Chourangi

Chourangi’s large glass frontage emits a golden creaminess from the interior that does not offend the eye, but draws it in. A medium sized dining room with a high ceiling and plenty of dark marble tables were predominantly occupied by families and young professionals. As we were welcomed and shown to our table, we walked past the well-stocked long bar, and could spy the kitchen window at its end, from which the gentle busyness of the kitchen could just be heard under the music’s bass.

Arriving first are the poppadoms which are small and come with a selection of chutneys, a lovely mint sauce with a fierceness to it and a smoky tomato chutney, they’re sweet and almost popcorn-like. Starters are a tandoori dish: the laal murgi kebab which was perfectly cooked, not a hint of dryness and delightfully spiced; and small plates: the chingri cutlet and jackfruit tikki, combining fruity flavours with goats cheese to create a creamy, mild experience.

A feast of main courses arrived, with a tiger prawn malai curry presented inside a coconut shell, a clear indication that this was a very coconutty dish; the kosha mangsho, slow roasted lamb that showcased cardamom flavours in exemplary style. Both these dishes demonstrated the value of one ingredient – coconut and cardamom – and accompanied it with complementary flavours to make it sing. We particularly enjoyed the aam-kasundi begun: aubergine wedges cooked in mango and mustard, consistently textured and fully flavoured (not easy with an aubergine).

Nor should you miss out on breads, the tandoori roti has an indulgent quality to it and the kalonji naan is wonderfully fluffy – it really did feel nice between the fingers.

Before departing and embracing the cool London air, we were treated to two desserts equally as refreshing. The sondesh puff was incredibly nutty, with a firm pastry base, the sweetness of the dates was brought out by the ice cream, which played a supporting role. The star of the show really was the mango bhapa doi, which was almost a reverse cheesecake, with less emphasis on the shortbread, a perfect palate cleanser.

Londoners are spoilt for choice when it comes to Indian restaurants, from street-food vendors to fine-dining establishments and everything in between. However it may have come to the attention of those well-versed in Indian cuisine that much of the country’s regional fare actually remains unrepresented. In particular, that of eastern India, which includes the gastronomically rich state of West Bengal, home to the city of Kolkata. 

Seeking to fill this gap is the inexhaustible Indian hospitality group Speciality Restaurants Ltd who will be adding to their 130-strong portfolio with the launch of Chourangi at 3 Old Quebec Street in Marylebone (a stone’s throw from the highly anticipated Mexican restaurant  Kol from Santiago Lastra on Seymour Place).

Chourangi, named after a historic district of Kolkata, marks the group’s London debut and promises a menu of authentic Kolkatan food.  While full details have yet to be revealed, it is likely we can look forward to  variations of traditional Bengali dishes that include machher jhol, a traditional spicy tomato-based curry; kosha mangsho, a rich mutton curry; and plenty of luchi – Kolkata’s signature deep-fried flatbreads.  Oh! Calcutta, one of the group’s other Kolkattan outlets, is also known for its shukto – a vegetarian dish featuring a variety of gourds that give it contrasting sweet and bitter notes.

Sweet treats play a large part in Bengali dining and the area is renowned for an unusual dessert of fermented sweet yogurt called mishti doi, which is one of the region’s largest culinary exports. Chomchoms (or chum chums) are another favoured dessert in Kolkata – small sweets crafted from flour, sugar, cream, saffron, lemon juice and coconut flakes – and roshogullas are balls of cottage cheese and semolina dough dipped in a sugary syrup that are often served as a post-curry palate cleanser.

Hopefully Chourangi will join the ranks of Covent Garden’s Little Kolkata, showcasing the little-known delights of east Indian cuisine.