Brilliantly Salt House...

That an Indian draped in western outfit is not always unsightly was often proved right by Persis Khambatta in the past. That fact found again a delicious expression in the ‘Mangsho Raviolis in Bone-Marrow Broth' at Salt House - a thorough western warmly holding an Indian, nay, a Bengali soul. Served in a deep-bowl as Italian dumplings filled with spicy mince liberally soaking up the mystique of native cuisine from the depths of a flavorous, bone-marrow infused broth of mutton. The doughs, just firm to the bite, once ruptured unleashed a restrained stream of notes and memories to delight those who savour present with a discernible dash of the eternal. Inspired by ‘Pathar Jhol’ [Mutton Curry] – a popular Bengali staple that tastes exceedingly well on Sundays, Mangsho Ravioli in Bone-Marrow Broth tempered a brisk evening with the ecstatic stupor of middays of Calcutta. [This mention is crucial as the flavour of ‘midday’ is nowhere nearly as lasting as here.] Only a Sauvignon Blanc with a tart bent could match the masculine piquancy it embodied so chicly. #uncookedwords

Came alongside that the ‘Malai-chingri and Gobindo-bhog Risotto’, a yummy fusion luckily not as tortuous as its title – and, something that pleases equally if eaten in the dark. Conceived with supreme ingenuity, it showed up in a bowl as a few juicy lobsters polygamously engaging in the act of exploring each other atop a bed of iconic Gobindo-bhog cooked into a deliciously creamy Risotto. Lacing the rice with a bisque of lobster-heads was a masterstroke that instantly sent a regular exotic fare off the charts. Rarely have I seen a taste linger so richly in mouth like the one of Malai-chingri and Gobindo-bhog Risotto. Truly a dish without any failing. At a time when most are struggling to get their heads around the buzz of ‘culinary fusion’ and like mumbo-jumbos, Auroni stands out with his repertoire by not toiling to create anything new but rediscovering [and, reinterpreting] the timeless. No wonder he calls his fare simply ‘Calcutta Cuisine’. I wish him well in his pursuit.