CABINS OF JOY

‘SANGU VALLEY, INDIAN and Chinese Dishes’ announces the white signboard with teal lettering above a dilapidated doorway. Two letters, ‘h’ and ‘e’, have fallen off the signboard and the third is tilting, but no one seems to mind. A matching awning covers the large window on the left, and a wide door leads into a hall. Inside, the setting resembles that of a railway coach. Small wooden cabins line up on the left side; a narrow gallery runs on the right. Two ancient looking off-white fans hang from the ceiling; greasy CFLs glow over every section.

I have arrived in Kolkata on a sunny winter day, just in time for lunch. Visiting food joints in the city has been a tradition for me. Today, instead of my favourite spots, I have decided to go to offbeat places I have only heard of. Sangu Valley is one such joint. Located next