Right on the bustling Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Road, just a stone’s throw away from Hazra crossing, a cafe seems frozen in time. Partially hidden by ‘Jatin Das Metro Gate No. 3’, this eatery was established in 1937 when the concept of cafes were rare in south Kolkata. Thus, it was simply called ‘Cafe’ without any prefix or suffix. Now, when cafes have mushroomed at every nook and corner of the city, Cafe remains a time capsule with its unchanged menu and ambience. My Kolkata speaks to the second-generation owner Siddheswar Banerjee about the cafe’s 87-year-old journey and its iconic pudding.
The 450-square-foot cafe has remained largely unchanged since its inception with recipes that date back to British times
An idea culminating from Japanese Consulate in Calcutta
Siddheswar Banerjee’s father, the late Amarnath Banerjee, worked as an accountant in the Japanese Consulate in Kolkata. According to Banerjee, his father picked up recipes from the consulate kitchen and tried them at home. “Although my father was an accountant, his keen interest in learning foreign recipes led him to the kitchen of the consulate, where he learnt British and Japanese recipes. Soon after Japan entered World War II, the British shut down the consulate. My father lost his job,” Siddheswar recalled. During this period, Amarnath started reading books on Japanese, German and British cuisines and experimenting at home. His brother, Anathnath, helped him find a 450-sq-ft space in Hazra and Cafe was born. It soon became a popular hangout spot for the local aristocratic Bengalis who would return for food and adda.
In 1966, when Amarnath passed away, elder brother Anathnath took over the business. Ten years later Siddheswar had to enter the scene when Anathnath passed away in 1977
Siddheswar Banerjee, now 73, entered the scene in 1977. He fondly recalls stories from his father and uncle about film stars and filmmakers visiting the cafe. “Except for Suchitra Sen, all big names — Soumitra Chattopadhyay, Uttam Kumar, Gouri Devi and Supriya Devi — came here. Even Satyajit Ray visited quite a few times,” he shared.
A menu that stood the ‘taste’ of time
The vanilla pudding, a family recipe, is famous in Kolkata and remains one of the star dishes
The menu has remained unchanged since the cafe’s inception, offering a decent 15-20 items. However, over the years, a few have emerged as ‘star dishes’. “Our Pudding is famous all over Kolkata. Regular customers often reserve a portion first and then order other items. We make only 40 servings, so it replenishes fast,” said Banerjee. The pudding is a soft, moist vanilla pudding made with eggs, milk and dry fruits. A foam made of milk and egg white tops the pudding making it stand out from the regular puddings. “The recipe was passed down by my father to our karigars. The foam used to be made by hand, whipping milk and egg whites for hours. It used to be made in a coal-fuelled oven but now everything has become simpler with electric ovens and mixers,” said the owner, who was also trained to recreate these dishes.
Cabin-style items like Fish Fry and Fish Kabiraji are also favourites with regular customers
Apart from the pudding, items like Fish Roll, Kabiraji, Fish Fry, Chicken Cutlet and Chicken Stew are also favourites of regular customers. What makes them so loved? Siddheswar credits the recipes. “Our recipes do not typically follow Indian cooking techniques. For example, we don't use chillies in our recipe; the heat comes from ginger or black pepper. Another standout factor is that we use only desi (country) chicken, not broiler, and the fish dishes are made with bekti.”
Items like the (left) Chicken Cutlet are served with a salad of onions and boiled potatoes seasoned with salt and pepper, while dishes like (right) Chicken Roast and Chicken Stew are popular orders
Unlike most places, the salad served with the cutlets, fries and kabiraji isn’t a typical green salad with chopped cucumber and onions. Instead, they serve chopped onions with boiled potato cubes lightly seasoned with black pepper powder and salt.
Tea and coffee are the only beverages on the menu.
A testament to time and heritage
The Indian National Trust for Art and Cultural Heritage (INTACH) conferred Cafe with the Culinary Heritage Recognition for preserving its legacy. According to Siddheswar, the 30-seater space looks the same as it used to in the 1940s. “The only change has been replacing the marble tables with wooden ones topped with sunmica. While we’ve adjusted prices over time, everything else has remained the same.”
Cafe’s menu board with wooden panels that can be flipped is sure to grab your attention
One feature that draws the attention of the new generation of customers is Cafe’s menu board. Made of black painted wood panels, each panel bears the name of a dish. As an item goes off the menu for the day, the panel is flipped.
Siddheswar has noticed a decline in young visitors over time but when food vloggers started covering the cafe, many people came in for the pudding. “The younger generation prefers modern places but in recent years, videos of the cafe have boosted footfall,” he explained. The septuagenarian urges city foodies to support heritage eateries. He has no plans to expand the place or the menu but is focused on maintaining its legacy. “My son is working in the IT sector but he is keen to return to the family business. We will keep passing the baton to the next generation,” signed off Siddheswar.
Open: All days of the week
Timings: 3pm - 9pm
Address: 41/A, Shyama Prasad Mukherjee Road, Hazra Road, Kolkata: 700026
MK picks: Pudding, Fish Kabiraji, Chicken Cutlet and Chicken Stew
Pocket pinch: Items start at Rs 20 (tea) and go up to Rs 210 for non-vegetarian items like Gravy Mutton Chaap and Chicken Roast Stew
