If You Think Dine And Dance Is Long Gone, TUA Will Lead You To Rethink
TUA, Kolkata's newest dining destination features a food menu that oscillates between Asian and European plates and a cocktail menu that is divided into four chapters
TUA, Kolkata’s newest dining destination, proves that all you need to dance and dine is the right spirit—and the space and beats to channel it. I visited the 75-seater space (with no dedicated dance floor) in Cal’s Altitude Building earlier this month. The evening unfolded seamlessly: guests walked in, ordered drinks and food, and as the tunes shifted from Denver to David (Miles), people stood around their tables and danced heartily with family and friends. The last time I remember witnessing such a scene was at a rooftop restaurant I probably visited half a decade ago.
So, TUA is probably reviving a trend we all long forgot about, and they are trying their best to do well with it. I am not a fan of dancing in a restaurant, mostly because I don’t trust my moves, but I don’t mind people around me having a good time. So, I judged TUA not by the dance-and-dine concept but by the food and drinks.
Another thing worth noting is that the restaurant sits next to Synthe, a cocktail bar, and both share their founders. I was dining at Synthe only an evening before I was at TUA, and I couldn’t help but compare. While I was told that the drinks at Synthe and TUA were crafted by the same team using the same spirits, I couldn’t agree. The former was miles ahead of the latter when it came to sips. The plates at TUA, however, were done better.
The Food Menu
Curated by Chef Vaibhav Bhargava, the menu alternates between Asian and European dishes. I usually skip salads, but one of the founders recommended the Japanese Goma-ae salad. For starters, I was not happy with my pick. It had a lot of baby spinach with sesame dressing, and La-Yu, which added whatever spice there was in the preparation. I would highly recommend against it.
From the small plates, I went for the Corn Corn Corn, which was delicious. Fried corn ribs, dunked in a pool of smoked miso corn mousse and paired with a mango and corn salsa, were flavourful and featured different textures in a single bite. The crunch of the corn ribs paired with the creaminess of the mousse and the tang of the salsa came together for one delicious bite. The sweet potato fries were just what the name suggests. If you like to have fries with your meal, go for it.
From the vegetarian dimsum section, I liked two. The obvious is the truffle cream cheese. You have to be quite bad at the kitchen if you get that wrong, and that wasn’t the case with TUA. They did it cheesy, creamy, and just how the dim sum is supposed to be. The Veg Chilli Garlic Gyoza was my second pick. The right crunch and amount of garlic made for a hot yet yum bite.
After relishing the charcoal futomaki at Synthe the evening before, I had high hopes, but the sushi and rolls at TUA didn’t quite hit the mark. The Avocado Uramaki and the Mamenori Crisparagus roll were both quite average. The Brazilian Sushi, with its heavy layers of cream cheese, was something I could recommend to vegetarians.
I didn’t get my hands on the other large plates, except for the Basil Pesto Gnocchi, which was done well. However, my gold standard for a good gnocchi is the one served at Evoo (in Delhi’s Malviya Nagar); it is the one I compare all gnocchi to, and if I did it with the one served at TUA, then 5/10. The large plates at TUA include curries, noodles, and rice.
I would rather say nothing about the desserts because they exist on the menu but took hours to arrive, and none tasted fresh as a last course should. The service made them harder to excuse.
The Drinks Menu
Designed by beverage consultant Ankur Chawla, the cocktail roster at TUA is divided into four chapters—Curiosity, Connection, Freedom, and After Midnight—reflecting different moods and moments throughout the evening. The team at TUA wants you to choose cocktails based on your mood and feelings rather than just the ingredients.
A standout sip for me from the menu was Appetite for More, where white rum was paired with spiced pineapple and Indian spice. Belonging was another. It combined Scotch whisky with coffee, apple, vanilla and cream. I am neither a whisky lover nor a coffee cocktail lover, but this one, with the right notes of vanilla and topped with cream at TUA, was one of the best picks from the menu. Finally, I cannot mention the Last Call while discussing the drinks. It was tequila with strawberry and orange cordial, jalapeno brine, and tobasco. A look at the ingredients might leave you confused about the bartender’s intention: was he going for something fruity or fiery? Well, both, and it all tasted just how a well-crafted, delicious drink is supposed to. Overall, the menu delivers drinks that suit different moods and still impress on taste.
Read more: If My House Ever Has A Cocktail Room, It Will Resemble Synthe, Kolkata
Also read: These 7 Spots Are A Must-Visit To Enjoy Kolkata’s Indo-Chinese Cuisine