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| Kiwi Cooler |
Although I love my city, I have to say this out loud. summer in Kolkata is HOT, and not in a good way. The humid heat is exhausting, and I have taken to drinking plenty of water and as much of vegetables and cold food as I can. So, when Casa Kitchen, the vegetarian restaurant in Casa Fortuna, Kolkata invited me for a Summer Time Soiree, and promised plenty of cold, delicious food, I was only too glad to attend.
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| Vegetarian Caesar Salad |
On a sultry summer evening, I reached the Casa Kitchen restaurant in Exide region, and, with fellow bloggers A, S and I, started off with some cold cocktails and mocktails. The Kiwi Cooler seemed to be a hit with our party, and we paired it with a simple Caesar salad, with crisp croutons and a restricted drizzle of dressing spread over the wedges of crisp lettuce.
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| Watermelon Sandwich |
There were plenty of dishes to select from. Although some preferred the cold apple and walnut combination of the Waldorf, the innovative sandwiching of feta cheese between thin roundels of watermelon looked really refreshing, and the mocktail Deep Blue Sea was a refreshing mix of mango and pineapple hit the spot, and was gulped down thirstily.
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| Deep Blue Sea |
But my favorite salad among the lot would have to be the Mediterranean Salad with Balsamic Glaze, with marinated roasted bell peppers and feta. The salty feta, and the sweet, smoky peppers, were simplicity itself, but paired so wonderfully together. I could not help but ask for a second round of it, delicately moving aside the pasta salad, which was totally drenched in the dressing.
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| Mediterranean Salad with Balsamic Glaze |
At this point, we were offered a couple of dishes from their regular menu, and I have to say, I was surprised to find a very tasty crispy chilli babycorn, which stayed crisp even after it cooled. The batter was great, not too thick or thin, and went wonderfully well with our drinks.
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| Pasta Salad |
On the other hand, I was slightly in love with the rather excellent paneer tikka. They make their own paneer, and it is super soft as a result. Coat it in a thick layer of masala, grill it, and then serve sizzling. The result was wonderful, and I vainly eyed the last slice which was fished out of the plate right before my eyes before I could touch it.
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| Paneer Tikka at Casa Fortuna |
There are a number of other items in the special summer menu in Kolkata, including the Cool Casa Sandwich and the Thai Pineapple and Papaya Salad, and you should ideally go there during this heat wave, to cool off and eat something which would not only be tasty, but will also help you combat the heat.
Disclaimer: Poorna Banerjee dined at Casa Fortuna at the kind invitation of the management.
