Rasam, The Stadel, Salt Lake City, Kolkata Restaurant

Restaurant Name: Rasam, The Stadel, Salt Lake City, Kolkata
Phone: +919163753600, +919163999717
Address: The Stadel, Gate 3, Salt Lake Stadium, Sector 3, Salt Lake, Kolkata, 700064 West Bengal India
Time: 10:00 AM – 09:00 PM
Meals for two: Rs. 500
Cuisines: Desserts, South Indian, Beverages
Facilities: Breakfast, Vegetarian Only, Indoor Seating

Let’s think traditional and healthy for a change. The self-imposed lockdown makes us reconcile with the indisputable flavors of the land, simplicity in taste and is high on immunity-boosting nutrition.

Cushioned within the secure and hygienic walls of the Stadel hotel in the Salt Lake Stadium, you will get an array of homely South Indian vegetarian at Rasam. With a menu dominated by native and seasonal vegetables and fruits, grandmothers’ techniques of fermented lentils and spices, delicate treatments of green chilies and freshly grated coconuts all adding to the regional authenticity. And in spite of another phase of restaurant shutdowns in the city, they guarantee doorstep delivery through aggregators, what a relief.

Rasam, The Stadel, Salt Lake City, Kolkata: Food

The menu sucks you in. A generous variety of breakfast snacking, mid-morning tidbits, all day porridges, stews and pancakes with a balance of wholesome traditional thalis to evening extensions of perky street food, they try to cover much. We go a bit overboard with mini fried idlis (₹ 110), sambar idli (₹ 110), upma (₹ 120), onion tomato uttapam (₹ 145), plain podi dosa (₹ 180), onion masala dosa (₹ 150), vada pav (₹ 80) and pav bhaji (₹ 170).

Plus & Minus:

There’s no lack of intent in the packaging as the food arrives in heat sealed containers and aluminum foil wraps, warm and appetising. But it did not prepare us for the initial 52 minutes delivery promise being broken with several extensions finally landing up in almost over one hour 40 minutes, under the pretext of kitchen delays of freshly made preparations. The tumbling of crisp brown mini idlis, sprinkled with the peppy dry-roasted podi mix in between spoonfuls of spicy sambar drives home an inimitable taste. What follows is a rush of pleasuring the palate with soft fermented rice cakes or idlis dipped in the delightful pumpkin and drumsticks infused soupy sambar, a wee bit bland breakfast semolina (rava) porridge or upma and the tangy tomato-onion topping on crisp-faced thick base of uttapam. The slightly sour batter, spongy dosas or pancakes, crisp on the outside and soft inside come with a satisfying variety of piquant crushed lentil mix or podi masala wrap and a chopped onion, mixed vegetable potato stuffing in the onion masala are both mopped up with the freshly grated coconut chutney. And, finally, slices of Mumbai packed in ? buttered, light toasted pav or bun, slathered in coriander and tamarind chutney, with the fiery potato vada sandwiched in between – vada Pav and the zesty spiced potato veggie mash curry with a dollop of butter and soft shallow fried butter pav or bread on the side in the pav bhaji work as great distractions away from the healthy south Indian turf.