Kolkata’s street food scene is legendary — from phuchka, jhaal muri and chaat to rolls, kebabs and telebhaja — but have you ever tried the kebabs at this place in Kasba that also serves kulhad pizza? Founded five years ago by brothers Akash and Binoy Mazumdar on Rajdanga Main Road, Apanjan Aro Beshi Kichu brings a creative twist to street food. Their signature Kulhad Pizza — loaded with cream, cheese, chicken and veggies — is a must try.
The Special Chicken Kulhad Pizza, priced at Rs 149, is loaded with chicken and bursting with flavour, topped off with cheese
Speaking to My Kolkata, 33-year-old co-owner Akash Mazumdar said, “I used to work in the IT sector, including a stint at Wipro. However, I left that life for personal reasons and now find happiness serving good kebabs on the road.” The brothers’ food stall has extensive menu featuring half and full plate options. “We are aware of what others charge around here, and our prices are a bit higher, which is why we offer both half and full plates. But despite the higher cost, we know our quality is what draws the crowd,” he added.
Co-owner and younger brother Binoy, 24, explained their journey. They started the stall in 2019, “after watching a few YouTube videos on the success of street-food stalls in Kolkata. We used to work in the grocery delivery sector, but when online delivery apps began to rule the roost, we shifted to this business.”
Binoy and Akash Mazumdar started the food stall in 2019 after seeing how popular food stalls were getting on YouTube
It all started with biryani, but they soon realised that the growth potential with biryani was limited, and daily sales eventually plateaued. “When we realised that biryani wouldn’t bring in much profit, we conducted a six-month trial period with different kinds of kebabs. We gathered feedback from friends and family on what to improve before we finally started selling kebabs,” said Akash.
The COVID-19 period was another challenge for the Mazumdars, leaving them paranoid about the future. “There wasn’t much we could do during COVID; we kept opening and closing. Now, thankfully, we are at a stage where we are happy, with daily sales around Rs 16,000-17,000 until a month ago when, again, the hawker issue happened,” Akash shared.
The brothers experimented extensively to perfect the marination and cooking process for their kebabs
The stall on Rajdanga Main Road attracts the most customers, but there are two other outlets as well — one opposite Howrah Bridge restaurant in Rajdanga, and another called Fry House opposite Ruby Phase 1. You can also order their kebabs online or over the phone.
What's on offer
My Kolkata tried three items, starting with the Bhetki Fish Fry priced at Rs 140. A large cut of fresh bekti, batter-fried instead of the classic crumb fry, was a refreshing change for us. It was served with kasundi, a bit of mayo and onions. “We cut our own bhetki, which is why we offer different sizes of fries at varying prices. Since we don’t buy pre-cut pieces, we can price it according to our comfort,” said Akash.
Next up was the Achari Kebab, priced at Rs 150 for a full plate. This kebab with its tangy flavour is cooked in the tandoor to perfection. Akash explained, “We marinate all our chicken overnight. After much trial and error, we’ve learnt exactly how long each kebab needs to stay in the tandoor, when to give it another coating of oil, and when it’s ready to be served.”
A full plate of Chicken Achari Kebab comes at Rs 150 while the large Bhetki Fish Fry comes for Rs 140
When quizzed about the bestsellers and the brothers’ personal favourites, Akash said, “The malai kebab and fish fry are our bestselling items and our favourites too.”
If you order anything from Apanjan Aro Beshi Kichu, be prepared to wait a bit, as everything is freshly prepared. Kebabs going into the tandoor need at least 10 minutes to soften, so allowing extra time ensures that you’ll get well-cooked and tasty kebabs.
When you order from Apanjan Aro Beshi Kichu, expect a short wait as everything is made-to-order
Akash also shred their plans for the future of Apanjan Aro Beshi Kichu, and the next steps. “Right now, our focus is on perfecting the kebabs and fries. We’re grateful to our customers for their feedback because we believe in serving good quality items and are open to making changes. Our goal is to introduce a lunch menu soon and see how that goes.”
