EATING OUT: ICHCHAPURON

It is Durga Puja time once again and like every year, the Durga Puja season refreshes our love for Bengali cuisine! Bengali cuisine does not need any special season to be enjoyed; it can be relished any day, and at any point of time! The Durga Puja festivities, of course, make it all the more better to indulge in some lip-smacking Bengali delicacies.

While a number of Bengali restaurants have come up in the city, one of the most popular ones in this segment is ICHCHAPURON – a fine-dining Bengali cuisine restaurant. Located in the first floor of the Bee Kay Tower at Ganeshguri, the restaurant has within a very short span of time, managed to attract a regular clientele of its own.

Ichchapuron is the brainchild of Sayan Chakravarty, a foodie turned entrepreneur and popular actress Nishita Goswami. While Nishita Goswami, a driving force behind the success of this restaurant, is a known face in the entertainment industry of the State, her husband, Sayan Chakravarty is basically an entrepreneur, who was working outside in Pune. However, he returned back home to the Northeast to take over his family business at Shillong and eventually fulfilled his long cherished dream of opening a restaurant.

Dwelling on the concept behind the restaurant, Sayan goes on a nostalgic mode and says, “Human beings live their lives through constant hopes, dreams and wishes. ‘Ichchapuron’ can trace its genesis to my long cherished dream of opening a restaurant. The word ‘Ichcha’ or the desire to start a restaurant, and ‘Puron’, which signifies fulfilment of that desire, has led to the creation of Ichchapuron restaurant, as it is today.”

In an already over-crowded restaurant market for Bengali food, Ichchapuron is a reason that brings a smile, and it won’t be wrong to say that it is in a different league altogether. Armed with a huge kitchen staff and chefs who have been trained in the best of Bengali restaurants in Kolkata and Bangalore, the restaurant serves some of the most authentic Bengali dishes with its own unique twist. And the icing on the cake: All the items are very reasonably priced when compared to other restaurants in its segment.

Coming to the ambience of the restaurant, the interiors are spacious and subtly decorated. With a seating capacity of around 74 souls, the restaurant is almost packed during lunch and dinner hours. Great care has been taken to procure the pictures and murals adorning the walls, as well as the utensils so as to provide the customers with a perfect Bengali dining experience. The copper utensils and the wide range of dishes served here make dining here a memorable experience. The service is top-notch and it is a delight to have the bearers wait over you as you select your order from the extensive menu.

Dwelling on the food menu, Sayan says, “Both Nishita and me are warm and loving people. And we wish that we can serve our guests at Ichchapuron with these core values of warmth, care, hospitality and quality food.” Some of the best-selling items in the restaurant include Bhapa Illish, Mutton Kosha, Doi Chicken, Dhone Pata Kacha Lonka Chicken (Boneless), Baked Mihidana with cream and Malpoa with Sandesh.”

According to Sayan, another USP of the restaurant is their very reasonable vegetarian thali, which consists of a wide range of delicacies and which is served in exquisite copper thalis that were purchased from Moradabad in Uttar Pradesh. Priced at just Rs 160 per thali, it is no wonder that the vegetarian thali is one of the most sought after items in the menu.

In retrospect, Ichchapuron is the perfect place for friends and family members to get together and enjoy some great Bengali delicacies. The management is in the process of starting home deliveries and have partnered with food delivery services like Pick ‘n’ Del and City Ora, which will enable you to order your favourite Bengali food items right from the comfort of your homes.

So next time you are on the lookout for a nice place to sample some exquisite Bengali dishes, do give Ichchapuron a try. We are sure your wish for a heavenly Bengali meal will be fulfilled!