What does a man needs in life? For me a cup of tea, a book to read and few bites to nibble. This is what I exactly found at Cha Bar which is a cafeteria inside Oxford Bookstore Kolkata. Being one of the landmark destination for booklovers in the city this place is visited by many and often you would find some celebrity or the other in one corner trying to take a book of the shelf and give a glance. Amongst all these it’s almost impossible to miss the aroma of Masala Tea and the fresh grilled sandwiches which acts like a magnet for a food lover like me. Every visit to the store is followed by a bite into the freshly baked Blueberry Muffins and the moment you bite into them the liquid blueberry jam which is still hot flows into your mouth instantly taking you to heaven.
Unlike any other café in the city Cha Bar is a place where you can feel the food that you are having, the well courteous staff always welcomes you with a smile and always helps you in selecting the menu when you get oversaturate by the options in front of you.
If you like sandwich then you must try out the Egg and Kasundi Grilled Sandwich or the Cheese and Tomato Grilled Sandwich. But the king of sandwiches are the Chicken Grilled or the Ham & Cheese which according to me is the best in the city. Try these and you are sure to get addicted to them and never would try sandwich from anywhere else.
One thing you will surely notice whenever you visit Cha Bar are the decorated wall and the overall ambience. There is a portion of the wall wherein different tit bit information’s about tea are creatively incorporated by graphics, design elements and visual objects. It’s like as if you are being told the history of tea in a unique and creative way.
Since its Cha Bar we should never miss to taste the varieties of options that one can avail, from Darjeeling to Assam to Taiwanese to Moroccan the options are endless, and you will be spoilt for choice. Whenever you ask for any of these you will be more delighted when it’s actually served to you since you will be served in authentic kettle and glass which enhance the visual treat to each of the varieties.
For me personally I liked the Bollywood Masala tea which are served in tea pot which have been hand painted depicting famous Bollywood personalities. These are similar to that to Pakistani Truck Art which have been cleverly incorporated in to kettles giving them a very fresh look. The designs are not limited to Bollywood only, you can surely find some Hollywood impressions on some of these kettles.
The new addition to the menu is the Fish and Chips, served along with a mayonnaise dip these should be a must in every visit. A generous squeeze of lemon on the fish and a quick dip in the mayo will create a whirlwind of taste once inside your mouth. Followed by the crisp chips it can’t better and am sure you would want a second helping.
And do not forget the regulars like Chocolate Truffle Pastry which I would recommend with a dollop of vanilla ice cream and the ever favourite Black Forest Pastry. All these can surely be accompanied by a Cold Coffee with ice cream or a hot steaming cup of Darjeeling First Flush.
I can actually go on and on but you must visit the café to actually get its flavour which you will not get in my blog. By the way, next time when you are at Cha Bar do look around, who knows I might be sitting in one corner and enjoying my Blueberry Muffin which I like heated in microwave for ten seconds and served without being cut on a paper napkin.
