Review: Calcutta Chai & Co serves nostalgia-inducing street food

It’s not every day that you find yourself in a situation dripping with nostalgia, but that’s exactly what happened when we found ourselves in Calcutta Chai & Co in Jumeirah Lake Towers.

Having visited Kolkata (formerly Calcutta) quite often as a school-going kid, my taste buds are finely attuned to the flavours of the state of West Bengal.

The glint of recognition came with a look at the restaurant's board, reminiscent of a tea stall in the city.

A read of the menu only led to more interest. There was jhaal muri (a concoction of puffed rice, onions, tomatoes and a slip of mustard oil to bind it all together). This we dove into with a side order of karak chai, a sweet decoction that balances the chilli rather well. In Kolkata, you’ll be hard pressed to pass a corner not being stalked by jhaal muri makers. Or puchka makers (thin balls of flour stuffed with a mixture of spiced potatoes, chickpeas, and mint-flavoured water).

The city is rich with a legacy of delicious street-side food, and one of the top performers on any day is dum aloo, a potato dish with a rich tomato gravy.

Then there was the ever popular chicken biryani and even a dish from the hills of Darjeeling – momos. These are stuffed and steamed dumplings that are served with a delicious chilli sauce.

You'd best be hungry if you are planning a visit there. Not only does the spot serve wistfulness on a platter but also does it at a reasonable price. The small karak tea, for example, costs only Dh3 while the green peas kachori with aloo dum will set you back Dh18.

For dessert, you'll find the quintessential mishti doi, home-made sweet yoghurt. The eatery also does some North Indian fare such as dal makhani and butter chicken, but if you truly want authenticity on your plate, stick to the (West Bengal) specials.

The menu, the staff tells us, draws from the offerings in Bada bazaar of Kolkata such as loochi ghugni chaat, Kolkata chowmein, anda pav, and kachori with kadhi.