Haridas Modak — Local services in Kolkata

There was a time when a quintessential Bangali breakfast would ideally comprise of deep fried kochuri, delectable alur torkari, daal and culminate with crispy jilipis. Be it due to fast –paced lives or health consciousness, these little pleasures have eluded our lives since long. One fine morning, if you feel like going back to the good old times and an irresistible urge to devour these magical gastronomic delights, you should go to the best possible place. Located at Shyambazar crossing, Haridas Modak, is one such old gem of Kolkata which still offers the best possible ‘Bangali jol khabar.’ Right at the crossing of Shyambazar, you will find two shops of Haridas Modak. Make sure that you enter the shop that looks old and worn out --- Adi Haridas Modak. The hall with a few wooden tables, benches offer an old-world charm which is hardly present in the city these days due to the new-found glamorous café culture. There was a time when food was served on banana leaf plates in Bengali weddings and other special occasions. After completing the illustrious journey of 250 years, Haridas Modak is one such kochuri eatery which still has been able to hold on to the fading Bengali culture. Every delicacy is served in plates of fresh kolapata.  The aroma of the food will undoubtedly enhance your appetite.

Home / Bengal / Department of TourismTry a typical Bengali breakfast at 250-year-old Adi Haridas Modak



Information Desk

21 July, 2019 02:49:28



There was a time when a quintessential Bangali breakfast would ideally comprise of deep fried kochuri, delectable alur torkari, daal and culminate with crispy jilipis. Be it due to fast –paced lives or health consciousness, these little pleasures have eluded our lives since long. One fine morning, if you feel like going back to the good old times and an irresistible urge to devour these magical gastronomic delights, you should go to the best possible place. Located at Shyambazar crossing, Haridas Modak, is one such old gem of Kolkata which still offers the best possible ‘Bangali jol khabar.’  Right at the crossing of Shyambazar, you will find two shops of Haridas Modak. Make sure that you enter the shop that looks old and worn out --- Adi Haridas Modak. The hall with a few wooden tables, benches offer an old-world charm which is hardly present in the city these days due to the new-found glamorous café culture. There was a time when food was served on banana leaf plates in Bengali weddings and other special occasions. After completing the illustrious journey of 250 years, Haridas Modak is one such kochuri eatery which still has been able to hold on to the fading Bengali culture. Every delicacy is served in plates of fresh kolapata.  The aroma of the food will undoubtedly enhance your appetite.  Not many eateries in Kolkata serve the deadly combination of kochuri and cholar daal. Haridas Modak is one such exception which still serves this lethal combination till lunch time. Biulir daal and hing stuffing add a heavenly taste to these kochuris. Thereafter, comes the basic attraction of this shop --- Luchi and alurtorkari. During winters, Bengali’s favourite koraishutor kochuri or pea kochuris are also available. Noteworthy sweets of Haridas Modak are Kalakand, Jibe Gaja, Chhanar Jilipi and Kalojam. In the era of over-priced fancy food, Adi Horidas Modak still serves lip-smacking Bengali breakfast at pocket-friendly range. Like 3 pieces of Luchi cost around Rs 18, three pieces of Kochuri cost around Rs 21 whereas hot singaras are available within Rs 6. This 250-year-old iconic eatery is now being run by the sixth generation of Modak family. Indrajit Modak is the current owner of this shop. Legends say even Shri Ramkrishna Dev, Rani Rashmani, Netaji Subhas Chandra Bose, Girish Chandra Ghose, Abanindranath Tagore, Raja Ram Mohan Roy had paid a visit to this shop. You will still find pictures of these great men in this shop. In the era of Starbucks and KFC, Adi Haridas Modak is one such eatery which has still kept the bangaliyana and nostalgia of...

I do visit this place everyrime I go to Shyambazar. One of the pocket friendly places specially for breakfast. Though you can have your lunch and dinner also. They only serve luchi/puri and kochuri along with cholar dal/khosha aalu r torkari. But they will serve hot one just after you arrive. They will not serve you any leftover thing.

The popular dish over here is kochuri and cholar dal. That they only serve in the morning. But on Sundays, the same will finished by 10am. So if you want to go particulary for kochuri and cholar dal on sunday, do arrive there @9am. The shop probably open @8am.

The assistance you will get here is very good. They still serve the food on banana leaf. Per plate they serve 3 pieces of luchi or kochuri, whichever is available at that time. And if you need more, you have to pay extra. Like- Rs10/pc for luchi and Rs13/pc for kochuri. But torkari is unlimited. They will offer you sweets after your meal. You can try shor bhaja here. Its yummy! Lyangcha and rosogolla is also available here. Everything is of Rs 10.

This shop doesnot have any option for online payments. So, do carry cash to make your payment. In Rs100 two people can have their meal.

They also hang picture of famous people, who visited there place for having the same dish. Some of them are- Subhash Chandra Bose and Vivekananda.

People, who are coming from metro. Do take Gate no.1. You have to ask anyone for the direction. As those, who are new tp this place will be confused which road to take. Otherwise, from there cross the road, that lead to hattibagan(you do not have to go towards hattibagan), Then you will get another road. You have to cross that road too. Ask anyone for the...

I recently visited Adi Haridas Modak, an Indian sweets shop located in Shyambazar, Kolkata, and had a mixed experience. The highlight of my visit was the breakfast, particularly the kachori and Daal served in a traditional manner on a Banana leaf. It was a delightful experience and truly showcased the shop's specialty in serving unique and authentic dishes.

However, one downside of this place is its small size, which often leads to long queues, especially on Sundays. Finding a place to sit can be quite challenging, so I would highly recommend arriving early in the morning to avoid any inconvenience.

Another issue I encountered was the lack of parking facilities in front of the shop. Whether you're on a two-wheeler or a four-wheeler, finding a parking spot nearby can be a hassle.

While the breakfast experience was excellent, I found the variety of sweets offered to be underwhelming. The quality and taste did not live up to my expectations, especially considering the reputation of the shop.

On the positive side, the staff was friendly and attentive, providing good service despite the crowded environment.

In conclusion, Adi Haridas Modak is a great place for a delicious breakfast with their specialty kachori and Daal served on a Banana leaf. However, the limited seating, long queues, and lack of parking facilities can be a drawback. If you're primarily interested in sweets, you may want to explore other options...