L’instant Cafe, Southern Avenue, Kolkata Multi Cuisine Restaurant

Restaurant Name: L’instant Café, Southern Avenue, Kolkata
Phone: +919674891574
Address: 26B, Lake View Rd, Hemanta Mukherjee Sarani, lake Terrace, Ballygunge, Kolkata 700029 West Bengal India
Time: 11:00 AM – 11:00 PM
Meals for two: Rs. 950
Cuisines: Beverages, Asian, Fast Food, Continental, Seafood, Mexican, Desserts
Facilities: Home Delivery, Takeaway Available, Indoor Seating, Wifi

Nobody takes their culinary expeditions as seriously as the French. From the ancient invention of 17 full-course classical haute cuisine to the simplest form of three or four course cafe meals,French food is a combination of signature ingredients with rich natural flavours used across the country with unique characteristic style of preparation that may vary between regions. Cut to 2021 a French man’s promise of “better ingredients/better taste”in his modern version of all day dining cafe – L’instant Cafe in the heart of Kolkata. We had found our way to his first tiny venture in the southern fringes of the city in Bijoygarh Colony in early 2020 and had assured a revisit to his new expanded version in a couple of years in a more central location. The new location is indeed a quaint revelation, a sprawling ground floor indoor and outdoor layout of what seems like a still quieter part of residential south Kolkata,off Southern Avenue. Though the longish stretch of outdoor boho-chic cane furniture,natural greens, paper lanterns and tea lights may seem the obvious choice for evenings,we settle inside the glass box with a plush,more structured indoor lounging sofa seating, air conditioned comfort and Paris vignettes for company, for a late afternoon lunch.

L’instant Cafe, Southern Avenue, Kolkata: Food

Size can be deceptive,when it comes to an all day dining multi course cafe menu. There’s no lack of intent,ingredients or illustration on the menu,but the desolate café staff seem to wake up grudgingly to our intrusion for lunch. The kitchen barks in shrill disagreement and shoots down almost everything of our first choice with a prompt excuse of non-availability or no mise en place – nothing comes across as l’instant when it comes to service! After all,how difficult could it be to serve a Gazpacho or improvise a Vietnamese nem ran to nem cuôn or to marinate cheese stuffed porcini mushrooms on a balmy summer afternoon? Our hungry souls had to negotiate their way to finally settle for Sweet potato fries (₹129), Blue cheese salad (₹299), Croque monsieur salmon (₹329), signature mains of Duxelle of porcini, stuffed marinated grilled chicken (₹399) and Whisky flambé prawns (Scampi being not available),garlic and parsley with fresh cream (₹449).

Plus & Minus:

It takes a basket full of cornstarch tossed, crispy and naturally sweet,sweet potato fries to lift up our moods. And the warmth of a suave, subtly buttery Emmental cheese melt and salmon sandwich eases the craving – yes, it’s a Croque monsieur – but not close to the crisp and tender crunch of generous Gruyere oozing, ham slapped original. And the summer-stressed, wilted Iceberg tossed with ample walnut, green apple and bits of sharp, piquant Blue cheese, comes with an overdose of homemade Blue Cheese dressing with creamy mayo instead of the light contrast of balsamic vinaigrette. However, the mains do the magic, in taste, texture and portion sizes: the fresh poached king prawns, head and all, tossed in light garlic-parsley-fresh cream with a hint of flambé, touch the juicy heaven of natural flavours, served with herbed rice. Grilled chicken breast with stuffing of haute porcini duxelle or minced porcini tossed in butter with herbs and sweetness of onions, served with an excellent rendition of robust ratatouille, diced vegetables in tangy, spongy, aromatic blend and the classic comfort of creaminess of a deck of sliced baked potatoes topped with a golden cheesy chirp in gratin dauphinois. The very French Crème Brûlée (₹230), the velvety rich custard with crusty blow torched caramel lining, smoothened all rough edges for the day.