Maninee De goes 'bong bong'

Click on the pic to view slideshow It’s ilish maach (hilsa) and rossogolla this week as the Bengali beauty Maninee De Mishra (on her recommendation) accompanies me in tasting progressive food from Kolkata at this new joint serving food from the east called Bong Bong located in Bandra. Owners Kanika Mohan Saxena and Surjapriya Ghosh welcome us into this quaint little eatery which has a sit-out with two tables, a wall painted with the image of a hand-pulled rickshaw and the air-conditioned restaurant inside with four tables. The seating is on hand painted wooden benches and foldable chairs – you can call it a Bengali dhaba if there is one and the dishes are tweaked a bit. Our eyes pan the place to take in an old radio, framed prints of Vyjayanthimala’s Murphy ad, and another one with Suchitra Sen while the opposite wall sports a sketch of the ubiquitous Howrah Bridge. As usual Maninee looked smart and stylish in a black sleeveless top and tight skin colored jeans. Her look was highlighted with a black and white beaded neckpiece. Though I had invited her husband Mihir Mishra also to join us, he was held up in a meeting so we went ahead with our gastronomic indulgences peppered with interesting chit chat. Both of us being Arians, we discovered to have a lot in common – we are basically loners, cannot tolerate fools, have a teaser attitude if anyone rubs us the wrong way but on the flip side we like to read (Khalid Hosseini our fav author), travel, have fun and enjoy life to the hilt. Throwing light on her professional front Maninee confesses to being commitment phobic and prefers to do cameo roles which offer her the much-needed break in between. The Bong Bong menu heading reads as Tuk Tak, Mohabhoj, mmmmm…. that translates as starters, main course and desserts respectively. We start with Twin Cheese & Spinach croquettes that are oblong shaped fries of homemade cream cheese, cheddar cubes and spinach boosted with spices and nuts to give a grainy texture; Bengali Five Spice Potatoes tastes good with stir fried baby potatoes laced with curd and Bengali five spice blend. But what the Bong actor relishes the most is Mango Pickle Steamed Fish in which fillets of fish are marinated in coconut and spicy mango pickle and “steamed to perfection and amazingly tangy” as she finds it. I enquire after Maninee’s daughter Dianoor and learn she wants to pursue Tornado chasing – quite a daring interest I would say. I also find Maninee’s temperament would not permit her to be in Bigg Boss house but dance reality shows (she and Mihir participated in Nach Baliye) and anchoring are fine. Lesser known fact is Maninee is a clinical Psycho Therapist and it was during her time of appearing for her exams that she did the contrasting bimbette’s role in Jassi Jaisi Koi Nahin. “I had to leave my original self behind and switch on to that of a dumb, gold-digging bimbette for the show, and I used be like what am I doing?” she wonders. By now our main course arrives - Prawns in creamy coconut curry with steamed rice and the Bong belle goes ga-ga over it. I savor my Vegetable in Tomato-Mustard sauce with steamed rice and the curry tastes like the Burmese khwasuey in coconut milk. Initially I was skeptic about mustard sauce but one spoonful and it was soon put to rest as the mustard was not overpowering. Rossogollas appear but with a browned covering and on tasting we realize they are baked….. divinely yummy! Maninee’s prolific trait can be traced to her novelist mother with 13 novels to her credit and a Sahitya Academy winner, also responsible for inculcating discipline and responsibility to her children. She is positive, energetic with an infectious smile and I come out feeling charged up after that rejuvenating Bengali fusion dinner with Maninee De at Bong Bong!