The serene waterbody stretches as far as the eye can spy. Beyond that like specks in the horizon, stand skyscrapers at the far end of the Bypass. If the view is amazing, the ambience, in winter, is bound to be serene. Add to this lip-smacking food being served on the table.
The State Fisheries Development Corporation (SFDC) opened a restaurant on the Nalban waterfront that utilises the twin trump cards up their sleeve — location and fresh catch. “We promise to serve fish straight from the nets at the most reasonable price,” said SFDC managing director Subrata Mukherjee.
The restaurant, named Bhuri Bhuri, was inaugurated on Wednesday by fisheries minister Chandranath Sinha. “We aim to satisfy people’s palate at a price to fit their wallet,” he told The Telegraph Salt Lake.
Minister Chandranath Sinha inaugurates the restaurant on Wednesday. SFDC managing director Subrata Mukherjee is to his right. (Mayukh Sengupta)
The restaurant is divided into two sections — one a 24-seater and another a 28-seater. In between is the kitchen. “We have kept the kitchen door transparent so people can check our standards of hygiene.” One can even sit in the lawn in front.
The fish served will be both fresh water catch like rohu, catla, mrigel and bata and brackish water catch like prawn, bekti, parse, pabda and bhangon from SFDC’s own bheris across the state, including Nalban.
The menu is not restricted to traditional Bengali items. And they are serving chicken too. “We need to keep new age taste buds in mind,” Mukherjee said. The sizzler collection, for instance, is varied — fish and prawn (Rs 525), tandoori chicken (Rs 472), Chinese (noodles and dry chili chicken at Rs 499), mixed tandoori (with multiple chicken and fish varieties at Rs 472), as well as a vegetarian one (Rs 367). The trump card though is fish thali at Rs 84.
A hilsa festival will be held from August 31 to September 4 with a variety of thalis on offer. Sample this: Rice, hilsa oil, spinach with hilsa head, hilsa bhapa, chutney, papad and sweets. The pocket pinch? Rs 430. There are options of khichudi and pulao in other thalis.
