The Calcutta Colonial Menu brings in a phenomenal new chapter for Park Street’s Ilish Truly Bong Bengali Dining & Bar. The special collection is dedicated to reviving the splendour of the zamindari homes of Bengal through its recipes handed down through generations, forgotten flavours and time-honoured cooking techniques. From the regal red staircase painted with Bengali alpona to the dishes on the menu, heritage, food and hospitality come together in an experience that brings the richness of the culinary history of Bengal to a modern approach to dining.
Image Credit: Saborni Saha
Lopamudra Kamilya is the Director of Ilish Truly Bong Restaurant & Bar, a distinctive Bengali dining destination on Kolkata’s Park Street. She combines a deep respect for Bengal’s culinary heritage with an instinct for innovation, hospitality and storytelling.
Lopamudra Talks About Her Curated Menu For Ilish Truly Bong
Image Credit: Saborni Saha
Lopamudra has curated the menu to highlight the opulent dining culture of Bengal, where feasts were grand affairs based on seasonal produce, judiciously blended spices and culinary knowledge passed down through generations.
Explaining the thought behind the menu, Lopamudra Kamilya shared that the menu at Ilish Truly Bong is a well-researched experience, inspired by the culinary traditions of the Zamindar households of Bengal. This special offering is the Calcutta Colonial Menu, a close-knit connection with the time-honoured fusion that grew during the colonial era. Every dish is a mix of heritage, local flavours and techniques that used to be part of grand Bengali dining experiences.
Image Credit: Ilish Truly Bong
She further added, “We have carefully recreated dishes using authentic Bengali spices and traditional methods. For example, our smoked mutton is not like a typical nihari. It is marinated overnight and prepared with a special blend of around 26 to 27 Bengali spices, followed by a slow cooking and smoking process that gives it a unique character. The flavours are deeply rooted in Bengal, and the entire preparation reflects the richness of Zamindari kitchens.”
Image Credit: Saborni Saha
The menu represents her belief that innovation should not overpower authenticity. “Another highlight is our Galda preparation, which is very much Bengali in its essence, but the spices and techniques give it a distinct identity. We have focused on bringing out local Bengali flavours rather than simply adding spices. The dishes are designed to showcase the ingredients, traditions, and culinary memories of Bengal.”
Image Credit: Saborni Saha
Even the desserts carry this approach. “While some elements, such as ice cream, have European influences, we reinterpret them using seasonal and local Bengali flavours. The aim is to create a dining experience that connects guests with Bengal’s history, culture, and the elaborate feasts enjoyed during the Zamindari era.”
Slurrp got a chance to have a word with Lopamudra Kamilya about her recipes, the inspiration behind Ilish Truly Bong, and the evolving identity of Bengali cuisine through this new culinary chapter.
Reimagining Bengali Cuisine Through Research And Storytelling At Ilish Truly Bong
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Ilish Truly Bong began in 2019 on Park Street with a vision to celebrate Bengal’s most cherished fish, ilish, while presenting Bengali cuisine through a modern lens. According to Lopamudra Kamilya, the restaurant was never intended to remain limited to conventional interpretations of Bengali food.
Image Credit: Saborni Saha
“The thought behind Ilish Truly Bong was to create a Bengali dining experience that felt rooted in tradition without being confined by it. Bengal has an extraordinarily rich culinary heritage, but we believed it could be presented with greater imagination, refinement and a stronger sense of storytelling.”
Image Credit: Ilish Truly Bong
The restaurant’s identity has slowly shifted from being an ilish-centric destination to a wider celebration of Bengali culture, food and hospitality. The revamped space now features a gourmet Bengali restaurant, an alfresco section, a comfortable private dining space and a new bar experience.
On the Calcutta Zamindar menu are Crispy Trio (Prawn, Bhetki & Crab), House Special Chakhna, Kurkure Morula Fritter, Rajbari Potato Croquettes, Royal Smoked Prawns and Zamindari Smoked Mutton.
The House Special Chakhna was a sophisticated twist on traditional accompaniments and the Rajbari Potato Croquettes were delicately textured and tasted of Bengali comfort food. The House Special Chakhna is a perfect preparation made with bori, onion, green chillies, coriander and secret spices to make your cocktail taste heavenly.
Image Credit: Ilish Truly Bong
The royal smoked prawns are hard to make as you need to maintain the natural sweetness of the prawns without making them chewy.
The star turn was the Ilish Truly Bong’s Eight-Hour Smoked Mutton. The mutton is marinated with select spices in the early hours of the morning and allowed to absorb the flavour before it is slow-cooked for almost eight hours. It is a process that doesn’t take shortcuts, but takes patience and precision and the final result is a deeply flavoured, smoky and exceptionally tender mutton that can be scooped like an ice-cream, without relying on raw papaya for tenderness.
As Lopamudra explains, “Good mutton is not merely cooked; it is patiently negotiated with.”
The meal got a sweeter conclusion with the Pardanashin Pancake paired with ice cream, where traditional influences of a smooth paatishapta met a modern dessert presentation.
Ilish Truly Bong Focuses On Bengali Flavours Paired With Contemporary Cocktails
Image Credit: Ilish Truly Bong
The newly introduced bar menu has cocktails designed to complement Bengali flavours while introducing modern mixology techniques.
The Eden Bloom offered a refreshing balance following a tailored choice of alcohol and a refreshing floral note. To your surprise, it turns out to have its ideal pairing with the royal smoked prawns or the smoked mutton. The Picante brought a sharper, vibrant profile and complemented the richer elements of the menu.
Image Credit: Ilish Truly Bong
Other signature cocktails include Classic Picante, Gondhoraj LIIT and Bengal Connection; all these drinks are basically inspired by local ingredients and regional influences.
Lopamudra Kamilya believes the restaurant’s future lies in creating a complete destination rather than only a dining space. “Our aim is to make Ilish Truly Bong not merely a place to dine, but a destination guests can experience differently on every visit.”
Ilish Truly Bong, with its Calcutta Zamindar Menu, expanded beverage menu and renewed approach to Bengali hospitality, offers a thoughtful interpretation of Bengal’s past while creating a meaningful experience for today’s diners.
- Ilish Truly Bong Bengali Dining & Bar
- Address: 83B, Park Street Area, Kolkata – 700016
- Operational hours: 12 Noon – 10:30 PM
- Cost for two: 1800 INR + tax