Kolkata hungers for a bite of Lebanon
19 Aug 2013 2:42 AM IST
If you have tasted some yummy Baclava cake at good old Nahoum's in New Market in the heart of Kolkata, you’ve already sampled Lebanese cuisine. But unless you have tucked into some scrumptious Shawarma rolls, hummus, falafel and of course the now iconic pita bread, available in at least a dozen new restaurants in the city, you are not trending.
The main reason for the popularity is the similarity in culture between the two cities, says chef Vikas Kumar, executive chef at Flury's and who has sampled Lebanese food in Lebanon. ‘Lebanese food appeals to Calcuttans since there is a huge market here for vegetarian dishes. Dishes like falafel and hummus are made from chickpeas and resemble the Indian dal in some ways. The Marwari community here is also familiar with ingredients like black pepper, coriander, garlic and cumin which often goes into preparing Lebanese dishes,’ says Kumar.
Another reason why the cuisine is topping the snacks menu of the young, health-conscious Calcuttan is that the calorie content in Lebanese food is lower than in the ubiquitous chicken roll or the oily fish fry. ‘The Lebanese Shawarma roll is marinated and skewered in a special machine that uses no oil at all. It is also always teamed with plate of salad” says chef Sangeet of Blu Banana, a recently opened Lebanese outlet.
Small wonder then that at Blu Banana in upmarket Ballygunge, the Lebanese combo meal, comprising the Shwarma kebab and salad, is the preferred item among Gen Y customers.
Another Lebanese chain, Go Lebanese, which has outlets at Sarat Bose Road and Salt lake Sector V, will have a more diversified menu by the time the Durga puja arrives. A third outlet is also on the cards. Says proprietor Debashish Dey, ‘We plan to introduce more mutton and rice items before the pujas. The Shawarma wrap, mutton kebab wrap and shawarma salad are the most popular items here as of now,’ says Dey.
Needless to say, all Lebanese outlets in the city get a lot of foreign tourists as clients. One reason for this being Lebanese cuisine is quite popular in Western countries, especially in Europe. And with chains like Falafal Express now looking at setting up in Calcutta, the trend seems here to stay for some time.
The main reason for the popularity is the similarity in culture between the two cities, says chef Vikas Kumar, executive chef at Flury's and who has sampled Lebanese food in Lebanon. ‘Lebanese food appeals to Calcuttans since there is a huge market here for vegetarian dishes. Dishes like falafel and hummus are made from chickpeas and resemble the Indian dal in some ways. The Marwari community here is also familiar with ingredients like black pepper, coriander, garlic and cumin which often goes into preparing Lebanese dishes,’ says Kumar.
Another reason why the cuisine is topping the snacks menu of the young, health-conscious Calcuttan is that the calorie content in Lebanese food is lower than in the ubiquitous chicken roll or the oily fish fry. ‘The Lebanese Shawarma roll is marinated and skewered in a special machine that uses no oil at all. It is also always teamed with plate of salad” says chef Sangeet of Blu Banana, a recently opened Lebanese outlet.
Small wonder then that at Blu Banana in upmarket Ballygunge, the Lebanese combo meal, comprising the Shwarma kebab and salad, is the preferred item among Gen Y customers.
Another Lebanese chain, Go Lebanese, which has outlets at Sarat Bose Road and Salt lake Sector V, will have a more diversified menu by the time the Durga puja arrives. A third outlet is also on the cards. Says proprietor Debashish Dey, ‘We plan to introduce more mutton and rice items before the pujas. The Shawarma wrap, mutton kebab wrap and shawarma salad are the most popular items here as of now,’ says Dey.
Needless to say, all Lebanese outlets in the city get a lot of foreign tourists as clients. One reason for this being Lebanese cuisine is quite popular in Western countries, especially in Europe. And with chains like Falafal Express now looking at setting up in Calcutta, the trend seems here to stay for some time.
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