Chatar Patar, Ballygunge, Kolkata

Restaurant Name: Chatar Patar, Ballygunge, Kolkata
Phone: +913379628447
Address: 66, Ballygunge Circular Road, Near Tivoli Court, Ballygunge, Kolkata 700020 West Bengal India
Time: 10:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Meals for two: Rs. 300
Cuisines: Fast Food, Street Food, Beverages, Sandwich
Facilities: Home Delivery, Takeaway Available, Vegetarian Only, Indoor Seating

Chatar Patar, Ballygunge, Kolkata: About

Your understanding of Indian culinary gymnastics is incomplete without the tangy and sweet, hot and spicy, aromatic and seasonal, textures and flavours of chaats serenading a symphony of exotic categories of Indian street food on your palate. Especially during festive seasons, it holds up the richness of diversity, geographical independence and unique categorization of savoury-sweetness of traditions through varied snacks in regional India.

COVID-19 literally brought down the shutters on this huge repertoire of indigenous treats free flowing across the streets of the country. My heart goes out to the thousands of hands-on labourers and small vendors whose hand to mouth existence suffered a standstill. And then, we must acknowledge the bold few for taking it to the next delirious level. Chatar Patar in Kolkata, with three branches, has literally splashed its strapline of “khole muuh ka shutter“,an eye opener indeed, opening mouths wide to new normal standards.

Chatar Patar, Ballygunge, Kolkata: Food

You name it. The menu is a bursting cauldron of muris (puffed rice), phuchkas, golgappas (sorry, they have no English translation), aloo / papri / bhalla chaats (mixture of carbs, vegetables, roasted spices, perky chutneys and diluted concoctions to create magic), pav slappers, momos to an overambitious stretch of innovations in Maggi, sandwiches, chaatizza, zappi, pastas, cold beverages and more. We ride a wave of excitement in ordering Classic bhel (₹99), Dahi phuchka (₹119 for 8), Aloo chaat (₹84), Jeera and Pudina gapagap (₹56 each for 5), Delhi dahi bhalla (₹89), Delhi papri chaat (₹106), Samosa (₹106), Chole tikki (₹114) and Maggi chaat (₹119), Dabeli (₹49), Butter pav bhaji (₹129) and Italian zappi (₹189).

Plus & Minus:

Smooth aggregator delivery is a delight. Minimal payment for extra packaging in the aluminium foil boxes and plastic pouches promise freshness, hygiene and simplicity of DIY home assembly. Each item comes with a box warning for immediate consumption. Maybe it would help to have “how to” instructions for the fortuitous future, to assist the totally uninitiated.

First things first. The phuchkas or golgappas or gapagaps are real. The attakind, deep fried and fluffy, they add ample oomph when served with a variety of water concoctions, whether it is pudinaor mint, jeeraor roasted, powdered cumin or the dry kind splashed with sweet tartness of tamarind chutney, mint chutney and yoghurt in the Dahi phuchka. The classic bhelis a great bet – with sweet, sour, tangy, spicy and crunchy puffed rice, it roars up a storm and the Aloo chaat, of seasoned, boiled potato slices dribbled in tangy tamarind, cilantro-mint and a healthy dusting of unique blended masalas or spices, with a final generous sprinkling of bhujiaor sev. The north Indian chaats of Dahi bhalla or soaked lentil vadas doused in sweetened yoghurt and papri or crispy dough wafers mixed with chopped vegetables and dunked in yoghurt and topped with chutneys, the squashed Samosa chaat and the chickpea potato or Chhole tikki mash give super bang to the palate. By the way, you have an option to choose from no spice / mild / super spiced for each of the items. This strong line-up makes the next, cooked Maggi masala chaat and the Italian zappi or the limp mock up tortilla tacos seem like a bit of a joke, but finally the traditional Kutchi double roti or bun Dabeli add punch with potatoes, masala and studded singdana and the Bombay lavishly buttered pav bhaji, a classic mashup of veggies mopped up with the half buns.