How much does the heading convey a Bengali’s anguish at the rarity of Bengali food joints I don’t know, but several factors do stand out as to why that is so.
As Labonita Ghosh in her article in DNA points out, Bengalis are not too entrepreneurial, which probably explains why the number of eateries hasn’t kept up with a growing population.
This she writes about Mumbai, but it’s true for Kolkata as well. Yes there are a few classy restaurants that cook Bengali fares that make holes in the pocket, the types of which are there in other metros also. And there are those street-corner stalls that too cook machher jhol, spicy and watery enough to desist you from second help.
Between the 2 extremes, the space is virtually empty of any participation. In her article, Labonita mentions about Ujjal Das Gupta, a food consultant. This is what he has to say:
Today Bengali eateries are either fancy restaurants or street-corner joints. There’s nothing in between, like an informal, sit-down place where you can entertain people. It’s also sad that a rich, nuanced cuisine has had to be simplified into basic slots like fine dining, street and home cooked food, and not a single place in town offers all three together.
Pitha, from Pitha Utsab, Chittagong, Bangladesh [Image source]Like this blog? Get daily posts by email.
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