Aditya Ghosh's London labour of love 'Chourangi' gets stamp of approval from William Dalrymple, historian can't get over boneless 'ilish'

Aditya Ghosh's dream project in London is now historian William Dalrymple-approved.

The 56-year-old Scottish historian and writer recently paid a visit to Ghosh's new London restaurant 'Chourangi', and cannot stop raving about it.

Describing it as the "most delicious Bengali food I have ever eaten outside Kolkata," Dalrymple thanked Ghosh for the spectacular feast.


Often referred to as one of Britain's most successful travel writers, Dalrymple also gushed about the "extraordinary tender and boneless (!) ilish," wondering how the restaurant's chef managed it.


Ilish, or Hilsa, is an expensive seasonal fish that forms a delicacy in Bengali cuisine. But the fish, being full of bones, is tricky to eat, explaining the historian's delight at having found a boneless version of it.

When a user replied to Dalrymple's tweet, saying, "Boneless ilish - a fantasy, surely?"

He responded to him by calling it a "reality in this House of Wonders!"


Dalrymple, who was at the restaurant to celebrate his son's graduation, in another tweet called Chourangi "unquestionably the most stylish Indian restaurant in London."


The historian's praise was met with admiration from Ghosh, who said he has been a fan of Dalrymple since college.

The high-flying boss thanked Dalrymple "for coming over to #CHOURANGI with family for an evening of food, laughter & conversations & history & most importantly “ilish” and “chingri”."



The former former CEO of low-cost carrier IndiGo, Ghosh, collaborated with his friend Anjan Chatterjee - who also owns popular eateries across India (think Mainland China and Oh!Calcutta) - to launch the restaurant in London last month.