Coming from a land that loves fish cooked in mustard oil, you might have thought it would be difficult to find an eatery that serves authentic Bengali cuisine in Chennai. Well, you’d be surprised to know that Chennai has not one but two restaurants that serve finger-licking Bengali delicacies. Here’s a lowdown.

Hidden between stores is Sree Annapurna of Calcutta (Egmore). Just drive by the Commissioner’s office in Egmore and ask around, you will be taken right to their doorsteps. The food served here belies its run-down appearance. Nifty waiters run around with food-laden trays, amidst the floating strains of Rabindrasangeet.

Dig in to peppery maachher jhal, or a relatively mild doi maach. Vegetarians can have their fill of aloo posto, just as Ma cooks at home. And how can a Bengali meal end without sweets. Annapurna has mishti doi and rosogolla to help you end your meal on a right note. Eat to your heart’s content and be pleasantly surprised to see a bill that does not weigh too much on your wallet.

Looking for a slightly elegant place, then Bay Leaf in Gopalapuram is where you need to head to. Situated at the heart of the city, bang off Stella Maris College and couple of doors down Gangotree, this is a restaurant with a difference. Authentic Lucknowi, Bengali, Frontier, and Punjabi cuisine are what they promise and deliver as well.

The specialties are non-vegetarian dishes, such as, doi maachh and chicken biryani. Vegetarians, worry not, you can start with paneer potli and dig into sinful vegetarian biryani as you indulge in their elaborate menu.

All set for a mouth-watering meal?