Sandesh to Sienna — chef Anna Polyviou’s Kolkata sojourn featured the best of city stories and food

From sandesh moulds to a degustation menu at Sienna Cafe — Australia’s ‘Punk Princess of Pastry,’ Anna Polyviou, had an exciting day in Kolkata recently. The acclaimed pastry chef was in the city last week with Conosh to host a Masterclass at The Kitchenette. Before cooking up a storm at the Alipore cafe, where she taught students how to make her famous Anna’s Mess, the chef immersed herself in the city’s sights with Calcutta Walks and stopped by Hindustan Park’s Sienna Cafe and Store for a special meal.

Touring the City of Joy

With her rocking pink mohawk tucked into a black cap, the chef set out early with her team and the day’s exploration began with an introduction to the city at Victoria Memorial. My Kolkata spoke to Sukrit Sen of Calcutta Walks, who took the chef and her team on a walk around town. “The Kitchenette reached out to us when Anna came down, an we didn’t get a lot of time but we started early morning at the Victoria Memorial, where we chatted about the history of the city — the British, the different cultures that migrated into the city — and then we went on to Chitpur, which was the interesting bit because we looked at the different layers of city,” said Sukrit.

At Chitpur, what seemed to be one of the chef’s best experiences was watching the moulds for sandesh being made. Chef Anna shared little snippets of watching the wooden mould being shaped on her Instagram stories. The chef also bought some moulds to use for her Masterclass.

A brief stop at a historical house in the neighbourhood and a quick introduction of summer drinks, like sugarcane juice and chhatur shorbot (sattu sharbat) followed before a trip to the local vegetable market. “We went to the Natun Bazaar, and the idea was to give Anna a brief idea about what an Indian vegetable market looks like — raw and informal, not as sanitised,” explained Sukrit, adding that the vibrancy and colours of the market caught the chef’s eye. “I think she was a bit flabbergasted by the colours and the variety, and mentioned how she had not seen so many varieties in one place together. The chef’s keen interest in food, coupled with an interest in social and gender dynamics, highlighted the unique nature of Indian markets, where competing sellers sit side by side, engaging in conversation and fostering camaraderie.

“The highlight of the tour was a trip to the factory of Makhan Lal and Sons — the famous sandesh makers at Natun Bazaar, said Sukrit, adding, “Anna was really interested in seeing how the sandesh was made and having seen the making of the moulds, she saw how it used in making the final product.”

The three-hour city walk culminated in a meal at Hindustan Park’s Sienna Cafe and Store. “We got in touch with Sienna and they organised a wonderful tasting menu for Anna and her team, which showcased what Sienna does best — taking our everyday ingredients and stories from kitchens like the scent of Sunday mutton, the local produce and elevating them for a unique experience.

Bengal on a plate

“The mood at Sienna was all excitement because everyone was looking forward to meeting the chef,” said Ankita Gupta Dujari, sous chef at Sienna, when My Kolkata got in touch with the restaurant to speak about the dining experience.

The young team members took turns to present a portion of Sienna’s signature ‘Bajaar to Table’ experience with a Bengali degustation menu. The meal kicked off with a traditional bitter element, as customary in Bengali cuisine. There, Kirti Agarwal presented the Ucche Bhaja with Bandel Sour Cream, followed by the Gourd Carpaccio — jhinge, ninua, chalkumro, pickled dumur, and dill seed oil. Tina Bhattacharji then showcased a dish from the current bazaar special menu, the Chhola’r Dal Hummus with Kalo Jeere Nimki.

A signature Sienna creation, which is usually a standout of their Bengali tasting menu, the ⁠Deem Makhon Bhaat with Radhatilak Bhaat from Amar Khamar, with Kakda Caramel and Dheki Shaak came next along with another Sienna staple, the ⁠Ranga Aloo Gnocchi, Bonolokhi Ghee Sauce, Kolmi Shaak, Toasted Posto. Both were presented by Taranjeet Singh, who was probably the most excited to meet Chef Anna. For Taranjeet, who has “taken inspiration from her desserts and her recipes while learning the basics of building entremets,” making a meal for the chef and her team was “a beautiful full circle moment”.

The mains for the degustation were ⁠Mach’r Deem XO Fried Rice with Karpurkanthi Bhaat from Amar Khamar, presented by Diptajit Chowdhury; and Dal Gosht with Petai Porota, presented by Kirti Agarwal. The meal ended with the sweets — ⁠Golap Jaam — presented by Sourav Nandi and the Sienna special ⁠Choshi’r Payesh with Mahua Treacle, Gondhoraj Oil, which was a hit with Chef Anna’s team.

For co-head chef, Avinandan Kundu, rolling out the red carpet for fellow chefs and being able to showcase Sienna’s creation to members of the food community is always special. “We like feeding people, and we love to have chefs over in Sienna,” he said. “Having like-minded people also means that you have someone who is looking at the food without an external bias. Plus, they are part of the same community so you’re eager to do your best. And if it appeals to a chef as well, we know we’ve done a good job of showcasing Bengal.”

So, what was the Australian pastry chef’s take on the hyperlocal Sienna Bengali degustation? “I think she really enjoyed the meal. Initially we were told that Chef Anna had an appointment so she might not be able to stay for the whole thing, but she pushed the appointment and we could present all the courses and the conversation was engaging,” said Ankita.

Souvenirs and stories

“I think the use of vegetables in the dishes, especially something like the Gourd Carpaccio, which is quite a niche item, was something chef Anna commented about and personally that makes me very happy,” said Avinandan. The Bonolokkhi ghee sauce was a bit hit with the team as well, according to Ankita, who recalled with a laugh that one of the chefs had mentioned they could “drink this sauce.”

But possibly, it was the stories about Kolkata and Bengal’s food, which appealed most to the chef, according to Sukrit.

“I think it was overwhelming but exciting for Anna to be able to witness some of these things. The stories of Bengal’s food, like how posto was introduced into Bengali cuisine by the women during the Bengal famine appealed a lot to her, since she is interested in topics of gender and food. Also seeing the artistry sans the more upgraded technology — like how the wooden sandesh moulds are dipped in oil and prepped before use — formed some of the takebacks from the tour,” he said.

Chef Anna hopes to return to Kolkata soon to spend some time exploring the city and the food, and the next time she has a challenge from Sukrit. The pastry maestro is also a biryani fan and mentioned how the Hyderabadi biryani is her favourite, and like any biryani-loving proud Kolkatan, Sukrit has challenged her to a taste-off.

“I told her the story of Kolkata biryani and, of course, the Kolkata biryani’s aloo. So next time, we’re hoping she will try Kolkata’s biryani and change her mind,” Sukrit signed off.