Naren Dutta, who later became Swami Vivekananda had set up a Greedy Club where he used to meet his friends regularly and the sole purpose of the club was to organize picnics and feasts where mouth watering food was served. His friends used to contribute to organizing them.

Swamiji’s father Biswanath Dutta, who was a well-known attorney at Calcutta High Court, was a connoisseur of good food. Mutton biryani was his favourite dish and Swamiji had inherited his love for mutton from his father. In Belur Math, Swamiji often used to cook food. In the United States and England Swami treated his friends and admirers by inviting them over for lunch or dinner and cooked various items for them.

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He used to say, ‘Those who can sing and cook good food can have an early vision of god.’ Swamiji said soon in Calcutta (now Kolkata) shops selling sweets will be replaced by those selling chops and cutlets. Swamiji’s prediction has come true. Now, in Kolkata there are more shops selling Western fried food than traditional sweets.

There was a time when people, particularly young couples, used to visit the shops on the first day of Baishak. In those days, it had become a practice in many Bengali families to see theatre and have food in restaurants in the evening. In those days, young couples could not go to watch movies in the halls with their wives or husbands and these restaurants were the only places which were frequented by young couples who could take western food. Chinese restaurants were unknown in the 1950s up to mid 1960s.

The first restaurant selling Chinese food was Peeping, now non-existent, at Park Street. The old restaurants, some of whom are more than a century old, have not closed and are still selling western food. Mitra Cafe at Grey Street crossing was set up in 1910 by Sushil Roy. Young people used to come for adda sessions in the evening. Roy’s friend Ganesh Mitra lent space to his friend as a token of friendship. It was named Mitra Cafe.

The shops still use wooden furniture. Lime chicken pakora, brain chops and fish kabiraji are some of the popular items. “In our times, in the mid1950s, after watching a Bengali theatre on Poila Baisakh it was kind of a custom to visit Mitra Cafe to taste western food.

There were theatre halls like Star Theatre, Biswarupa and cinema halls like Rupbani, Aruna, Mitra among others. Except Star theatre, the other auditoriums are closed now.” Allen’s kitchen is more than 125 years old and is still going strong. Keeping with the times, the restaurant has started home delivery.

The famous dishes are mutton kabiraji, mutton steak, and special fish batter cutlet. A food expert recently told me that even in England these dishes are not available. Cafe Restaurant in South Kolkata is open for five hours, from 4pm to 9pm.

The eatery situated beside Jatin Das Metro station where Uttam Kumar, as a not so famous hero, was a regular visitor to the restaurant. The shop sells pudding, chicken stew, fish fry, chicken cutlet among other items. “It is really a pleasure that we cater to three generations of people. Now, the youngsters come and enjoy our food. Pudding and chicken is in heavy demand,” said a spokesman for the restaurant.

Niranjan Agar, a restaurant in north Kolkata is famous for mutton kofta, vegetable chops, deviled eggs, snacks and fries. People from distant areas come to enjoy food. “These shops do not have modern looks. There are ageold wooden chairs, cabins, family cabins and lights that are not modern. But still there are people who come here regularly. This is Kolkata’s uniqueness and here lies Kolkata’s charm,” said Shreemati Ganguly, a research scholar on food.