Charming is the word that comes to my mind when I think of Paris Café. It truly does have a Parisian vibe and is a lovely place to drop in for coffee or a bite. What was an unexpected surprise was the wonderful dinner that we had. I had visited the newly opened Paris Café in Alipore for our monthly Kolkata Food Fanatics Meet-Up. When twenty food enthusiasts descend on a place to eat themselves silly, it must be daunting for the management but I had a delightful meal that certainly surpassed my expectations.
We began our evening with some Mocktails, on offer were Watermelon Green Apple Freezer, Ginger Lemon Honey Iced Tea, Mango Mojito, Lemon Iced Tea. I tried them all but my favorite was the Watermelon and Green Apple Freezer …. Refreshing, tangy with just the right hint of sweetness I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Then the onslaught of food began and we were served up Involtini de fungi which I loved though I am not crazy about mushrooms, Skinny fries with truffle oil and parmesan which I devoured because I do love my potatoes and cheese. Next up were some yummy Chicken croquettes which were appreciated by everyone and the hit of the evening for many of us, butterfly prawns with chili rocket salad. Lovely fresh prawns cooked to perfection served up on a bed of salad that was yummy with some lovely dips …. Absolute heaven!
The main course was served and we dove into the yummy dishes. Cannelloni in saffron sauce was vegetarian but beautiful, the silken pasta sheets with just the right amount of sauce and the subtle delicate saffron was a winner. This was followed by a Spaghetti Aglio Olio with feta and asparagus which I did not sample but the vegetarians seemed rather happy with. I am glad I kept a bit of space because the Grilled Bhetki fish (barramundi or Asian sea bass) served with Cous Cous and the Mustard chicken steak served on a bed of pasta were both brilliant. The fish was to die for and the Cous Cous was wonderful, I don’t care for Cous Cous so I was surprised to find that I could not stop eating it. The Chicken Steak was perfect, juicy sliced chicken breasts served up on a mound of perfectly done pasta.
We ended this fabulous meal with a sinfully delicious dessert platter comprising of Crème Brûlée, Red Velvet Cheesecake, Salted Caramel Chocolate Dome, Saffron Panna Cotta and a Macaroon. All of them were very good but the Salted Caramel Dome was outstanding and writing about it just makes me want to go back for more. The only fault I could point out was that the sugar crystals on top of the Crème Brûlée was not fully caramelized. Other than that it was a great meal and I would unhesitatingly recommend it to one and all. We packed some Rainbow Cake that looked lovely for home and enjoyed it the next day.
Sneha Singhi the lady behind Paris Café was there personally throughout our meal in the kitchen making sure we were served up all this wonderful food. Service was warm and though the staff was a bit overwhelmed with all of us they smiled through service and did their best to keep up. Overall a lovely experience!
Address [1]: 17/1D, Alipore, Road, (Near Alipore State Bank), Alipore, Kolkata – 700027.
Hours: 8 am – 11 pm. Ph: 91 8229920380; 91 9735714051.
Rukshana Kapadia is the Founder of https://theculinarycommentator.com/ [2] and for the unabridged version of the above, visit her website.