The only China Town in India is in Kolkata … that in itself is the best testament to our love for Chinese. It’s also a family favorite and all my life a meal eating out was Chinese more often than not. Naturally Chinese at home was also always a welcome break from the usual “ghar…
Author: Rukshana A. Kapadia
Rukshana A. Kapadia brings work as consultant and Ideator in the Hospitality Industry and has been associated with some of the biggest names in the business. Her recent project, the "Food Diplomacy Program" for the Department of State, U.S.A and Indo American Center, Washington was a unique and path-breaking international project being conducted for the first time in India. Rukshana is also the Advisor to the Kolkata Chapter of the NRAI (National Restaurant Association of India). She is the brand host of Gourmet Passport in Kolkata. Her love for food of all kinds ranging from gourmet to rustic led her to start her award winning blog, theculinarycommentator.com. Rukshana's work has been recognized and rewarded across various forums and has been bestowed with several awards and accolades including the IFBA 2016 in Restaurant Review Category by the Food Bloggers Association of India, Best New Voice and Best Baking and Sweets Blog 2018 at the Top Food Bloggers Awards and Best Photography Jury Choice Award and Best Photography People's Choice Award by the Top Food Bloggers Award 2019. She was awarded the Woman Achiever Award by the International Hospitality Council for 2019. The proud founder of "Kolkata Food Fanatics" and "Indian Culinary Commune" on Facebook. Travel, Photography and Music are her hobbies and she devours books with as much passion as she devours her favorite dishes.
Migrant Cuisines of Kolkata- The Parsi Patra ni Macchi (Fish steamed in banana leaves)
The tiny Parsi Community of Kolkata may be small in number (about 400 members only) but larger than life in its contributions to the City of Joy. The Parsi’s migrated to India from Persia during the Muslim Conquest of Persia in the 8th Century. They crossed over via the Persian Gulf & Arabian Sea and…
My Fishy Hilsa Tales ~ Part 2
I love eating my Ilish or Hilsa – most people are surprised to hear this from me because I am a Parsi but I adore this fish. It’s the Queen of the Fish for me. I have eaten Hilsa since I was a child and inherited the love for it from my Mother. My father found it too bony a fish and lacked the patience to…
My Fishy Hilsa Tales ~ Part I
My first opportunity to write in Bengali thanks to Hangla Hneshel Magazine – the most popular food magazine in West Bengal. This was for their Durga Puja Special Issue and I was honored to be invited to write and I chose Hilsa or Ilish Fish which is much loved to us in Bengal. This is…
The Darjeeling Momo from Wow! Momo
The Momo has long been a popular snack across the northern parts of the Indian subcontinent. These delicious little dumplings are found all across the Central and East Asian regions. The popular version we all love can be broadly referred to as the Himalayan momo which is believed to have journeyed to us from the…
My Ode to Skyroom
When you’re as obsessed by food as I am and also happen to blog and write about it, one of the questions you get asked most often is “What is your favorite restaurant?” The reason I rarely have a name to offer in answer is because sadly it has closed down a quarter of a…
The Return of Serafina
When Serafina first opened in Kolkata I was super excited. Everyone who reads my blog will know that I love food and I thoroughly enjoy a good Pizza. My preferred kind of Pizza is a good thin crust pizza. I visited Serafina, ate the pizza and did a double flip. I also fell head over…
The Westin wowed me with their Sunday Brunch!
The Westin Kolkata is the most recent luminary on the culinary scene of Kolkata and visiting it has been on my wish-list for a while now. I am very glad we had scheduled our Kolkata Food Fanatics New Year Meet at Seasonal Tastes their beautiful restaurant on the tenth floor of the hotel. Picturesque views…
The Wow Fatty Bao
The Fatty Bao, launches with many surprises – a 75-seater, Izakaya and Noodleshop inspired Asian menu that’s brimming with fresh flavours and signature cocktails in a trendy, intimate space. This is the seventh outpost in India, after Bangalore, Delhi and Mumbai. It successfully marries a laidback vibe with award-winning food and drinks. Executive Chef Prashanth…
The Bon Appetit Cake Mix
If you call The City of Joy your home then Christmas is a big deal and its warmly celebrated by all Kolkatans. For most of us an integral part of Christmas is the Christmas Cake. We all have our favourite ones and eagerly look forward to going and buying our cakes. I have fond memories…
TG by Tanvi Ghai
My first brush with Tanvi was when my cousin had called us over to her house to celebrate her anniversary. Dessert was a beautiful, decadent Chocolate and Fresh Strawberry Cake which we all went gaga about and polished off and on further enquiry it turns out it was from TG by Tanvi Ghai and I…
Celebrate Durga Pujo with ‘Iti Aunty’s Pujor Special Thaala’ @ Monkey Bar
I have known Mrs. Iti Misra for most of my life by virtue of having the privilege of us being neighbors. Yes we lived in the same building and her daughter Radhika and I both went to school together. All us girls always looked up to Iti Aunty because she was a lovely,tall, very elegant…
The Culinary Commentator 