18, Park Street, Kolkata

If there is heaven, It's here!

18, Park Street, Kolkata, West Bengal, India. 

For all of you who are unfamiliar with this address, This is the legendary Flury's - Bakery, Café or Bistro. But whatever one might call it, the fact remains that if you love food, you have to eat here. According to me, " If there's heaven, It's right here on the plate at Flury's". 

I fell in love with this place the moment I stepped through it's doors. The décor, the ambiance and sheer class gives you an aristocratic feeling. Let me paint you an image. Park Street, Kolkata is THE place for food lovers in Kolkata, who have the cash and aren't afraid to splurge and indulge. It is a juncture of new and old co-existing. You would find the modern McDonald's and KFC co-existing with legends like Flury's and Moulin Rouge. Just walking around Park street makes you start loving food. Also there are numerous candy shops, book shops and a historically iconic Auction house on Park Street as well. It is a foodie's delight. You just can't visit it once. Somehow you will come back for more.

Back to what this blog is about, FOOD. I was in Kolkata for my Durga Puja @ Kolkata photography project and whenever I am there, I make it a point to hit my favorite food joints, Flury's being the top among them. I have been to Flury's numerous times throughout my childhood, thanks again to my Father. But this time it was different than all those other times. It was Dashami or Dussehra as many of you might know it. This was the day I had set aside to go to my favorite places in Kolkata. I really wanted to indulge in good food after 5 days of intense walking, travelling and photography. I inquired whether my brother, Soumik Neogi, would like to accompany me to Flury's and then I realized how stupid the question was, because honestly no one would say no to Flury's. 15 minutes later, My brother and Boudi(Bhabhi) Aloka were all ready to go. We reached Flury's in about a rough estimate of 40 minutes. Thankfully there was not much crowd in front of Flury's which was a rare occurrence since it is almost impossible to get a table at Flury's during the peak hours. We swiftly got a table and sat down. 

Now was the time to decide what were we going to eat. Me and Soumik Da were extremely clear in our minds as to what we were going to order. So after no discussions whatsoever, We ordered 3 All Day breakfasts. Now the All Day Breakfast at Flury's consists of a Glass of juice, 1 Roasted tomato, 2 Poached eggs, 2 Slices of bread, 2 Chicken Sausages, 2 Potato hash browns and the jewel crown 2 Slices of crispy fried Bacon. But there was a slight problem, Aloka Boudi doesn't like Bacon( I mean who doesn't like bacon ??). So the waiter was called again and instructed to substitute the bacon in one of the orders with chicken sausages.

Wherever I go, the time between ordering and the completion of the order is always the most testing for me. My patience and my appetite both get tested to their extreme limits. But trust me it is always worth it. From the corner of my eye I saw the waiter carrying our order towards our table. I looked towards him and from where I was looking at it, I just saw a plate with white angelic wings slowly flying towards me. And then it began, A plate full of my favorite mouth watering food. I said my prayers(because what I was about to do, it sure did required prayers) and then the very fabric of finesse, class and aristocracy was blown out of existence on that particular table. I don't know what the other people were doing or thinking, but the next time I looked up was when my plate was empty. I actually wanted to smash the plate on the floor and say, "ANOTHER!!", But unfortunately I don't look like THOR nor is my Father King of Asgard. So I refrained from any Thor like shenanigans. My consolation was more bacon, which was ordered secretly when I was so primitively enjoying my food. When I saw more Bacon, I looked towards my brother and he had this 'I knew you wanted more of this' smile on his face, I actually would have gotten up and kissed him right there but apparently that was the time my brain decided to kick in my inhibition sensor. So there was no bromance either. 

Now this time while eating the Bacon I decided to be more civilized in my approach and engage other occupants of my table in a conversation. We discussed about our love for bacon and how it trumps everything else in the world, how bacon could be declared the national meat and stuff, I admit we got a bit carried away and emotional but as I finished the last bacon strip, reality hit me and it hit me pretty hard because I knew that I can't sit there all day and keep eating bacon. I knew it had to end. Like all good things must come to an end and so did my bacon . A little part of my  heart was a bit sad but all over I was extremely happy and overjoyed that I could come to Flury's to enjoy this long lasting blast of satisfaction.

Flury's offers an extensive range of exquisite continental food coupled with brilliant salads and tea or juice. I recommend this place to all the readers. If you love continental food and want to experience pure bliss, Flury's is the place to hit. A visit to Park Street and The All Day Breakfast to top it all.

Till the next adventure, Keep Eating and Keep Loving, But always remember, It's All About Food, Love !