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You may easily pass the CAFÉ in Hazra, just next to the Jatin Das Metro Station, yet you shouldn't miss its narrative. Since its opening in 1937, it has quietly remained unchanged despite the surrounding changes. The CAFÉ subtly clings to its history while the city pops up with new Insta-worthy cafes every day.
Your eyes will fall on the hand-turned menu board, wooden furnishings first. Generations have been here to relive when Kolkata was Calcutta. The people working behind the counter, and even the lack of anything ostentatious or Instagram-worthy, make it all the more appealing. However, the ambience speaks for itself just as the sun sets. The tiled floor, the roof, the wooden seats, and the chipped blue and yellow walls all seem to convey tales from a bygone era.
Image Credit: The CAFE
The second-generation owner, Siddheswar Banerjee, is running the eatery now. The conversations while you eat there explain how it all started with Amarnath Banerjee, his father. During World War II, his father had lost his position as an accountant under the Japanese Consulate General in Kolkata. He chose to operate a café instead of looking for another secure job. Giving up a respected profession as an accountant to become a cook was uncommon, but Amarnath was a determined man who loved food. He used to go to restaurants and canteens, read cookbooks in German and Japanese and ask about the recipes he thought could work for the business idea. He learnt everything on his own. This information serves as the basis for this cafe. Since then, the recipes have not been altered, even once.
Image Credit: The CAFE
One more fascinating thing about this place is the wooden spinning menu. When a dish is no longer available, each board is rotated by hand. Even the employees carry on the tradition, as many are second-generation employees whose dads received training from Siddheswar's father. Celebs such as Uttam Kumar and Satyajit Ray frequently visited the shop. While Uttam Kumar sent his driver to get lunch from the car, Ray would sit inside and concentrate on his scripts. People still come in today saying that their parents used to visit, and now they are here and want to delve into the nostalgia of it all.
The Simplicity In Food
No spices are used in what the eatery cooks. Chillies were never on the menu because his father had created a blend of foreign and Bengali flavours. There are no red, green, or dried chillies used. The kitchen uses poppy seeds, fennel, coriander and black pepper for spices. The food is still tasty and well-balanced.
The bhetki fish fry is crisp, fresh, and juicy, while the gravy chicken roast is served as a whole quarter piece. But it's the English pudding that really makes everyone come back. It is made with fresh bread, cashews, raisins, butter and a thin froth on top. It's soft, light and mildly sweet. It melts in the mouth. The foam is still whipped in the same way Amarnath used to whip it.
Image Credit: The CAFE
It has never felt the need to open another branch. The tables start to fill up by late afternoon, and even if they provide delivery, this isn't about growing their business. Many long-time patrons who are now elderly or ailing request it so they might continue to savour a little bit of the past.
Image Credit: The CAFE
Serving food is only one aspect of this 88-year-old food joint. It's about serving memories. Today, the food joint sends its food to cities like Bangalore, Mumbai, Delhi, and Chennai, and abroad too for those who miss Kolkata and want a piece wth them.
Address: 41/A, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Road, Hazra, Kolkata
Timings: 3 PM - 9 PM
Price: INR 300 for two
