Our Story

I grew up in Kuala Lumpur and Sharjah, far away from Kolkata, but home always tasted like Bengal.

My mother made sure of that. Our everyday meals were full of laal shaag, lau chingri, machher jhol, and kosha mangsho. My father would drive considerable distances to find fresh Bengali fish. And whenever we visited my grandparents in Kolkata, there was always something wonderful waiting at the table. From bhog er khichuri to kheer er malpua, rosogolla, and phuchka, I grew up discovering Bengal through its food.

My love for Bengali food is something I inherited from my family, along with the recipes, traditions, and the joy of feeding people.

I come from a family where feeding people has always been second nature. My family traces its roots to a zamindari household in Mymensingh, in pre-Partition Bengal. Partition changed our family's circumstances, but it never changed the way my grandparents welcomed people into their home. No one left their house hungry. There was always a meal to share, a plate to fill, and room for one more.

Years later, when I moved to Bangalore, I found myself missing the food I had grown up with. The Bengali dishes I craved weren't always easy to find, and the versions I did find rarely tasted quite like home. So I started learning my family's recipes and cooking for myself.

What began as a search for comfort in a new city soon became something I loved doing. I started cooking for friends, hosting gatherings, and discovering just how happy it made me to feed people.

After marriage and motherhood, cooking became even more meaningful. Just as my mother had done for me, I wanted my daughter to grow up knowing her Bengali roots. And what better way to do that than through the food I had grown up eating?

I've always wanted to build something of my own around Bengali culture. Eventually, I realised that the answer had been right there in my kitchen all along.

Calcutta Club House was born from my love for Bengali food and the joy of sharing it with others.

I wanted to cook the food I missed, the dishes I wished I could order more often, and the Bengali favourites that don't always get their moment in the spotlight. Today, through my little home kitchen in Bangalore, I get to share a piece of the Bengal I grew up with.

And then there's the name.

Anyone familiar with Kolkata knows that club er adda is an institution in itself. The endless cups of cha, the animated debates, the friends who drop by, and the conversations that stretch well into the evening. It's a culture built around the simple pleasure of spending time together.

That's the spirit I want Calcutta Club House to carry. Good food, shared generously, with a little adda thrown in for good measure.