Review : Balaram Mullick & Radharaman Mullick Mithai Shop

The Bengalis' curiosity about food actually amazes me. And it never fades.
As a community, our passion, nitpicking for authenticity, long hours of debates on history and freshness all fascinate me. Yet, we are most secretive about origins, ingredients and recipes. Even as recent as the turn of the century, tastings were rare, unless you were invited to private family homes.On the other end of the spectrum are Bengali single business establishments, like Mishti shops, running over to generations who have embraced influences from the contemporary world around, quite successfully. This Bijoya Dashami, we visited Balaram Mullick and Radharaman Mullick's latest, sixth store at Lake Gardens to capture the true essence of such Bengali social pleasures.
DECOR
The new store is the master plan of the current scion Sudip Mullick, an IHM graduate, a hands-on sweet maker. A prominent facade with French windows, classic wood and glass finish, framed with colonial Calcutta's cast iron fence grill on the pavement outside, makes a grand entry.Inside, the modern refrigerated display counters take centre stage, in a backdrop of an erstwhile zamindar house. A spanking new glass box features live station for amritis and malpoas, and baking ovens for baked rosogolla. High on hygiene, the proficient staff continue juggling multiple orders in one go, with a smile.
FOOD
They sport a visual menu. One that we can sample, with the creations on live display. We start from the traditional festive Sitaphal sandesh (Rs 30), agomoni ( Rs 20), amritabhog (Rs 20) and madhuparna (Rs 20). Move on to amriti (Rs 15), chanar malpoa (Rs 20) and baked rosogolla (Rs 15).And finally, to the fashionable fusion hits of chocolate ganache (Rs 500 per kg), baked mihidana (Rs 450 per kg), chocolate mud pie (Rs 500 per kg) and kesar kulfi sandesh (R s60). And take away packed savouries kucho nimki, kathi nimki and kajushaped nimki (Rs 60).
PLUS & MINUS
The festive range is basically renditions of the sweetened pure chhana or fresh curdled milk. The subtlety of each depends on the natural flavourings, sweetening agents, ingredients giving shape to a particular seasonal favourite. The Sitaphal sandesh stands out, with the pulpy custard apple churned with milk to a dry mix of sandesh or a liquid consistency of Sitaphal payesh (`500 per kg). The madhuparna is ordinary and melts into the taste of natural honey , reminds us of the soon to be introduced winter special nolen gur.
Incidentally, the nolen gur fare is produced only after fresh gur enters the kitchen on Kali Puja.
A must try is their nolen gur soufflé (Rs 50 per cup). The crunch of amriti satiates mornings and the chhanar malpoa in the evenings, crisp on the edges and soft, oozy in the centre, generates sweet thrills. The highest selling baked rosogolla, is a hot signature alright. We end with the delectable amrito payadhi (Rs 30), an ancient milk reduction pudding.