From the streets of Kolkata

Authentic flavours

For anyone craving the Kolkata street food experience or who just happen to be in the mood for some terrific parathas and chaat, a rather hygienic place to try out is ‘Koshy’s Calcutta Chats’.

Tucked away in a little lane at the end of Brigade Road, the eatery has customers of all variety courtesy its location and enjoys a surprising number of regulars since 2000. 

Not only does one find  regular chaat items like bhel     puri, samosa, panipuri and kachori but also not-so-common ones like raj kachori, dahi vada, aloo chaat and         jhal muri, each tastier than the other. The gulab jamun is worth drooling over and even the choice of beverages is different, including masala soda, khas soda and jal jeera.  The food is freshly prepared in front of the customer and everything is made by the cooks, right from the masalas used to the panipuri itself.

 Adding to this, the water filter and cleanliness levels make it an even better experience for the finicky lot. Be warned, however, that the place is almost too popular for its own good. One often has to wait a while to receive their order. But one bite of their paratha combo or panipuri and your patience shall be well rewarded!

“We all come from Bihar and West Bengal and are trained to make this cuisine. The most popular items are vada pav, pav bhaji and the paratha combo, which includes two parathas, curd, pickle and sabji. In the special chaats from Kolkata, we serve jhal muri, churmur and aloo chaat,” shares Suresh, the head chef. 

He informs that while the place is open from 10 am to 9.30 pm, lunch time and evenings are the busiest.

   “We have a lot of regulars over time. But there are also new customers who come here by chance or see the board outside and decide to try out our food. The menu has been the same since we started but a few items have been added and removed,” adds Suresh.

Another factor favouring it is the affordability, given that the quantity per portion is more than ample for the price one pays. That’s exactly why people like Yashvaradaraj have been going there for the last five years.

 “I find myself coming here every alternate day for the same thing – their aloo paratha combo! I find the combination very filling for Rs 40. The flavours taste like the food’s been cooked at home,” shares the regular at the eatery.

‘Koshy’s Calcutta Chats’ is located at 50, opposite 5th Avenue, Brigade Road. For details, call 9740292604.