Park Circus is slowly and steadily becoming a hub for good Mughlai restaurants. With Aminia, Royal, Barkaas and others lined up, it’s not any exaggeration. But till now, Zam Zam was the only one in that vicinity serving good traditional beef dishes. I am not considering Shaikhs, because, it serves a cuisine, which is slightly towards the food of Middle East. The food served at Shaikhs’ is brilliant nonetheless, but it’s a reality. However, there is this new small restaurant named Wah Janab, which is serving brilliance. And this blogpost is on that.
Location and details of Wah Janab
If you’re an old timer and remember a place called Kabul Kolkata, Wah Janab is at the same location. Kabul Kolkata was the only joint serving Afgan food in Kolkata, but sadly couldn’t survive, for reason unknown to me. It’s bang on the main road. And if you’re going from Minto Park towards Park circus 7 points crossing, it’ll come on your left, on the main road, just before the crossing. The interior in basic. There is AC and decent sitting and the place is two-floored with a mezzanine sitting. Service is slow, but food is damn good.
Please check the location of Wah Janab on Google map here
About pricing and experience
The pricing is reasonable and not really cheap for a restaurant serving beef. But considering the facility and AC ambiance, it’s very much pocket friendly. I mean, a meal for 5 of us hungry souls had cost us 1900/-. Do check the menu yourself.
Food at Wah Janab
Beef Nihari
I don’t mind saying the same, but recently, I am quite disappointed with the Nihari at Sufia. I mean, a beef nihari served at a place, with almost no sitting till 7AM, should not be served at 220/- a plate. I mean, yes, the taste is good, but once someone has tasted Nihari from Delhi, it falls flat. And luckily, Wah Janab serves just that- a rich full bodies Nihari- with lots of Bone Marrow floating in your deep bowl. It’s brilliant- to say the least. And if you ask politely, they may serve you some extra bone marrow.
The Beef Nihari at Wah Janab is served in the evening, so you don’t need to rush at the crack of winter dawn.
Beef Kebab at Wah Janab
Now, this is one of the very very strong point of Wah Janab. While the kebab at Shaikhs, though brilliant, is towards the Middle Eastern styled- this is our known variety. And the main reason is the quality. I must say, I’ve rarely tasted a beef kebab such soft. I know it sounds a bit cliched, but it’s a reality. You can actually tear if off with your lips and even without interference of teeth, they are good to go.
While Beef Boti Kebab is good, the Galauti Kebab is above-average and needs some more finnese. The boti kebeb is slightly crunchy on the outside and succulent inside. And same goes for the Galauti. Now, if we rename Galauti as Shammi, it’ll be a superlative one. Because, this Galauti can not pass the toothless nawab’s meat-softness taste. The Beef Boti Kebab is brilliant and heavily recommended. But all said and done, the showstopper is the Beef Malai Kebab. The meat kebab is mixed with cream, butter and I don;t know what… But the result is surreal. Just go for one of this Beef Malai Kebab with their super-crispy non-oily parantha and you’re good to go.
Beef Biryani at Wah Janab
And next comes the crowd favourite- the beef biryani. Till now, I was biased towards the beef biryani at Zam Zam. But after tasting it here, my loyalty has taken a hit. This Zafrani Beef biryani at Wah Janab, as of now, the BEST beef Biryani that I’ve tasted in Kolkata. I am not saying Zam Zam is bad, but there is always a new champion. The challenge for his will be to carry on the taste consistently over the years. This biryani is light yet fragrant and definitely fluffy. Also, you can actually feel the subtle aroma of zafran here. There is the mandatory potato in it, with a nice aroma all around. The meat pieces are soft and tasty. This biryani is definitely definitely recommended.
This place, as I said, is my new favourite for beef varieties and as I go again and again, more dishes will be updated in this blogpost. Please save it and let me know your favourite beef joint in Kolkata.
Bon appetit!!!
I can be reached at indrajit.lahiri@ymail.com
