In search of tiger... prawns

One of the things I was especially excited about Kolkata was the fact that many of the dishes that come from West Bengal involve fish and other seafood. Therefore, I was extremely disappointed to discover that someone had forgotten to tell the restaurants in Kolkata that. Nearly every time we ordered prawn dishes, we were told they weren’t available.

For dinner on the first night, we ended up at a place that claimed to be for “families and couples,” but was more like a speakeasy than a restaurant. It was dim, windowless, and definitely a boys’ club – not really for families at all. Nonetheless, we ordered fish Manchurian and prawn chow mein. The waiter returned a few minutes later to tell us that neither was available. We ordered the chicken options instead, which turned out to be really tasty. But still, no fish in a coastal state? What was up with that?

The next day, we went to a Chinese restaurant called Bay Leaf. The prawns in the fried rice were actually tiny bay shrimp, but there were tiger prawns listed on the menu. So the second time we went there, I ordered the golden tiger prawns and prawns wrapped in banana leaves. But no, we were denied yet again – at least the fish Manchurian was available at this place.

One evening, we stopped at a fairly ritzy bar for drinks, and I ordered the golden-fried prawns, which they claimed was their specialty. The batter was too thick, and the prawns had no flavor. They were nothing at all like the reigning champion of fried prawns in India, which are from Sam’s in Colva, Goa. They were also overpriced, as were the beers.

The guidebook listed a restaurant that served prawns “so big they speak lobster.” But after days of having to deal with cheating taxi drivers who didn’t actually know how to take us where we wanted to go and eating at places where prawns weren’t actually available, I decided it wasn’t worth trying to find it. I figured I’d get my shrimp fix when I got back to California and could buy some from the farmers market. So we left Kolkata without any fabulous prawn-eating experiences.

The best thing we did have were kathi rolls. They’re sold from tiny counters on the street, built right into the walls of the buildings. For a whopping Rs. 24 (US$0.50), you get a round of fried bread, wrapped around a filling of fried egg and mutton, along with plenty of onions, chili peppers, and a mildly sweet sauce. You can also get chicken, paneer, or just egg. The fillings differ ever so slightly from counter to counter, but they all follow a basic package of meat and onions inside bread. They are greasy, delicious, and filling. Perfect with a beer, and perfect for taking the edge off the prawn let-down.