68 years & running: ‘All-day breakfast’ menu at Siliguri’s Netaji Cabin survives the ‘taste’ of time

Siliguri: 68 years into the business, one of Siliguri’s oldest eateries—Netaji Cabin—is still sought-after for its ‘all-day breakfast’ menu and an ambience that evokes a sense of nostalgia. Located in Bidhan Market area, it is one of the best places to feast on eggs. Food lovers also vouch for the butter-toasts dished out here. Not just that, it is a popular place among residents and tourists to gulp down their exhaustion with a cup of Darjeeling tea or coffee.

Much before the plush ‘all-day breakfast’ joints started mushrooming in the metros, Mantu Bagchi had started this ‘all-day breakfast’ eatery in Siliguri. “The eatery is more than 68 years old. I took over the charge of the eatery from my father 8 years ago,” stated Pranabendu Bagchi, the present owner of the eatery. Mantu had started his business as a tea seller in Bidhan Market and later bought a stall to gradually become the proud owner of Netaji Cabin.

What fascinates the visitors most is the ‘old world charm’ of the eatery. When it comes to the décor and furniture, nothing much has been changed over the years. Step inside and you can catch a glimpse of antique wooden tables and chairs and a squeaky steep staircase that leads to the attic. “We have tried to change the eatery’s ambience but our regular customers like it this way. They insist that we don’t change it. They feel at home in this informal set-up,” stated Bagchi. The decor resembles both a typical tea stall as well as a quaint eatery from the yesteryears.

Another thing that has remained the same over the years is the quality of the food served here. “I have travelled all over the world but no eatery can serve such perfect soft boiled eggs. Not only boiled eggs, the fried and the poached eggs they serve are out of the world,” says Neeraj Singh, an MNC Executive.

The menu—which is usually narrated with great precision by the person serving it—offers a variety of dishes made of eggs, butter toast and hot beverages like tea and coffee. Unlike most places, the eatery serves dishes made of country (desi) eggs only. During the initial days, it attracted a lot of loco pilots who would visit the place for a cup of tea all the way from New Jalpaiguri Station.