Hard Rock Cafe, which first opened its doors on June 14, 1971, in London, is iconic in its own rights, winning people over across the world with its crackling combo of great food, drinks and music. The brand first arrived in India in Mumbai in 2006, with a second outlet opening in Calcutta in 2017. As the brand completes half a century, the Calcutta outlet has gone for a menu overhaul. The new menu reflects the local culture and provides a more comfortable dining experience for its patrons.
Kunal Joshi and Chef Cyrus Irani, director, culinary operations of JSM Corporation that owned the brand, walked us through the extensive changes in menu, which includes up to 26 new dishes and five new cocktails. In honour of Lionel Messi, who has collaborated with Hard Rock Cafe to introduce the Messi Burger, and celebrate half a century of the restaurant, burgers have been introduced to the world that we’ve never tried before. The Asian Noodle Bowl, the Fiesta Platter (vegetarian and meat versions), the Red Hot Chilli Fries, and the Smash Burgers are among the menu’s most popular items. The Caribbean Mojito and Sparkling Sangria are two of the highlight drinks.
In an interaction with Sanjay Mahtani, executive director, JSM Group, he spoke about the future plans of the brand. He told us how Hard Rock Cafe takes pride in the new menu, the changes in JSM Group’s plans to renovate the cafe and the inspiration behind the menu. “It’s not only about Calcutta, but whenever we try and make a new menu, we try to make more specialised and local dishes. We are doing this all over India, and some of it will remain consistent in the menu. Hard Rock’s focus has always been about quality, consistency and about entertainment. For us, entertainment is the key goal, we are looking forward to do more research, and we do not believe only in rock culture or music — we are making new improvements and changes,” he said. So indulge in the all-new flavours at HRC, with a few pointers from The Telegraph.
More about it
Sanjay Mahtani, executive director, JSM Group
What: New menu
Where: Hard Rock Cafe Kolkata
Timings: Noon to midnight
Meal for two: Rs 2,500-plus with alcohol
Chingri Machher Curry: The Bengali classic prawn dish with creamy coconut curry, served with steamed rice. Rs 625-plus
Red Hot Chilli Fries: This mouth-watering dish has cajun-spiced crispy fries topped with cheddar cheese sauce and sweet corn and bell peppers with tangy salsa. A great nibble to pair your beer with. Rs 450-plus
Cuban Sliders: These mini burgers are the star of the show with delightful melted Swiss cheese, Dijon mayonnaise, hand-pulled smoked pork and sliced pickle. Rs 700-plus
Classic Carribean Mojito: A mocktail with Bacardi Superior rum, fresh mint, lime juice, sparkling soda with a premuim Bacardi Gold floater and powdered sugar sprinkle. Rs 525-plus
Blackberry Sparkling Sangria: This cocktail calls out for jam sessions with a signature blend of red wine, blackberry, cranberry juice and a squeeze of orange. Rs 625-plus
Mezze Platter: This sharing platter has assorted veggies such as bell pepper, cucumber, falafel kebabs and three different types of dips such as Beiruti hummus, betroot hummus and Tzatziki. Rs 675--plus
Fiesta Platter Veg: This platter consists of Kandhari Paneer Tikka, Corn Malai Tikki, Tex Mex Potato Skins, Chilli Baby Corn served with a side of Jungle sauce and chipotle aioli. Rs 775-plus
Char-grilled Quesadilla: It has tortilla filled with pineapple and your choice of grilled chicken or pulled pork, served with shredded lettuce, guacamole, sour cream and pico de gallo. Rs 675-plus
Asian Noodle Bowl: Ramen noodles are tossed in sesame soy dressing on a bed of edamame, peppers, cabbage and onion, served with grilled salmon. Rs 950-plus
Hard Rock Cafe completed 50 years globally. When we launched in India, we wanted to see how Indians felt about American and Tex-Mex food. They took it very well. We now think that we have to broaden our horizon further, since we need to connect with the people in the city much more than before. Thus, we introduced our range of delightful dishes to make people feel at home — Chef Cyrus Irani, director, culinary operations of JSM Corporations
Pictures: B. Halder