiple chains of fine and casual dining restaurants in India, Bangladesh and Tanzania and is an example of Bengali entrepreneurship.

Posted by on March 1, 2026 in Foodie Speaks, MY FOOD BLOG, Talking About Food and tagged , , .

41 Comments

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About gc1963

A working woman with interests in reading, writing, music, poetry and fine arts.

41 responses »

  1. derrickjknight's avatar derrickjknight says:
    March 1, 2026 at 3:32 pm

    I’m sure I would like all this

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  2. ganga1996's avatar ganga1996 says:
    March 1, 2026 at 3:38 pm

    I am always jealous about sisters 😊! I do not have one and the bonding is usually lovely 🥰!

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  3. Sadje's avatar Sadje says:
    March 1, 2026 at 3:47 pm

    The names of the dishes are hard to pronounce but they sound amazing.

    Liked by 2 people

    Reply
  4. luisa zambrotta's avatar luisa zambrotta says:
    March 1, 2026 at 4:22 pm

    It must have been a beautiful and delicious day.

    Just reading your explanations made my mouth water.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  5. aparnachillycupcakes's avatar aparnachillycupcakes says:
    March 1, 2026 at 4:24 pm

    My whole family is fond of oh! Calcutta’s mustard gravy fish….
    I too make more or less the same … 🫣

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  6. Rupali's avatar Rupali says:
    March 1, 2026 at 5:16 pm

    So happy for you. All those sweets are top-notch. Yeah dil mange more.

    Your Mochaar Ghonto is our kelful bhaji a typical dish from konkan region usually made with black peas and lot of coconut. Cleaning and cutting the inner part of the flower was a big job. We love it anyways.

    Liked by 1 person

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    • gc1963's avatar gc1963 says:
      March 1, 2026 at 5:30 pm

      Yes, so you know the tiresome cleaning and cutting process. That’s why even if I long for it I don’t make it. Another problem is after so much of kasrat if the flowers turn out to be bitter then it’s a waste of time and energy. The same is with swaajne ki phali , the drumstick flowers.

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      • Rupali's avatar Rupali says:
        March 1, 2026 at 7:06 pm

        And those black spots on hands 😊. Also with raw jackfruit.

        We put drumstick flowers in dal. We were fortunate to have a drumstick tree in our garden in India. Until recently we never had to buy it.
        Sadly our neighbour’s have sold their property to a doctor who has built a hospital and things have started to go in the wrong direction. 😭

        Liked by 1 person

  7. Carol anne's avatar Carol anne says:
    March 1, 2026 at 5:37 pm

    Oh yum! that food sounds delicious! So interesting reading about the food and the bengali culture! X

    Liked by 1 person

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  8. destiny's avatar destiny says:
    March 1, 2026 at 5:49 pm

    sounds the perfect way to spend the day…family and food…especially with such yummy food… 🤍

    Liked by 1 person

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  9. Indrajit Roy Choudhury's avatar Indrajit Roy Choudhury says:
    March 1, 2026 at 7:09 pm

    Nice epicurean day! You can try 6, Ballygunge Place also. BTW one of its owners is an ex-Raisina. 😉

    Liked by 1 person

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  10. philosophy through photography's avatar philosophy through photography says:
    March 2, 2026 at 2:29 am

    I’m a full-on vegan, so the menu stays untempting… but thrilled you had a grand day of grooming, globe-trotting for Luchi and Kosha Mangsho, and handling dessert like a pro! 😄

    Liked by 1 person

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  11. Nusrat Khan's avatar Nusrat Khan says:
    March 2, 2026 at 6:49 am

    Those who love eating food,love cooking it.I am sure you are a best cook.
    Geeta Ji,share some recipes,will try.

    Liked by 1 person

    Reply
  12. Mary K. Doyle's avatar Mary K. Doyle says:
    March 2, 2026 at 7:50 pm

    Your sister’s dramatic request made me smile. And then—the food descriptions! How yummy, Geeta.

    Liked by 2 people

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