Rev up, ye food buffs

One has heard of live seafood joints in big cities around the world, at least in coastal cities if not in those far away from the seas. They in fact add a dimension that reflects the culinary style of a city and its love for exotic foods.

Kolkata has so far remained deprived of such a destination, but now that is going to change come Christmas. The new joint is called the Charcoal Grill located at Park Circus.

The restaurant will seat 300 presumably surrounding an aquarium that will house what else but lobsters, crabs and prawns. A customer will choose her piece, have it weighed, and then wait upon it patiently to be cooked and served in her chosen delicacy. The very thought makes me hungrier you see.

Well, the price is not cheap. Sanjay Madan, the proprietor, says he is clear his restaurant will only serve ‘big’ items. How big?

Madan explains, “We will not have lobsters that weigh below one kg. Similarly, we will not keep baby lobsters below 750 gm, crabs below 900 gm, jumbo prawns below 350 gm and tiger prawns below 250 gm.”

Food for thought indeed because mind you a 2 kg rock lobster will set you back by Rs.2000, and a 800 gm baby lobster by Rs.800. So clearly, if you need exotic seafood, you need to prepare for a mid-sized hole in your pocket.

And why not? After all the real stuff are coming not only from the nearby coastal Bengal, but also from Chennai for the clams and the squids, and as far as South Africa for the oysters.

One thing is sure. If Charcoal Grill can set fire in the city’s culinary habits, more like it can be expected to open shops, which only augurs well for the city to spend some quality time in.