Who’s Behind It
Executive chef Amit Bangar, co-owners Maya Gohill and Shovik Sengupta, Thank You Hospitality Group
The Dish to Eat
The chili chicken and kati rolls are CCC classics, but don’t sleep on the curries, particularly Zarrein’s prawns, a riff on co-owner Maya Gohill’s family recipe
Opening in 2017 and operating steadily as a hip little Indian restaurant ever since, Calcutta Cricket Club (CCC) never exactly wavered in quality, but it did feel like Calgarians — always in search of the new and shiny — started to take it for granted over the years. When the owners announced it was moving in late 2023 to its spot on 1st Street S.W., diners were reminded why they fell in love with CCC in the first place. Its team took the opportunity to further develop its contemporary Indian menu and take its award-winning design aesthetic to an even higher standard with a gorgeous, if slightly less whimsical, aesthetic (without sacrificing its signature over-the-bar carousel leopard, Garry).
While Calgary has an ever-growing number of excellent Indian restaurants, many are permanently entrenched in the traditional category, while CCC stands out with its modern approach to unmistakably Indian cuisine.
Two of its co-owners, Maya Gohill and Shovik Sengupta, come from Indian families who take their food seriously, as does chef Amit Bangar. In turn, the food honours Indian traditions while still taking a “we make the food we want to eat” approach. You can still get the kati rolls and chips and curry that longtime CCC regulars demand, but dishes like the grilled cabbage kiri hodi in an aromatic Sri Lankan coconut curry and the coriander-laden Zarrein’s prawns are unlike anything you’ll find in a typical strip-mall curry house.
Any dinner at CCC is made even better with an Indian-inspired cocktail — the mango-spiked “crushable” gin and tonic is a longstanding favourite, but don’t ignore the black cardamom old-fashioned or chai Manhattan. While the velvety sexiness of the new room is probably most appropriate for dinner, CCC also does an excellent $25 thali platter at lunch and a tragically underrated weekend brunch service.
1213 1 St. S.W., 403-719-1555, calcuttacricketclub.com, @calcuttacricket
