Who doesn’t want to stay fit by eating healthy? We all would love to do that. But not many of us would prefer to sacrifice the junk that we eat daily and remain on a strict diet. Well, if you’re scared of being on a diet and still want to stay fit and healthy, your only savior is ‘No Junktion Bistro‘. This is Calcutta’s one and only healthy food restaurant which serves normal junk food in a healthier way, without compromising with its taste. This is brainchild of Soham Ghosh, who believes in staying fit without sacrificing the regular junk food that we consume. The concept is innovative and has already taken Calcutta by storm. The ones, specially me, who have always wanted to follow a diet but were never able to do so, have got an amazing place to satisfy their cravings for junk food, and that too in a healthy way ! I was invited here for a bloggers meet and I wasn’t initially much excited to visit a healthy food restaurant, but the food completely changed my vision. Let me tell you how !
No Junktion Bistro is located on Purna Das Road and is totally surrounded by three Bengali restaurants. The restaurant is divided into two floors, which are well decorated. The ambience is quirky and very different from any other healthy food restaurant. I got seated, along with the other bloggers, on the mezzanine floor. This floor is actually good for large groups. Now, we had a specially curated menu for the day, which included the signature dishes of No Junktion Bistro.
Drinks
We were initially served three drinks – No Junk Spiced Cocoa Cream, No Whey Protein Punch and Gondhoraj Rosemary Iced Tea. The Spiced Cocoa Cream was made using unsweetened chocolate, chilli flakes, cinnamon, and honey. It had the essence of chocolate and a punch of spice. The combo of both was rather interesting. The Protein Punch had banana, low fat peanut butter, honey and cocoa. The shake was chilled and refreshing. Though I totally hate bananas, I somehow loved this drink. The Gondhoraj Rosemary Iced Tea had a subtle flavour. It was refreshing and had a beautiful aroma of Gondhoraj.
Salads
The salads arrived next. The Greek Broccoli Salad looked very colourful. It had broccoli, cherry tomatoes, bell peppers and feta cheese drizzled with a honey mustard dressing. This veggies were fresh and juicy. The Thai Citrus Salad was an absolute delight. The chicken chunks were well boiled, rendering them extremely soft. A dash of Gondhoraj lemon imparted a tangy yet a beautiful flavour to the salad. Both the salads were a perfect start to our meal.
Burgers
The burgers were very pleasing to the eye. The Mashed Chicken Burger is my all time favourite. Instead of a chicken patty, the burger is stuffed with mashed chicken, sunny side up egg, low fat cheese and onions caramelised in brown sugar. Instead of mayo and fries, this burger comes with a signature humus dip and a bunch of sweet potato strips which are air fried. That’s how you define a delicious yet healthy burger. It tasted amazing as well. Even the Super Quinoa Burger, which was stuffed with quinoa, mushrooms and herbs, was praised by the vegetarian bloggers who tried it.
Burrito
The No Junkman Chicken Mushroom Burrito was one of the best burritos I ever had. The whole wheat burrito was stuffed with chicken chunks, low fat cheese, mushrooms and a special dressing. It tasted superb. I was actually lost in its flavours. I bet you’ll be a fan of this burrito once you try it !
Risotto
The Quinoa Risotto was something which I was really looking forward to. The vegetarian version was served to us. It was loaded with quinoa, carrots, cherry tomatoes, parsley and parmesan cheese. The risotto was smooth and creamy. It was very pleasing to the taste buds. However, a little more addition of veggies can give it a wonderful texture.
Pizzas
The pizzas didn’t fail to impress me. The Hearty Greek Style Pizza was made with a whole wheat base, topped with bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, olives, jalapenos and feta cheese. The veggies were juicy. I loved the tangy and spicy sauce that was used in the topping. The second pizza was definitely a non vegetarian one. It was the No Junkman Classico, which was topped with grilled chicken, mushrooms, tomatoes, olives and jalapenos. The pizza was very meaty and flavourful. I simply fell in love with it. Both the pizzas had a thin and soft crust, which is hard to find in the city.
Kabsa
Again, Kabsa is something which is not at all popular in Calcutta. I’m sure most of you haven’t even heard of this. Kabsa is an Arabic dish, where long grained rice is cooked with meat, veggies and spices. We were served two variants of it. The vegetarian version had cottage cheese and bell peppers while the non vegetarian one had large chicken chunks. Both the kabsas tasted good and were distinctly different from each other in terms of taste. If you’re in a mood of some experiment, you can definitely give this a try.
Desserts
Well, after devouring a number of dishes, it was time for the desserts. The desserts literally stole the show. The No Junk Faux Pas Pizza had a thick and crunchy crust, topped with unsweetened brownie and low fat ice cream. It was sinful ! The Skinny Tiramisu Affogato had the perfect balance of sweetness and caffeine. You have to try the desserts if you happen to visit this place.
Overall, ‘Healthy Junk‘ is no longer an oxymoron. You can have the food over here as much as you want and still remain fit and healthy. No Junktion Bistro is definitely a savior for all those people who are suffering from health issues and are forced to stay away from junk. If you have read my post and are planning to visit this place, then do not wait and visit No Junktion Bistro asap. Thank me later !
Exploring Cuisines 