Utsab bagan bari Taki

We were getting fed up in the lockdown period and were literally dying to go out somewhere. And somebody suggested Taki- 2 hours journey (supposedly) and riverside- what else does one need… Now, I’ve heard of Taki, but never really been there- god knows why. Utsab bagan bari, Taki as a good day-out place. Google map showed it as a 2.5-hour driving distance and we love driving. So, last Sunday, we started for Utsab Bagan Bari- Taki and in this blogpost, we’ll talk on that journey. 

Road to Taki

Firstly, let me make myself clear. Road to Taki (the car route) is an extremely bad- bumpy narrow road with bad traffic. You need to take the Basanti Highway from Science City and drive for around 3 hours. Towards the end, the road to the actual Utsab Bagan bari is quite scenic, but quite narrow in most of the places. So, I would personally suggest, please plan for an overnight stay there, rather than a day-out. 

You can check the driving route on Google Maps here…

About Utsab bagan bari

Utsab Bagan bari is bang-on the riverside at Taki, with a fantastic view of the river. Most of the rooms have attached verandah with a good scenic view. The rooms are quite spacious but decent, with basic facilities. We had a 4-bedded AC Deluxe room with Verandah, overlooking the riverside. The booking process was seamless. I called up the number shared on the website, spoke to the gentleman, got a few pictures of the place, and upon my verbal confirmation, account details. The amount was transferred and I got the money receipt via WhatsApp. Also, another number of Fakirul da was shared. He takes care of Taki Baganbari while his wife takes care of the cooking.

There is a huge ground inside the Utsab Bagan Bari complex Taki, with a few swings and other things thrown around. A quite well-maintained pond is there and we were told that upon prior booking, fishing is also allowed and encouraged. A separate dining room is there with windows all around, flooded with nnatural daylight.

Food rates are displayed on the website and we felt it to be quite reasonable. You can check it here… Order needs to be given in advance over phone. 

Food at Utsab Bagan Bari

Now, Food is something at Utsab Bagan Bari, which I’d love to talk about, and good things. If I was floored by food at Shantiniketan  at Aarhani, 2020 is the year for a mutton curry at Utsab Bagan Bari, Taki. Let me start from the beginning. We ordered a veg meal for all of us and chicken and mutton curry on a la carte basis, as per individual preferences. Veg thali had rice, dal, brinjal fritters, alu patal sabzi, and mango chutney-papad. It’s a bottomless thali and gets refilled umpteen number of times.

Please check the menu pricing here

The food is fantasticcooled in a homely manner- simply brilliant. I personally believe that most of the cooks can prepare a good meat curry (be it chicken or mutton or any other meat), but it takes a culinary artist to make a good dal. Dal is a simple dish, but as the saying goes, the simpler the dish- the more difficult it is to make. The boiling is of utmost importance. You do it for slightly longer, and the texture becomes mashed up- slightly lesser and you can actually feel the pulse staring at you from the bowl. But it was perfect here. And the brinjal was organic, and from the kitchen garden behind the dining room. So was the parval (pointed gourd). Cooing was done in a homely style and most importantly, without the abundance of onion and garlic.

Honestly, Bengali cooking never had so much of onion and garlic, which we have seen in last 5 years, thanks to the brilliant cookery shows on air. But the veg dishes at Utsab bagan bari were surely signs of a master.

But the mutton curry definitely needs a separate mention. And while I am not really known to be someone who praises everything, I was blown away with this. Firstly, the cut of the meat was perfect. It was from a reyazi khasi and upon bhunaoing, the fat from meat enriched the gravy. The meat was super tender and was waiting to be taken off the bone. The mandatory aloo was there and we actually took another helping of jhol and aloo. It was a Sunday dream.

We checked out around 5 PM in the afternoon from Utsab Bagan Bari Taki and traveled for around 3 hours on a very bad road to reach home. And that drive honestly, is NOT AT ALL ENJOYABLE, barring a fishy experience of fish shopping at Malancha wholesale market. 

My personal take

• What I liked about the Utsab Bagan Bari:
  • Definitely the food- home styled and simple
  • View from the room
  • Good parking space
  • Sanitization before we entered the room
• What could’ve been better at the Utsab Bagan Bari:
  • Room amenities (toiletries/ towel etc) could have been slightly better
  • Room furniture and interior (considering the price point) needs a makeover

Booking for the place can be done via their website here and via this phone number: 8336968666

Now, tell me about your Day-out experience post lockdown.

Bon Appetit !!!

I can be reached at indrajit.lahiri@ymail.com