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Our Review: Bengal Brothers

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The latest food joint in Wan Chai will remind you of India and bring you back to the snacks by the street days.

Do you roll with the Kati Rolls?

Have you been craving authentic Indian food, especially street-side snacks, and did the sound of a Kati roll make your mouth water? Fear not, you no longer need to travel to India for your favorite snack – Wan Chai’s latest grab-and-go joint brings you Kati rolls and rice bowls straight from the heart of India.

As per usual, we don’t go by what everyone else says, so we headed down to the newest place in town, trying their must-have items. Here’s our review!

The menu is split into five categories, beginning with the “famous Kati rolls”, followed by the “first-class rice bowls”, “street snacks”, “coolers” and Bira 91 Beer – familiar to all Indian craft beer lovers. In case you’re unfamiliar, a Kati roll is your choice of protein-coupled with tangy chutney, crunchy vegetables all wrapped in a flaky paratha. With its origin in Kolkata, West Bengal, it’s a nostalgic food item for many. “Kati” means “stick” in Bengali, referring to the widespread use of iron skewers and bamboo sticks for making the rolls. 

Famous Kati Rolls: 3/5 stars

[Picture Credit: Bengal Brothers]
Having spoken to the owner who was also leading the team in the kitchen, their star Kati Roll was their vegetarian choice, the Achari Paneer Roll (HKD 80). The flaky paratha was on point, but the roll itself felt extremely dry. For a Kati Roll described to be “drizzled with tangy chutney”, and having the word “chair” in it (meaning pickle-y), the amalgamation of the ingredients missed the mark. It was a treat to have, but a chutney on the side or some extra fluidity within the wrap would make this perfect! It didn’t help that the paneer pieces were rather large, absorbing more of the moisture and leaving the palette dry. 

First Class Rice Bowls: 5/5 

[Picture Credit: Anushka Purohit]
To complement our vegetarian purchase, we were intrigued by the Punjabi Chickpea Rice Bowl (HKD 85), accompanied with beetroot yogurt. I most definitely appreciated the addition of a side sauce – after the Kati roll, I have left craving some moisture! The pickled vegetables were perfect on a hot Summer Hong Kong day, and the beetroot yogurt accompanied it beautifully. The chickpea would melt in your mouth, and the bowl was bursting with color and flavor, a complete treat to eat!

Street Snacks: Gunpowder Fries – 4/5, Sweet Potato Chaat – 2/5

We couldn’t decide (can you blame us) between the Gunpowder Fries (HKD 40) and the Sweet Potato Chaat (HKD 55) – so we opted for both. The Gunpowder Fries came out fresh from the fryer, piping hot and calling your name. Seasoned with a delectable spice mix, it was the perfect balance of salty and tangy, although the quantity was disappointing for the price. The sweet potato chaat was a change – a healthy twist on the typical potato and yogurt heavy snack. It was a welcome change for the first few bites, after which there was too much sweetness – from the sweet potato, the pomegranate, and the chutney. A mix of potato and sweet potato would have helped, but A+ for effort!

Coolers: 3/5

 Finally, no better way to gulp down this deliciousness than to try out Bengal Brothers’ signature Fresh Mango Lassi (HKD 55). Before we even got to feasting, I was feasting with my eyes – the lassi comes in the cutest glass bottle that you can keep as a souvenir after, so that’s a win! The lassi itself was extremely thick, and the strong cardamom flavor shone through. I personally really enjoyed the fact that there was no extra sugar added to the lassi – all the sweetness was from the mango. However, the lassi was too heavy, and the consistency was extremely thick! I’d recommend taking two trips to BB if you want to try the food AND the lassi – or it might just be too much!

Bengal Brothers is a must-try – with the pastel aesthetic, the gentle touch of Bollywood, and the smell of nostalgia, it’s bound to send you spiraling into the comfort of eating street food. It helps that it is a buy-and-go concept – much like in India, you can stand at the foot of the store, gobbling up your favorite snacks and head-on with your day. My personal favorite touch to the restaurant was a polaroid of Rekha from Bollywood – make sure you look out for it!

Tell us, what you think! 

Will you be trying Bengal Brothers? 

What are you most excited to have?

The restaurant was personally tried and reviewed by our reviewer- Anushka Purohit on 16th July, 2021.

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Passionate, perseverant and proactive, Anushka Purohit is a 21-year old hungry for all things new. As a seasoned critique of the latest events, food joints and happenings to look out for in the city, she is always trying something new when not studying Electronic and Computer Engineering at the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology.

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