Smoke House Deli, Quest Mall, Kolkata

Smoke House Deli was C’s idea. This was a few days before she left for USA, and I miss her. She walked in, smiled at a server, and we were seated at a cosy corner table in no time. A menu landed on each of our laps, and inevitably, I received the one for booze and she got the one for food.

Decor at Smoke House Deli Kolkata

 The service at Smoke House Deli is pretty laid back, so we perused lavishly through the offerings. They have a number of nice combos – at the time we went, they were promoting unlimited Sangria/certain cocktails/Kingfisher beer for a very reasonable price. However, although I am not sure if that offer still exists, I do know that they have a smart express meal which is specifically designed for the people who end up in Quest to watch a movie and need to eat in a hurry.

Special Movie menu at Smoke House Deli

 The meals seemed to me to be pretty decent, and well, I am always up for good pasta. However, today was not that day. We contemplated for a while, and then ended up choosing two mains. We settled down with a glass of wine each, and made use of the sack of bread they serve complimentary.

Bread Basket at Smoke House Deli

The bread basket comprised of a number of soft white dinner rolls, some grissini sticks, and a few multigrain rolls for the health conscious. The multi-grained ones were more interesting, with earthy flavors, and the grains added a little crunch to it.  Spread with a bit of soft butter (I preferred the herbed one) they were lovely, but I wished they were not stone cold, and slightly warmed up rather. The herbed butter was excellent, but I thought it was too little. However, as I have observed, I have never considered butter to be my enemy, so well, more is always better in my case.

Sangria at Smoke House Deli Kolkata

 C wanted a glass of sangria, and it was an enormous glass filled generously with sweetened wine topped with fruits. I took a sip and realized it to be slightly too overwhelming for my taste, but C was pretty happy with her glass so I wasn’t complaining.

Sula Late Harvest Chenin Blanc Wine by the Glass

I was making a faux pas if there was one by ordering a dessert wine to start my meal, but Sula Late Harvest Chenin Blanc is a little guilty pleasure, with a loud hit of sweetness to my tongue, and the fruity nose. Served way colder than other wines, this was absolutely refreshing after a trying day, and I finished my glass leisurely and anticipated our mains. Call me a philistine now!

Sauteed Tenderloin Strips, Shiitake, Herbed Mash, Sour Cream

 My main was the Sauteed Tenderloin Strips with Shiitake Mushrooms, Herbed Mash and Sour Cream. The strips held up their texture, were not fall-apart soft, cooked with a generous hit of brown gravy which worked out well with the steaks. Added to it was the umami quotient from the shiitake mushrooms (which remains my favorite mushroom in the world), the creamy mash, which was perfectly warm, and the slight tang from the sour cream, bringing everything together nicely, and there’s something in every bite. The staff had replenished our bread basket (yes, we are notorious for filling up on bread), and I picked up the soft white roll to mop up the silken gravy.

Bacon Wrapped Chicken, Sausage Stuffing