Restaurant Review - Chawlas 2

When we had moved to Kolkata 6 years back what I terribly missed was good north Indian food. I would desperately want to eat some daal makhni or butter chicken like they would make in Delhi but there wouldn't be a single place barring the 5 stars fine dining restaurants where I could gorge on such yummies. Over the years however things have changed and many watering holes have cropped up around the city that serve good north Indian food.The other day we at KFB got an invite from Chawlas 2 - the famous Ludhiana based restaurant to review their menu.So on a cloudy winter Sunday afternoon a few of us bloggers landed up to savour some rich north Indian spread.

It was pretty easy to locate Chawlas 2 , nestled in one of the by lanes of south kolkata close to Gariahat.A flight of stairs, walls adorned with antique pictures took me to the restaurant.On arrival we were greeted by one of the partners Sutapa and made comfortable in one of the tables with a view of the lane below.

What followed was a steady flow of food - drinks, starters, main course and dessert- all meticulously pre ordered by Sutapa and her team.
We started off with a Soda Shikanji ( Rs.40) - very refreshing and perfectly balanced.We found out that the masala mix was indigeniously prepared and sent from Ludhaina!

This we had along with the Masala Papad(Rs.25) - a melange of onion,cucumber,tomato, carrot and paneer on roasted papads made a good accompaniment to the Shikanji.It was a bit on the spicier side but good nevertheless.

 For starters there were quite a variety - Bharwaan Tandoori Aloo ,Chicken Malai Tikka ,Tandoori Chicken and Mutton Adrakhi Panje.

The Bharwaan Tandoori Aloo (Rs.165) came along with some grilled onions, tomatoes and capsicum as well. The potato was well cooked with a mild stuffing of paneer and was good on the palate.The veggies provided the required crunch to the dish.

The Tandoori Chicken (Rs.320- full plate)is a Chawlas speciality and rightly so as it did not have the quintessential red colour that one would associate with Tandoori chicken.The chicken was juicy and moist and had subtle flavours. All the kebabs were served with a side of cream salad - juliennes of cabbage and carrots dressed with sweet cream. Must say it went very well with the grilled goodies.

The Mutton Adrakhi Panje (Rs.255)was surely my pick of the day.Succulent mutton chops , char grilled to perfection. The meat was totally melt-in-your mouth kind with just the right hint of gunnery flavours - not too spicy - not too bland!

By this time to be honest I was full - so much so that I thought of giving the main course a miss..but food kept flowing in and it was too hard to resist the heady aromas.For the main course we were served the quintessential Butter Chicken (Rs.450 - full plate)and Daal Makhni (Rs.135)- without which any punjabi meal would be incomplete along with Chawlas in house speciality dish Cream Chicken (Rs.450- full plate)and Mutton Rogan Josh(Rs.250). All of this served with an array of breads - Garlic Naan, Butter Naan, Laccha Paratha and Tandoori Roti.

The Dal Makhni was more of a dal tadka.It lacked the creaminess of a good dal makhni but tasted good nevertheless with the roti. The butter chicken was the boneless version and tasted very good - it had the perfect balance of tangy creaminess. Personally I like butter chicken with bone but I enjoyed this one too.

The Cream Chicken is a Chawlas speciality with Sutapa telling us that the spices are brought from Ludhiana where they have the original restaurant. This again had boneless chicken in a white peppery gravy - not spicy at all but left behind a trail of spices after you tasted it. I can't quite put my finger into what exact spice it was.

The Mutton Rogan Josh was again a winner dish for me.Good quality mutton cooked to perfection and dunked in a rich brown gravy with perfect spicing. I usually don't find great lamb dishes when I dine out but here they truly make it very well. Will surely be going back for this one.

The breads served along with the dishes made for a good accompaniment but I would have liked a fluffier butter naan! Howver keeping with the tradition of finishing a meal with dessert we decided to share a plate of Gajar ka Halwa - my absolute all time favourite.

The Gajar ka Halwa didnt disappoint us I must say.  Well made with little chunks of khoya and lots of nuts and raisins it was the perfect way to end a rich punjabi meal.The halwa is not listed in the menu - i guess its a seasonal speciality so please check with the staff when you go.

Me along with my fellow bloggers had a great afternoon savouring the good food. There were definitely more hits than misses and I would strongly recommend that one checks out Chawlas 2 if you live in the vicinity and want to eat some authentic Punjabi food! The kebabs are surely to be tried.Its a nice, clean , cozy joint where one could enjoy a peaceful meal with the family.The staff too are very attentive and meticulous and made sure that we are served well.Btw they also have home delivery!!

Chawlas 2
43, Ballygunje Gardens,
Near Golpark
Kolkata

Meal for two would cost approx 700-800 without alchohol.

Disclaimer - This was an invited review and no compensation monetary or otherwise was involved.


Read what my fellow bloggers for the afternoon say about their experience

Kamalika @ Silence Sings 

Amrita & Vishal @ Sweet n Savoury