Bengali Food Festival in Visakhapatnam at The Park

Bengali songs play in the background as diners settle in at Vista at The Park Visakhapatnam. Red and white accents, banana leaves and carefully arranged food counters complete the setting for the Bengali Food Festival. Here, it is an elaborate culinary spread that invites diners to explore the cuisine beyond its much-loved fish and meat preparations. 

Sous Chef Kanak Debnath and his team have put together a buffet that moves between traditional Bengali preparations, homely accompaniments and dishes that make a leisurely dinner worthwhile. There is plenty to choose from and the menu rewards those willing to take smaller portions and return for a second helping. 

I begin with the welcome drinks, aam pora shorbot and gandharaj ghol. The smoky tang of roasted raw mango in the former offers a refreshing opening, while the latter draws on the distinctive citrus fragrance of gandharaj lime. Among the starters, the chingrir chop, radhuni murgir tikka, narkel pyazir chop and vegetable chop set the tone for a meal that balances seafood, meat and vegetarian fare. 

Bengali delicacies dished out at the ongoing Bengali food festival at Vista at The Park in Visakhapatnam
| Photo Credit:
KR DEEPAK

The accompaniments deserve a closer look, particularly for diners accustomed to treating salads as a brief stop before the main course. Swadeshi salad,  aam kasundi chaat (mango chaat in mustard flavour) and begun pora (roasted brinjal) bring together contrasting textures and flavours. The masala pora machh adds another fish preparation to the proceedings, while kaccha aam chutney and tomato chutney offer sweet and tangy notes alongside the savoury dishes.  

The main course is where the festival makes its strongest case. Sorse ilish, the much-loved hilsa prepared with mustard, is an essential inclusion at any Bengali feast, with its pungent mustard character and rich fish flavour. Golbarir kosha maangsho, a slow-cooked mutton preparation, brings depth and a robust gravy to the table. Chhachi pyaz diya murgir jhol offers a gentler chicken curry. The doi morich katla, while well balanced in its use of curd and pepper, could benefit from a more pronounced mustard note to give the gravy greater depth. Sorse ilish and katla also underline how central freshwater fish is to Bengali cooking. 

My pick of the evening, however, is the chingri malai curry. The prawns, served in a creamy coconut-based gravy, make for a satisfying combination of sweetness and spice. It is a dish I find myself wanting another helping of, and one that deserves particular attention from seafood lovers. The vegetable preparations offer their own pleasures, from potoler dorma and shukto to pui saager chorchori. Narkel diye cholar dal and bhaja masala diya aloo dum provide familiar accompaniments for those who prefer a vegetarian plate. 

The luchi, or puri, is a natural partner for the cholar dal and aloo dum, while basanti pulao brings a gentle sweetness and fragrance to the plate. Kolkata chicken biryani and steamed rice round off the selection for those who prefer a more substantial meal. 

Dessert is an extensive affair in its own right. Mishti doi, rossogolla, malai chumchum, gur-er payesh, kheer kadam, pantua, lobong latika and shor bhaja offer a selection of Bengali sweets that makes choosing just one rather difficult. I leave room for at least two. A serving of mishti paan or sada paan brings the evening to a traditional close. 

With live counters for tea, bhaja, Kolkata rolls, phuchka and jhal muri, there is every reason to linger after the buffet.  

The festival is on till October 31 from 7.30pm to 11pm. ₹2,200 plus tazxes per person. For reservation, call 8916825678.