Kouzina Marine — Restaurant in Bidhannagar

🔹AMBIANCE & DECOR

Being the only submarine themed restaurant of Kolkata, this place did have the whole field, sorry, ocean to play in and they took quite a bit of advantage from that. From nautical equipments, pressure gauges, pipes and sage words written in between the tiny 'windows' that gave off the impression of being under the sea, this place emulates an atmosphere for us, laymen, who would rather enjoy our meals in a laid back submarine space and not the tense claustrophobic ones we see in the movies!

The place was more or less dim-lit and abruptly segmented into few large sections according to its layout. While the music choice was interesting with Ed Sheeran soothing the customers with his voice, it did feel a bit aloof from the overall theme and took away from what could have been an immersive(yes, pun is intended) experience!

🔹 FOOD

The place serves a wide array of vegetarian dishes, from continental to Indian. While my wish to have a meal thoroughly composed of seafood in such an environment will remain unfulfilled for now, let's dive into the food that we did have!

1️⃣ Cranberry Mojito - Summer has brought a wave upon me to order mojitos as the first thing when I enter a restaurant...a way to beg for mercy actually! While a Green Apple or a Mint Mojito is my go-to option, I decided to go out of my comfort zone...after all, we are under the sea, quite out of my comfort zone for sure! The drink was refreshing and its sweetness was balanced. I would recommend this to everyone! 5/5

2️⃣ Salt & Pepper Lotus Stem - This preparation is one of the simplest ones out there but with no embellishments to accompany the few basic ingredients, there remains little to hide behind if the execution isn't on point. The frying of the primary compotent requires apt crispness while the minimalism in the salt & pepper preparation by pan-frying with the aromatics requires swiftness or else the whole dish starts to become a bit soggy. The lotus stems were fried with light batter and had the perfect texture. This was my first time tasting this preparation with a vegetarian option and it was worth it! 5/5

3️⃣ Mozzarella en Croute - This was rather Mozzarella sticks and not a general en-croute preparation, which actually means to be in a pastry of some sorts! However, the taste was decent. The mozzarella was robust and springy! It was served with a mayo dip topped with a bit of curly leaf parsley and julienned veggies emulating a salad! 3/5

4️⃣ Cannelloni Florentine - This is basically a lasagna dish with cylindrical pasta instead of the fillings layered in between the pasta sheets. The creamy spinach filling was accompanied by perfectly executed cheesy goodness. Served piping hot, this was undoubtedly the star of the show. This dish can easily become a bit dry if not done correctly...ours was done, correctly! 5/5

5️⃣ Classic Cheesecake - Lately, I'm on a cheesecake high! The smooth texture screams for being ordered, and what can I do? I'm a glutton after all! Perfectly smooth and tamed in terms of the mild sweetness, topped with tarty compote and a mint sprig...that sums up the dessert! This is a must order dish here! The portion felt a bit smaller but the taste took care of that! 5/5

🔹SERVICE

The service here was fast and the servers were attentive to the empty glasses throughout the meal. Our desire to click was reciprocated with utter cooperation on their part and everything...

Another themed restaurant from the house of "Kouzina" brand, again, on the same street of Salt Lake City. Now touching the Water component, after laying their hands on Air (Fly Kouzina) and Earth (Kouzina Mining), I seldom wander, what's next.

Like its predecessors, much attention to detail has been placed on creating this place too. But somehow, the concept of submarine didn't come up as expected. There is usage of bolts and rivets all across the walls, and almost all tables on the side walls have an LED screen, displaying scenes as if there is water outside. Upon entrance, there are several buttons and pipes running along, a huge periscope and a gear. Submarines have small passages and alleyways, which has not been taken care of here. I personally like Fly Kouzina and Kouzina Mining better in terms of themed decor. This falls just short of being there.

The service here is on top. Really liked the fast and courteous service of each and every individual. Every waiter was dressed as a sailor, with dresses actually suiting them.

Coming to the menu, which was immense, it took a lot of time pondering over the items and selecting the dishes. They covered sections like Oriental, Indian, Italian, Chinese and Chef's Special, that too, all in vegetarians. When you talking about Salt Lake, this restaurant is already in the list of favorites for the nearby residents.

We started off with the Kebab Platter, that included Tandoori Aloo, Malai Broccoli, Paneer Tikka and Dahi Kebab, 2 pcs. each. The Tandoori Aloo only stood out as an authentic dish out of the 4. All the other 3 were either dry or bitter. Malai Tandoori Broccoli was very tangy. It was coated with a thick layer of curd, which might have been a bit sour, hence the taste.

Next up was the American Corn Salt and Pepper. Nothing wrong with this one.

Then we had the Cheese Fondue. It was served in a thick ceramic bowl and served with Broccoli, sauteed zucchini & asparagus, baby potatoes, bread croutons, olives & jalapenos. Never before I had seen Olives and Jalapenos being served with a Cheese Fondue. These could have been avoided. The overall taste was very creamy and gooey.

The food quality never fails to amaze here at the "Kouzinas". All of them almost have the same menu and food taste. The detailed thematic decor could have been paid more attention to in Kouzina Marine. But the spacious submarine definitely needs a...

I recently had a deeply disappointing experience at Kouzina Marine, and I feel compelled to share my negative review. My partner and I decided to have dinner there around 7:30 in the evening. Anticipating a pleasant dining experience, we even attempted to make an advanced reservation earlier in the day, only to be informed that on Sundays, it is a first-come-first-served policy. Fair enough, we thought. However, upon arriving at the restaurant, I was taken aback by what unfolded before me. Despite there being available tables, the staff outright refused to seat us. To add insult to injury, they claimed that these empty tables were somehow reserved. Strangely enough, there was no reservation sign or any indication that these tables were indeed spoken for. It became abundantly clear that the real reason for denying us a table was our party size of two, as it would generate less revenue for them. It was disheartening to witness such blatant discrimination against guests based on their perceived spending potential. Furthermore, the behavior of one particular staff member named Manoranjan was utterly rude and unacceptable. He informed us that for a party of two, we would have to wait for half an hour or possibly even longer. This announcement left me dumbfounded, as more than half of the restaurant's tables were unoccupied at the time. This level of poor service is simply inexcusable in the hospitality industry, where customers should be treated with respect and courtesy. If the manager or owner of Kouzina Marine happens to come across this review, I implore you to take a long, hard look at the practices and attitudes within your establishment. Discriminating against guests based on party size is not only unethical but also tarnishes the reputation of your restaurant. Personally, I have no intention of ever visiting Kouzina Marine again after this awful experience. As a customer who values fairness and quality service, I would strongly advise others to steer clear of this...