DURGA PUJA Parikrama /Pandal Hopping - Maha Bhog at Kewpie's
www.anandautsav.com
Here’s a website to consult to find out all you’ve ever wanted to know about Durga Puja. You’ll get the music, puja clippings, pictures of Kumartulli and the legend of Durga… You can even send e cards saying Shubho Bijoya…

We started the Pujas early on Sunday morning. We met at 7:30 in front of HSBC Kalighat crossing and proceeded to see some Pujas in South Calcutta - Shiv Mandir to Mudiali. The real Puja experts, Martin and Mark also joined us. Doc was away at his family Puja on Sunday. Himanshu was in Delhi. On the bandwagon was Peter, Rosie, Sid, Tony, Francois and Yvonnick. We then had breakfast at Taj Bengal and then did some more Pujas in Kidderpore and Behala and the TARA best Musical Para Puja at Kudghat where we saw Santal dancing and a Bengali Band. Yvonnick, Howard & Shanti, Peter & Rosie, Francois, Siddique, Tony, George and Wanja went to Kewpie's after pandal hopping to have the Maha Bhog.

This is Shaun’s review of Kewpie’s that he wrote for a magazine probably. Have made a few corrections – Shaun, I prefer clay pot to mud cup and it’s betel not beetle! After Francois’s description of the ampora green mango sarbat no one was keen to try it but everyone enjoyed whatever I’d ordered of vegetarian dishes mostly preparations of Mocha or banana trunk and posto/poppy seeds and all kinds of fish.

"This restaurant is every Bengalis dream when it comes to good hearty, wholesome Bengali khanna. Situated just off one of the small roads on Elgin road, this home-style restaurant never looks the same twice. There are 3 dining rooms that can all be hired for group bookings. Uneven white washed walls, a good private collection of paintings, simple linen covered tables, blood red napkins, a hand carved wooden upright cabinet, full of glass ware and even a sideboard in the corner. It’s got charm coming out of its ears……. You could almost be walking into a small chateau dining room somewhere. A hotch potch of mismatched tables and chairs. Add the finishing touches. So anyway, you sit down, you get your menu with all the Bengali favourites, kosha mangsho, deshi chicken, paturi, daab chingri, begun posto, enchor kalia to name but a few. We ordered a basic platter, consisting of gobindobhog bhaat with ghee, a couple of fresh luchi, alur dom, dal and bhaja. I also ordered the dab chingri, deshi chicken, kasha mangso, paturi, palang chaanar kofta, doi potol and a couple of ampora sharbot. All the preparations are simply served and homely. Clay glasses, plates and bowls, all add to the effect. Which is what makes this place so wonderful. So out comes the food, I ordered far too much. The basic plate of food comes on a clay plate, draped with a banana leaf with a couple of small bowls, one filled with the alur dom and another with dal. Then, all the other food came out, one after the other in small dishes to make this huge array of temptation. Well cooked rice, a nice large round piece of fried brinjal, 2 light and crisp freshly cooked luchi, a tasty alur dom and a good not too thick or thin dal. A good mustardy style preparation of dab chingri, a few knuckles of well cooked mutton, an excellent home style chicken curry, the best preparation, I’ve had of doi potol and finally superb kofta in a rich cinnamon tasting gravy. Couldn’t eat it all. My eyes are obviously bigger than my belly as my mother would have said. To finish with and also in with the basic platter, there was the inevitable papad with chutney, a clay pot of not too rich mishti doi, a little piece of sandesh and a betel leaf of misti paan. In fact, I ate both paans, as I couldn’t resist. Doesn’t seem that long ago since I ate my first paan and thought it tasted like mouthwash……..yet three and a half years in India, how times change…… So, just to sum up the whole thing. for me personally, it’s the jewel in the crown when it comes to Bengali restaurants in Kolkata. Everything about it oozes warmth and homeliness. A refreshing change from all the modernity that surrounds us. Great aromas and friendly service, all add to the whole experience."
– Shaun Kenworthy shaunchef@yahoo.co.uk