For most Indian weddings, heritage and tradition stand first. One of the earliest traditions of a Bengali wedding is to organise a lavish, authentic Bengali feast for the bride and groom before they are married. The tradition, which can safely be called a function today, is Aiburobhaat, literally meaning ‘the spinster/bachelor feast.’
Interestingly, today, this homely affair has crossed the threshold and entered the kitchens of modern restaurants. A bride or groom’s Aiburobhaat has become an occasion for family and friends to gather over a good meal and the go-to choice of cuisine is usually traditional Bengali food.
The only Bengali restaurant on Park Street, Ilish Truly Bong, serves a larger than life Aiburobhaat Thali. My Kolkata caught up with owner and director Lopamudra Kamilya to know more about the thali and the thought behind it.
With Ilish Truly Bong, owner Lopamudra Kamilya wanted to bring the taste of Bengali culture to the food hub of Kolkata
Thought to tradition
“Aiburobhaat is the last gala meal served before marriage. The tradition began at home with parents preparing and serving the feast. We have brought that tradition here, and it is well accepted by people. Many today find it difficult to organise the whole event at home,”said Lopamudra.
Recounting her journey of opening the first Bengali restaurant in the culinary hotspot of the city, Park Street, she continued, “When we opened Ilish Truly Bong on Park Street in 2019, it had a history behind it. I am a globetrotter and explorer. During my travels I noticed that the main food street in any city has the local cuisine reflected there, but somehow Park Street was lacking it. So, we are here to represent Bengal’s culture. This is my small initiative to highlight Bengali culture for the world. We don’t say that we sell Bengali food, we represent Bengal and Bengali culture.”
The Park Street advantage
On the advantage of a Park Street address, Lopamudra told us about Christmas weekend. “December 24 and 25 just went by. We had a French gentleman come in and have Luchi and Daab Chingri along with other dishes. He liked our food so much that he returned the next day and tasted the Bhetki Paturi. We also had two friends drop in from the Netherlands and Bangkok. The customer from the Netherlands ordered the Rs 1,300 thali and the Bangkok customer asked for the vegetarian thali. The feedback from both was that the variation in Bengali cuisine, with aroma and taste is amazing.”
She continued, “I feel very good that these customers think about Bengal’s culture. I consider myself the leader of an organisation which works towards projecting Bengali culture and that is a difficult task. If you think about it, Bengali cuisine is gharoa (homely). Mothers, aunts and today the house help make Bengali food. Yet, people come here (to the restaurant) and eat. Say, it’s the parents’ anniversary, the children plan to take them out and they come here for a treat.”
The Aiburobhaat Thali is always served with a welcome drink
The grand thali
Talking about the special Aiburobhaat Thali, she said, “It is a set menu and sticks to traditional Bengali cuisine. A lot of people serve only fish, but we have an option of mutton or chicken along with fish.”
The Aiburobhaat special thali is an elaborate spread. There’s a welcome drink, Sada Bhaat with ghee, Luchi, Basanti Pulao, Paanch Rokom Bhaja, Mochar Ghonto, Alu Posto as constant fixtures. For the non-vegetarian dishes, there are choices — Bhetki Paturi or Kolkata Fish Fry, Katla Macher Asto Muro, Katla Bhaja or Katla Kaliya, Golda Chingrir Malai Curry or Daab Chingri, Pathar Kasha Mangsho, Jompesh Murgi or Pabdar Rupnarayanir Jhal. The customary chutney, papad and payesh end the meal.
The buffet
But what about those who prefer to have a small function of their own with relatives and friends? Ilish Truly Bong accommodates that as well. For a group of minimum 25 people, they have a specially curated buffet menu, which is slightly different from the thali, but also available with choices for non-vegetarian mains. The spread has starters like Fishy Fry or Paneer Pakora. The main course consists of a wide variety of dishes including Malai Kofta, Doi Katla, Kancha Lonka Mutton /Chicken along with sweets and desserts. Whether you are a vegetarian or non-vegetarian, there are choices of Bengali dishes for both.
It takes a few months to curate the menu for the Aiburobhaat Thali every season
Curating the menu
“It takes around two to four months to curate the entire menu. In fact, apart from the maachher matha (Katla Macher Asto Muro), the menu has changed over the year, for every Aiburobhaat season.” She also explained how the restaurant boasts of a very strong a la carte menu, “We have a wide variety of dishes from Mangsher Shingara to Mutton Kosha. Most of the dishes available in the thali have to be there in the a la carte menu as well, but some dishes are only available in the thali.”
The making of the thali
Staying true to tradition, the thali is served in kansha platters and bowls. It is also presented with the dishes arranged anti-clockwise in order of eating, based on the way a traditional Bengali food course is eaten.
“The Aiburobhaat Thali takes around 25 minutes to prepare, and usually has to be pre-booked. The maachher matha itself takes over 20 minutes to marinade and fry. It’s a 4-5kg fish head.” Additionally, if people request seasonal vegetables, the thali can be customised on request at the time of booking.
The response
When asked about how the thali has been received, Lopamudra presented interesting past experiences. “We have even seen many Bengalis living outside Kolkata booking the thali, and they also had their relatives come in sometimes. A bride from England had her Aiburobhaat ceremony here. There have also been instances of walk-in customers requesting the Aiburobhaat Thali. It’s good to see these kinds of customers.”
How to order
The Aiburobhaat platter was served from November this year and it will go on till February-March, depending on the response. “I take the bookings myself. So, one has to call on the given contact and book the thali. It is suggested that you book at the earliest. If we have the dates, we will definitely accommodate. We try to keep it to one booking per day.”
The Aiburobhaat Thali at Ilish Truly Bong is available for pre-booking till Feb – March. Enquiries and orders can be placed at 9830563345. The thali is priced at Rs 1,500 (+ taxes) per plate, while the buffet menu is Rs 1,100 (+ taxes) per plate. They also have delivery and takeaway options.
