This post is written by Guest Blogger  Md. Ibrar Arshad. All views expressed by Ibrar r his personal views. Pls feel free to share ur comments in case u decide to visit this place / have been there already.

YUMMRAJ has not personally been to Sufia Hotel. However YUMMRAJ is excited reading this & looks forward to visit Sufia Hotel in his next visit to Kolkata.

In a nutshell:

Perched in the side of a congested central Kolkata locality is an eating joint isolated in its traditional abode. Opposite to the Nakhoda Mosque, Sufia Restaurant is in actuality a traditional eating place propelling the bygone age of when the people of Awadh started to settle in the city.

Meal for Two: 200 Onwards

Cuisine Type: Predominantly Non-Vegetarian

Short Description- in case u r in a hurry :

One has to be an expert at finding places in the most crowded of places to reach here.

If one manages to cross the barrage of street vendors and gem stone shops, the problem of parking is still a mammoth task.

The place itself does not look marginally clean, but it has that distinctive charm of the days when the Raj was in its Zenith. Sadly,look wise it has remained in that stagnated display, with old furniture and older plates.

The single storied place has tables and chairs kept on each side of the rectangular wall which leads to a dingy kitchen at the back end. I have been privy to its services over the year and have seen it stay the same with time. What has remained fortunately is the quality of food meted out to customers who have appreciated it throughout their lives.

The menu is written on the wall, but the waiter there can elocute it you.

The standard and regular items are the Tamatar Stew, Moong Daal gosht , Chana Daal gosht, Arhar Daal, Beef Keema, Bhuna Gosht, Aloo Sabzi, to name a few .

It is a pocket friendly place, especially to students of the colleges of College Street who are regulars for its Samosas and Paratha kebabs served in the evening. Also, the Daal Puri made of Maida and Daal is served as a breakfast item in the morning. They also serve Phirni as a lone dessert dish.

But the place is mostly famous for its Nihari, the quintessential breakfast of the Nawabs , which is only sold during the winter.

Detailed Description – In case u have the Time to NJOY reading:

I started off with the Tamatar Stew, the meaty concoction that is a hybrid of the Lucknow dish with the predominant tomatoes as its definite characteristic. The onion present is mostly the caramelized sweet form which balances the acidity of tomatoes in the broth. The meat was tender and I am sure it was cooked for more than 3 hours.

The pieces were big enough to be eaten with the Rotis. Loved it and rate it 4.5/5

Then arrived the Daal Gosht, both varieties of which were simplistic.

The Moong Daal was more on the bland side, while the Chana Daal with meat was sumptuous and tasty with several simple but potent spices. Rate it 3.25/5

They also had a variety of spicy Beef Chaaps , Bhuna and Kheeris.

What was a surprise was the Arhar Daal or the Plain Daal as one would call it. The seasoning was done with caramelized onions and dried red Chillies. It was surely the dish’s uniqueness that proves the place’s credentials in spite of being a generic food item. Rate it 4/5

The Beef Keema was a dish that established its reputation. Robust and spicy, the minced meat was a treat in itself. No wonder I had heard of it from a variety of people.

Slowly cooked meat served with generous amounts of oil, this was surely the best of the lot. Rate it 4.80/5

I was unfortunate to not come during here during the winters when they would serve their legendary Nihari. It is one dish that makes the whole of Calcutta to throng on the place for an early breakfast.

The Nihari is eaten along with the Daal Puri which adds another element to its subliminal flavor.

Also, the Phirni was finished by the time I went there, but have of its decent taste.

As dessert it is an item that is so necessary for one to eat after a barrage of hard core meaty food.

I will surely visit it again , just to breath in the old world charm of that scrawny eatery.