Soul Kitchen - Kolkata (Calcutta)

Visited this place along with my best friend and was quite amazed at the ambience and hygiene of this place! They are conveniently located besides Mani Square, Kankurgachi and are a part of the Visitel hotels!<br/ <br/ For starters, we ordered Crispy babycorns – just one word – perfect! Perhaps, one of the best babycorns we ever had – crispy, less spicy, excellent on presentation and very tasty of course – garnished with spring onions!<br/ <br/ Since the babycorns served were so huge in quantity, we were literally full after eating it and thus, had no option to go for something very light for the main course – a veg biryani with raita and salads! This was also nice but portion size could have been better! Also, raita was a little bitter – however, the complimentary onion salad, papads and mint chunney made it up for us!<br/ <br/ They also served us a complimentary pastry, which was an excellent gesture from the management!<br/ <br/ Service is flawless, prices are reasonable (considering that they are a 3 star property and also the excellent experience they provide) and I give them 5 stars, a recommendation and several hugs and re-visits!<br/ <br/ Many thanks to the management for maintaining such high standards in the hospitality industry!

Saptami afternoon in search of good food I went to Mani Square, where a bunch of restaurants are present. But in the mood of Durga Puja there were long queue in every other restaurant, also the prices were double to triple than usual.<br/ <br/ To ignore the crowd I visited Visitel that is located just a few steps away from Mani Square. Surprisingly this place wasn't crowded and we just walked in and got a table. I found that they were serving the cheapest Bengali Buffet in Durga Puja at only Rs.570 where in other places the range was varying from Rs.900 2000.<br/ <br/ Ambiance<br/ <br/ Soul Kitchen has very simple and classy ambiance but with with Dhaker music and simple decoration they extended the experience.<br/ <br/ Staffs and Management<br/ <br/ Staffs were polite and helpful. Even in these busy days they were professional enough to ask for feedback.<br/ <br/ Here's what was present on their special Durga Puja menu...<br/ <br/ Welcome Drinks<br/ <br/ Ghol (3.5/5)<br/ Gandhraj Lebur Sarbot (5/5)<br/ <br/ Usually buffet at most places comes with only 1 welcome drink but here they served two that also was unlimited. Ghol was quite natural but Gandhraj Lebur Sarbot was just unbelievably good.<br/ <br/ Salad, Pickle and Chaat Counter<br/ <br/ Chutney’s Kuler Tok Aamsatta Khejurer Chutney Amrar Ambal Plastic Chutney Aamer Chuney Salads Green Salad Fruit Chaat Aam Kasundi Cous Cous Salad Yogurt Tok Doi<br/ <br/ Lot's of Chatni and Salads were present to choose, I took Plastic Chutney and Aamsatta Khejurer Chutney with dessert that tasted good.<br/ <br/ Pickle, Papad and Bhaja Counter<br/ <br/ Pickles Mix pickle Appalam papad Chingri Papad Sabudana Papad Aloo Papad Aloo Jhuri Bhaja Begun Bhaja Patal Bhaja Bori Bhaja Lal Saag Bhaja Karala Bhaja<br/ <br/ Again lots of Papad and fries were present to choose from, I took everyone's favourite Aloo Jhuri Bhaja and Begun Bhaja that tasted really good. But I was seriously missing Luchi with Begun Bhaja that they didn't served.<br/ <br/ Starter <br/ <br/ Mochar Chop (3/5)<br/ Kumro Phuler Bora (2.5/5)<br/ Mangsher Chop (4/5)<br/ Gandhraj Fish Tikka (4.5/5)<br/ <br/ Fish Tikka was just superb with the punch of Gandharaj Lemon. Pices were big and soft like cotton balls. Mangsher Chop was tasty too but Mochar Chop and Kumro Phuler Bora could've been better.<br/  <br/ Main Course<br/ <br/ Sada Bhat<br/ Lau Chingri<br/ Bhaja Moong Dal<br/ Aloo Jhinge Posto<br/ Karaishutir Dhokar Dalna<br/ <br/ All traditional essential Bengali items tasted like home made.<br/ <br/ Thakur Bari Pulao (1/5)<br/ Golbarir Kosha Mangsho (3.5/5)<br/ Kacha Lanka Diye Murgir Jhol (3/5)<br/ Mourala Macher Bati Chorchori (3/5)<br/ <br/ Only bad item in this buffet was the Pulao, actually it wasn't really Pulao. They added Beetroot in the Pulao and unfortunately made it taste really bad in place of sweet and aromatic. Mourala Chorchori could've been better. Apart from that Chicken and Mutton both were great.<br/ <br/ Dessert selection <br/ <br/ Rasgulla Sandesh Patishapta Misti Doi Nolen Gurer Ice Cream Misti Pan<br/ <br/ These traditional Bengali desserts were just perfect to end this buffet. Only the Misti Doi was bit spoiled but they changed that instantly when we asked them.<br/ <br/ Conclusion<br/ <br/ Didn't thought this place would be so good, specially for only Rs.570. Food quality and service was great. Only disappointment was that they didn't served Luchi or any kind of Bread in the buffet that could've made it 5 star.

The exclusive Durga puja menu launch of soul kitchen is as mesmerizing as this year's sreebhumi pandal .The Durga puja buffet starts from 4th October 7th October offering you a wide range of Bengali food items strating from Kuler tok to gandhraj fish Tikka .they have it all. The Ambience is quite good for family gathering .A good place to fill ur stomach within the puja days .All 4 days there are different MENU .The menu is given in the photographs

Location is very next to Apollo hospital. They have cafe also, the restaurant is in ground floor if Hotel Visitel. Quantity is good. Quality is also good. But preparation time is little bit more longer than i was expecting. Staffs are polite. Quality 4/5Cleaniness 3.5/5Staff 4/5Location 4/5Price ExpensiveDish varieties 4/5Overall 4/5

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