Picture by taureandude_23
Flurys has been conquered FINALLY. Everyday while passing outside the Flurys outlet, when i was working in and around Park Street, Kolkata, watching those firangs and desis eat their way to glory, a hallowed breakfast, i always used to wonder, when the hell am i gonna eat The Breakfast! Having stayed in Kolkata for 8 months and not having visited Flurys for a breakfast is unthinkable, and having done that the determination to get it right this time was sky high. The hard part was convincing my friends there! If that was done, then rest of it was bacon and chicken alongwith juice and coffee.
I mean c'mon its no mean task to convince people to wake up early on a weekend, and going all the way from Salt Lake City to Park Street for something as trivial as a breakfast. On top of that spending a BOMB on it. A thing that more or less can be had under 50 bucks at a walking distance from your Salt Lake city pad, to go the whole nine yards to spend a huge sum of money on that is a tough ask. But if i convinced three people to join me in my quest for the ultimate breakfast in Kolkata, i can safely proclaim that i was successful.
Flurys - Five Generations of Fine Confection, goes the tagline. It’s been around in the famous food district of Kolkata, Park Street, for a good eight decades. Founded in 1927, by Mr. and Mrs. Flurys, Flurys introduced the European cafe culture in Kolkata. It was and still is famous for the lip smacking delicacies it has on offer. Creamy Pastries, Crossaints, fabulous cakes and a variety of exotic breads form a key market segment of Flurys, with regular customers who visit Flurys to collect their regular quota of bakery products. However, the place is known far and wide for the one thing i was there for that day, the breakfast.
The first thing that one will notice when he/she enter's Flurys is the ambience. One has got to hand it to the interior decorator who has renovated the old Flurys to the present day beauty that it is without killing the soul of the place. Outer glass walls with the Flurys printed in a calligraphic pink font makes it stand out amongst the other restaurants in the locality. Brown is the color theme inside which is followed to the tee. The light and dark brown chequered pillars leading to the main pastry counter stand strong. The warm lighting adds to the charm of the place, and the chandeliers seems straight out of some Maharajahs palace. On the wall to the right side, are sepia toned photo frames, showcasing various aspects of the place from the customers to the kitchens. The brown colored wooden chairs with a slightly curved strong back are instantly relaxing. And finally completing the color theme are brown liveried waiters wearing a white apron.
The seating arrangements by the glass walls is the best according to me. It really gives one a feeling of being in some roadside European cafe. Watching the flood of humanity going to and fro along the footpath and the vehicles zooming past the busy and chaotic Park Street, in such calm environs, is an experience worth savouring.
Scanning the menu was just a formality as I was very sure what me and my three friends were going to have. The Non Veg Breakfast, hands down! According to the menu, it comprised of two pieces of chicken sausage, one piece of bacon (pork), a potato cutlet, baked tomato, one omlette, two slices of bread and butter. Juice would be served along with all of them, followed by coffee for me and tea for the rest. On reading the menu, i felt, whats so special about this. That was till the order actually arrived. It was a riot of colors, a treat for sore eyes. Only color which didnt feature prominently, was green, actually it didnt feature at all.
Picture by taureandude_23
Without further ado, i started with the proceedings while the others were thinking of where to start first. Having stayed away from chicken for a good 25 days, as Kolkata was gripped in the shackles of Bird Flu, i was more than delighted to cut the sausage and pierce it with the fork, and guide it to its final destination. The chicken was a quite soft and juicy and i just enjoyed my first chicken bite, after ages, for a good minute.
Bacon was something i had last tried in 1992. Yeah, its almost sixteen years since. I had completely forgotten what it tasted like. Now this is the part where i actually had to struggle with my fork. The bacon was hard, and although cutting it was some task, piercing it with the kinda blunt fork was a tough ask. I somehow got it to my mouth. Ive gotta say, it was like chewing gum. It was hard meat alright, but the constant chewing made the juiced ooze out of the meat and add another dimension to its taste. I continued with the 'jugal-bandi' of chicken and bacon.
Then i attacked the omlette. Now this omlette was very subtle and was very lightly cooked, thus retaining its liquidity. The vivid yellow yolk seemed like a balloon filled to capacity about to burst, and burst it did, when i touched it with my fork. I am not a fan of yolk, so the best thing i could think of was dipping the bacon/chicken into the yolk and eating the combination, and trust me, it actually amplified my respect towards the yolk part of an egg.
