There are two outlets of this eatery in Kolkata- one in Bhawanipore and the other at College Street. I have been to both but more so to the one at College Street. Its near my college. To begin with, its a multi cuisine joint. So don’t expect finesse and authenticity. You can get North Indian, South Indian and even Chinese, though they also try and offer something that’s supposed to resemble continental food.
The North Indian cuisine is almost edible. The rotis do not warrant a visit to the dentist though the butter naans could do with a bit less butter on them. The worst part is the main course- it looks like they dip their ladle in the a huge gravy pot and only add bits of chicken to it to make it chicken butter masala, or paneer to make it paneer butter masala. The handi gosht is so tough that any more underdone, and you might as well chew a goat. The flavoring is an undecided wannabe Punjabi but edging towards Awadhi- and that goes for almost all the North Indian dishes. Mind you, they are eminently edible- if you have limited or no experience at speciality cuisine joints.
The South Indian dishes are invariably vegetarian, though hey have something called a chicken dosa (made with disastrous results, so I have been told by a friend of mine). The dosas are passable, and the only item on the menu which you can have without sadly staring at your wallet.
The idlis and uttapams are ok. Try the idlis if you have to choose between that and the uttapams. After all, who could go wrong with steamed fermented rice?
The soups are a torture on mind and soul, not to mention the stomach. Do not have that even at the danger of losing your life. Trust me, some things are better left untried. Its like the Holocaust- if I were a Jew I would have avoided it. Same goes for the pizzas- the veg varieties which come with garlic carry so much garlic, that it would be fatal for the friendly neighborhood vampires within one mile radius. The chicken varieties drip with(gasp!) oil, something I thought wasn’t used in pizzas with such recklessness.
The pasta at Bhawanipore outlet is quite passable, though don’t for a moment even think of trying the continental food on offer at the College Street outlet. You will develop extreme Europhobia.
The Chinese food is eminently passable, and is the high point of the menu. The soups though are as said before- avoid them like the plague. The street food is fit for that- the streets. Throw them there as soon as you receive it. and at the price that they charge for it, if you purchase it, you need to go there too. They serve a plate of French Fries at around Rs. 30. If that isnt costly for you, you might as well eat at The Park and be done wth it.
The coffee isnt bad. In fact its good, thats saying something, specially if you have had the cold coffee at Indian Coffee House- looks like cat puke and tastes like poison. The deserts are Metro ice creams served in fancy trays and charged for with your life. You can have it, if you have no choice. In the end, if you have nowhere else to eat, and the money is biting your bum, try out Food Station. Hey! who knows? You even might like it.