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It’s always a tough job for the restaurateurs to pull out new tricks to tempt patrons to keep coming back. Kalpak, a restaurant in sector 50, Noida seems to have mastered this art wooing its customers with innovative recipes. The latest on their menu is Bamboo Biryani  – a first of a kind in this part of the country. Also new on the menu is the Malabar curry served in green coconuts, best had with Malabari parathas. Absolutely melt in your mouth kind of good. Almost divine kind of good.

It was a dear friend’s birthday recently and I had a lunch invite to Kalpak,  one of my favourite haunts. Now I have been to this place quite a few times and had already decided on ordering my favourite dishes.

Turn your Passion for Food to Start up a Restaurant | Kalpak Restaurant 

My love affair with that little ball of fire and ice

You know the feeling when you are in your comfort zone. It’s like when you see a repeat run of your favourite movie; or you hear the opening bars of a music composition and you know the song or if you are a cricket fan, you know the ball by ball fall of wickets and how India won the 1983 World Cup. Just the comfort of knowing what you want and knowing what you are getting.

Imagine my surprise when the main course was served. The friendly waiter came and placed a foot-long bamboo, sealed with banana leaf, roasted to a beautiful brown.  The other dish served on the table was a roasted green coconut sealed with flour dough. It made a pretty sight indeed and my mind was filled with curiosity… now what’s this? The dish scored full marks on presentation and the surprise factor.

The waiter then proceeded to serve us. I have to admit that the act of serving also kept us hooked in anticipation. He carefully removed the seal, broke open the bamboo log followed by rhythmic banging of the spoon against the log to release the chicken/vegetables marinated with choicest aromatic Indian spices, dum cooked with long grain basmati rice, with hints of desi ghee and mint onto my plate. The fragrance of the biryani was appetizing and I couldn’t wait to eat. And the taste…have not had anything nicer in a long time.

After the sumptuous lunch I spoke with the chef to find out what goes on to prepare this masterpiece. The rice is half cooked and stuffed into the bamboo log, the ends of which are stuffed with fresh banana leaf. This helps to lock in the aromas of the herbs, spices and juices of the chicken/vegetable while ensuring that the biryani is dum cooked.

The infusion of the biryani with the aroma of the bamboo trunk and banana leaf lifts it above the ordinary. Definitely must try in your next visit. Kalpak offers both vegetarian and non-vegetarian options.