‘Chabar’: Chai pe charcha

I had a dream…….

of opening a bookstore. I had also dreamed of a name . I had also decided that there would be a tea coffee corner with very comfortable decorations around. I had dreams of friends, adda and lots of interactions with new people pouring in. Then Oxford Bookstore accomplished all of the above with Chabar adding the flavor to the aroma of books in the store.

Now imagine this: A beautifully stocked bookstore where, as you enter, the strong scent of books books and more books just wafts in and assails your senses. Add the strong fragrance of coffee and tea to that. I mean, you can think that you have died and this is heaven. Right? I too get that feeling. Now add Oxford Book Store with Chabar to that. Got the picture right?

Chabar: Since its inception in 2009 inside  Oxford Bookstore Park Street Branch, this has been one of my favorite haunts in Kolkata. Now my poison has always been tea. I collect flavors and different kind and of course sip on endless cups of tea while working. Chabar lured me with the variety of flavors that they had in the offing. From Flowering Teas, Organic Teas, herbal Teas, Fruit Teas and of course Darjeeling, Oolong with Chinese, Japanese, Moroccan, Sri-Lankan, South African and Thai Teas.  Bewildering? Yes. But the  assistants are more than helpful to guide you with the flavors. To add to the poison, they also had a range of savories to keep you engaged to those dreamy thoughts.With regular literary meet ups of bloggers, photographers, book releases and various discussions, the days were going on peacefully…….

Come October 2016 and now Chabar decides to add more dazzle to their menu.

Food is my not my forte’ but yes, food is something I enjoy. So, my 2 bits of worthy thought would be that with the new revised menu a visit to the store would now attack your gastronomical urges with full force. (Doesn’t dent the pocket too)

The spread that Chabar now offers have salads and sandwiches with innovative wraps, burgers and toasties. The chutney and sauce accompaniments are out of these worlds. To my ‘non-spicy yet tasty’ tongue the mayonnaise dripping cheesy sandwiches are just perfect for an outing with my teenagers, and friends. The wraps too with their sweet tangy tastes are just right accompaniments for impromptu addas and scheduled meet ups.

Suggestion: The variants of chutneys and sauces should also have a green chilly chutney for an added tang to the taste.

The tackiest part of a tea coffee accompaniment menu is that the tastes of the food cannot be spicy enough to spoil the gentle flavors of the tea or the strong aroma of the coffee. But if the same is served with iced tea or any other beverages the palate will need to a have a spiced-up flavor.

With books, savories with tea and coffee who needs the next-door intoxicants?

Disclaimer: This post is for those who are intoxicated at the thought of  3B’s Books, Beverage (Non toxic kind) and Bonds (as in friendship, not oo7 kind).

Post : Mohua Roy

Pictures have been kindly provided by Subhadip Mukherjee (undersigned with W)

Rest of the clicks: Humbly yours.:)