The potato cutlet was as normal potato cutlets are, filled with bits and bits of potato. It kind of neutralized the OD of non-vegetarian variety. I couldnt make heads or tails of the baked tomato, i mean it had a brownish crust on it, and there was no post processing done (couldnt think of anything, so added a photoshop slang). I didnt even try it. Finally the color theme of the food was matched with that of the interiors by the golden brown color of the bread. Have to add, the bread and butter did make the overall breakfast that much heavier.
The juice, which i was expecting to be made inhouse with fresh fruits, was a let down as it was of those synthetic juice variety and had a wierd taste. But as always cant abandon juices, so finished it off along with the solid food. The final order, coffee for me and tea for the rest, followed.
We raised a toast to Flurys with my coffee and their tea. It was indeed an experience. For the first time in my life, i actually had had such a heavy breakfast. Not to mention, the most expensive breakfast too. But then none of my friends complained about that fact, as that was our last meet in Kolkata. As a memento, i secretly picked up the packets of white and brown sugar which were enclosed in paper packets having the Flurys insignia.
Take Care
Ciao!
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Hiiiii,
Wow Flury's sounds so good............i missed going to it although I passed it several times during my week in Cal.Actually,I had heard a reference to it in the movie "Parineeta" and really wanted to visit it but cudn't.Anyways ur description kinda showed me its interiors :-P
Thanks,
Amy
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hey Usha
thanks a lot for appreciating the breakfast:D Well i love eateries with a history comined with great food. And Flurys is a deadly combination of both. i think ill edit the post and add the pictures of the sugar packets. only prob is i have to search 4 em:D Thanks for finding my blogs interesting. looking forward to a discussion:d
take cre
ciao
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hey Pakhi
well i guess this disease of disappearing is common amongst engineers:D no i wont ask you where youve been, cus its obvious. Submissions, vivas, exams:D i think ur exams muve got over now:P
well yeaa i can eat:D afterall its a typical Taurean trait, we just love to explore food:D well its not all that difficult u know. Just go in with an empty stomach. post breakfast, you'll be pretty full:d n well if you arent a big fan of breakfasts, you can always have the steak / sizzler lunch at Peter Cat, which is quite close to Flurys. But Flurys shudnt be missed if you are in Kolkata. The best part is Park Street is blessed with many good eating opitons. take ur pick.
girls n window shopping:D some things just dont change do they:P
take care
ciao
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That was a nice Ode to an Eatery ! Could have posted pictures of the Sugar packets too. Must go & read all your other blogs. Shall do it !
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hey TD...
where ya been? okay probably dats sumthing i shud answer ;) but neways before nething further...
You do EAT ...!! Boy oh boy! even the thought having had all of dat for breakfast scares me. I'm reaching Kol on 8th july so maybe i'll grab a b'fast at flury's as well.... :)
thanks fr the write up....if nothing work out , we [ girls] can dump the guys at flury's and go window shopping ;)
cheers!
Pakhi
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Hi dude,
O Flury's my favourite too !!! Have u tasted their chicken mustard grilled sandwich ???Its just divine ......They have opened up another tea shop just across the road ---tee 3.....have not yet been there tho' :)
Wonderfully narrated :)))
Had a look at Sunkan's comment...she's talking about a song on Kolkata sung by Usha Uthup !
Cheers.
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hi Mabaker
i totally second you thoughts, on the aroma part. once the door is opened by the guards, you know you are in a place that will serve you great food! i jus love the glass walls, sipping on your hot coffe and watching the world go by on the chaotic Park Street. its jus fabulous.
take care
ciao
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hi Tanushri
thanks a lot for those lovely words. i totally agree with you on the point of Flurys, its an experience that will remain etched in your memory forever!
i am so glad that someone noticed the photographs:D photography has been a constant learning experience for me, have been at it for a couple of years now, and am still learning:D
take care
ciao
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hey BSK
thanks a lot for liking my ode to the breakfast. well, thats what happens when you resist the temptation to eat, for a good couple of months and then finally have it, and be totally impressed by it:D
take care
ciao
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hey Sunkan
im glad that i could take you back to those days. but then Flurys has that charm that permanently etches it in ones mind. i am sorry i havent completely got the Bengali sentence, although aami ektu bangla bhujte paaro:D
take care
ciao
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