Restaurant Review: Bong Bong- The Kolkata of “the new generation”

Gone are the days when foodies like us would crave for Bengali food in Mumbai. Thanks to restaurants like Oh! Calcutta, Hanglas, Arsalan etc., we now have options to please our gastronomic urges for that Roshogulla, Mishti Doi, Aloo Poshto etc.

Talking about options in Bengali food, we have the all new quirky lil Bengali joint in our very own Bandra- Linking Road (Opposite the infamous Mini Punjab) which serves bong food with a twist. Bong Bong is a cozy joint which can seat around 20-25 people at a go. The entrance to the place is warm and indeed announces ‘Kolkataaye apnaake shagotoh janai (Welcome to Kolkata)‘

Entrance to Bong Bong, Bandra

The menu has limited but some lip-smacking dishes to offer. We started our gastronomic journey with the Bengal Five Spice Potatoes (baby potatoes stir fried with curd and Bengal five spice blend), which was not-so-spicy yet different!

Bengal Five Spice Potatoes in Bong Bong, Bandra

For us being fishitarians, this was obviously followed by the delicious fish fry (fillets of fish steeped with coriander, mint, chilli, lime & spices. Crumb fried). They also had an option of something called as the ‘Mango Pickle Steamed Fish’. But considering the price (Around Rs. 350), we clearly didn’t wanna experiment.

Fish fry

This was obviously followed by the main course, Prawns in creamy coconut curry (accompanied with rice). The main course reminded us of the typical Malvani curry (Maharashtrian Coastal cuisine), but this was a lil milder (less spicy) version of Malvani curry.

How can a Bengali meal be complete without the infamous Roshogulla? Well, Bong Bong serves this dish with a twist. They call it ‘Baked Roshogolla’. We ordered for it…with a mild burnt and not-so-sweet taste…yes it was different!

The ‘innovative’ Baked Roshogolla

All in all, the food at Bong Bong reflects the multiple influences that have gone into the making of Calcutta a.k.a Kolkata…British, Malay, Anglo, Muslim…and is clearly influenced by the exposure of its chef and its owner to the world around them. Go there to try innovative Bong food, enjoy the warm environment (This is the main thing a foodie needs, na?), friendly staff and some awesome time.