One of the finest places to find good Chinese cuisine in Kolkata is in Chinatown. Starting from the early 90’s where there were a few shabby unkempt dwellers by the name of Beijing, Kimling, now Chinatown boasts of a number of plush restaurants to choose from. Getting a table during occasions can be real tough with prior waiting time ranging from 30 mins to an hour.
Big Boss is nestled in Tangra suburb just ahead of Beijing in the crowded meandering lane and is one of the most popular restaurants in Chinatown. It is easily accessible from Science City and Park Circus. They specialize in A-La-Carte Chinese food with a wide array of starters and main course to choose from and complimentary alcohols. Well alcohol is surely not complimentary here but it is cheap and affordable and hence the vibe of the bachelor crowd is always visible here.
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Parking – 4/5
The restaurant offers a huge private parking façade. This is the best part since lots of cars can be accommodated even when the place is bustling with people.
Ambiance - 2/5
The primary restaurant is a two-storied building. They have extended another section to accommodate a secondary dine-out. You will be greeted by a large aquarium where they keep a Huge Arowana Fish. As a child, I was quite animated on seeing the Beautiful Large Fish. Apart from this, the ambiance is decent, if not dull. Standard Décor, No Music, Less Space, since it is always filled with people are the common attributes of this restaurant. But trust me, 90% of the people go there for the food and not for the ambiance.
Starters – 5/5
This is the main reason why I prefer Big Boss over other restaurants in Chinatown. They offer the best mouth-watering Fish and Chicken Specialties to delight the Indian palate. You keep asking for more. By the time you are over with Starters, your tummy is already full. The Schezwan Fish, Dragon Fish and Crispy Chicken is very delicious. Golden Fried Prawns are a must try. Duck Specialties have deteriorated over the years. They also offer a wide range of vegetable platters as well. For the Linear Guys, Prawn Chips and a Pint of Beer is all it takes to set the mood.
Main Course – 3/5
Main Course Items has a Indo-Chinese feel to it. Chinese Noodles, Chopsuyes, Fried Rice, Rice Noodles are available in Veg, Egg, Chicken and Mixed Variants. Chicken Items and Fish Items go well with as side dishes. Hot Chilli Garlic Chicken, Sweet and Sour Fish go hand-in-hand with Cantonese Noodles. Best part is, items are relatively priced and would not feel heavy on your pocket. :)
Desserts – 3/5
You have kind of no options in Desserts! Well, I am kind of exaggerating of course... You do have Choices of Ice-Creams, Tuty-Fruity and Darshans and that is mostly all in the Dessert Menu. Dissapointed? Well this is how it is in most of the restaurants in Chinatown. They have so few options in Desserts section. Sigh.. Anyways, Two scoops of your favorite ice-cream is a good way to conclude your meal, howsoever.
Overall, if you are planning for a Dine-Out and would like to try out some good Chinese Food, then Big Boss can be a perfect option. On the other hand, Service can be really lousy at times. Happy Eating!!
P.S. For those of you who are acquainted with Chinatown, I would rate Beijing a tad better than Big Boss in Food Quality respect. But again, Beijing is far too heavy on the pocket as compared to this budget restaurant.
~Somjeet~