Year Of The Dog: Here Are Some So-Kolkata Chinese Things To Do This Weekend

Only if you have been living under a rock would you not know about the Chinese breakfast at Terretti Bazaar. It’s legendary. Rise and shine the earliest and by 6.30 am make sure you reach the famous bazaar {it closes by 7.30 am on weekdays and 8.30 am on Sundays, so you wouldn’t want to be late!}.

They have a host of authentic Chinese dishes to choose from, like spring rolls, prawn wafers, dumplings, and even desserts. We specially love the pork pau, with a hot bowl of fish dumpling soup and Chaang Yuan Paan {vegetable dumplings, if you wish to skip the meat}.

The Chinese community in the city has been known for making the finest leather shoes. Some of the shops that line Bentick Street are generations old. Their handmade leather shoes arer considered some of the best in the city. Most of the stores cater solely {pun intended!} to men’s shoes but you may be able to pick up a leather bag or two. Find out more about these fascinating shops here.

Although Tangra will be by and large focused on celebrating the New Year, round the year there are many {no one knows exactly how many!} Chinese restaurants serving everything from cheap Chinese food to authentic family-style dishes. Here’s our guide to the lanes of the bustling Tangra.

The New Year will usher in the Chinese Year of the Dog. If you can’t find time to do anything typically Chinese, perhaps you’ll have time to head down to one of Kolkata’s pet cafes, The Love Room in Tollygunge or the newly-opened one in Salt Lake, The Green House, and have your share of puppers to love.

The streets of Tiretti Bazaar are heaven-sent for gourmands who want to stock up on kitchen provisions. Dried black fungus and shiitake mushrooms, spices, sauces, rice sticks and oil sticks for soups, sausages, teas and balms, and prawn wafers – the old stores manned by the Chinese community stock stuff you won’t get anywhere else. Find out abut which shops to go to and what to buy right here.

Play a game of mah jong, buy handmade shoes, explore Chinese temples, pick up bamboo steamers and black fungus for your kitchen – roaming around the streets of Kolkata’s Chinatown {Terretti Bazaar} is a magical experience! Explore the area with our handy guide.

Pick up a great book on Chinatown for your children here. Read about the book here and here.

There are full on celebrations going down within the community and all are welcome to join. Here’s everything you need to know about the Chinese New Year.