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| Poila Boishakh Spread at The Park |
The summer heat caught me first as I walked towards The Park. The humidity in the weather makes you feel sluggish, and so, entering the cool dark lobby was a relief. Saffron at The Park is hosting a double celebration for both Baisakhi and Poila Boishakh, by serving a special set of items from Bengal and Punjab. The menu, therefore, boasts of a wide array of items.
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| Dahi Bhalla at Saffron, the Park |
Of course, I would appreciate nothing more than some perfectly made dahi bhalla which really helped tone down the heat outside for me. It was the perfect way to start my meal.
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| Assorted fried stuff |
An assortment of fried goodies, with a thick, mint chutney came next. The vegetable chops were coated with a thin layer of biscuit crumbs and deep fried, but the beauty lay in the crisp crust which wasn’t oily at all! On the other hand, the Amritsari machhi was delightfully tasty morsels of fresh fish fried in a spicy batter. Very addictive.
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| Cutlets and fried stuff at The Park |
At this point, my attention was completely on the begun bhaja which was on my plate, served with some fragrant ghee bhat and well, it stayed riveted, until it got replaced by the beauty that was the Mahi Tikka Lababdar, with a tangy tomato gravy.
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| Begun Bhaja and Aloor Dom |
But naturally, the fact that there was some light posto murgi made me happy – this is a dish which I have had before at the buffet at The Bridge, and they make an excellent version. I love the clean flavors, which went perfectly with my rice. Ah well, I am a Bengali, after all!
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| Posto Murgi |
They also served masala kulchas which were nice, but I was, at this point, anticipating dessert, so the malpua with a dollop of thick rabdi on top really hit the spot, the sweetness of the malpua complimenting the decadent, thick rabdi perfectly. I also liked the Baked Mango Chhena, which combined little bits of ripe mango with chhena, sweetened just enough, but not overtly, to ensure a balance between sweet and sour. We ended our meal with plenty of fresh lime soda and chatted for a while before heading out.
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| Fish Tikka Lababdar |
For those who are interested, here is a brief guide of what Park is up to this April:
Saffron
10th to 19th April: Bengali New Year and Baisakhi Celebration for both Lunch and Dinner: A la carte with a special Celebration Thali
The Bridge
15th April: Special lunch buffet for Poila Boisakh (INR 1495/- per person)
Banquets:
Buffet lunch at INR 1,195/- per person and INR 895/- per person (This is exclusively available through Groupon)
Someplace Else
15th April from 9.30 p.m.: Live gig by Folk Foundation
Flurys
11th to 19th April: Special Poila Boisakh menu
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| Malpua with Rabdi and Baked Mango Chhena at Saffron, The Park |
Disclaimer: Poorna Banerjee sampled the special Baisakhi/Poila Boishakh menu at The Park at the kind invitation of the management.
