For most Bengalis, food isn't just about nourishment, but it's comfort and nostalgia served on a plate. You could be a thousand miles away from home, adjusting to a new culture and yet it's one simple whiff of mustard oil or the comforting aroma of kosha mangsho that can tug at your heart like nothing else. So imagine stumbling upon an authentic Bengali restaurant, not in Kolkata or any other part of India, but in the heart of Tokyo, Japan — a city known more for sushi than shorshe ilish. A Hindi-speaking Japanese blogger, Mayo, came across one such restaurant serving delicious Bengali meals in Tokyo and shared her experience on Instagram.
Decked up in a saree, Mayo says in the video, “Tokyo mei best Bengali khana khaane jaa rahi hu. (I'm going to eat the best Bengali food in Tokyo). A leaflet at the entrance, however, makes her stop. It reads in Japanese, "Naan wa arimasen," which translates to "There is no naan”. Once inside, Mayo finds herself in a whole new world: the restaurant is decorated with traditional instruments, boards bearing Bengali transcripts are hung on the wall and there's an idol of Goddess Durga as well. “Am I in India?” she playfully asks a person playing dhol, to which he obviously replies, “No, you're in Tokyo.”
Mayo then strikes up a conversation with a Bengali woman, the restaurant's owner. She tells the blogger that they don't serve naan as Bengalis usually prefer rice. The woman reveals that she has been running the restaurant for 20 years. After that, Mayo treats herself to an authentic Bengali thali featuring fish curry, mutton kosha, chingri (prawn) malaikari, dal, aloo posto, fish fry, and bhetki paturi. We also spotted an earthen pot of what appeared to be mishti doi — a classic Bengali dessert. Relishing the meal with her hands, Mayo says in Bengali, “Oh maa ki shundor (Oh my god, so nice).”
A flurry of reactions was in order:
“Bengali foods are always the best,” claimed a user. “I'm Malayali but I love Bengali foods,” admitted another.
“Now I'm craving some bhetkir paturi and fish fry,” admitted a foodie. “Being a bong, I really appreciate this,” noted one person.
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“Japanese and Bengalis have a deep-rooted connection right from the pre-Independence era,” read a remark.
So far, the video has received over 2.2 million views.