05/03/2026
💛 When it comes to our food in the US, we, the Kolkata Bangalis are at the brunt of it. The umbrella of Indian food usually caters a very Americanized Punjabi or Telugu cuisine. Being half-Telugu, I don’t mind that much; but when you see the price vs the quality of the food served, you will miss home even more, especially the fantastic cooking of your aunts. And if we try to fit under Bangali cuisine, it is so dominated by Bangladeshi cuisine, that the Bangali food of Kolkata hardly gets any exposure.
💛 It’s not all bleak and dark. There are a couple food trucks and small joints on both the coasts, and one very famous restaurant in NYC focusing on Kolkata food, but in the middle, there’s none. Nada.
💛 After the years of waiting, and having lived in four states, I can finally proudly say, we have a Kolkata style food joint in the city we live in, where we can indulge in the fish fries and rolls and koraishnutir kochuri!
💛 Yes, Jhimli’s Kitchen - Hangla opened recently in the Katy suburbs of Houston at a food truck park called El Patio at Mason. I’ve been following them with a hawk’s eye ever since they put out their first advertisement. They’re amateurs, tech professionals by day doing this out of passion. This is their fourth week, and they have a long way to go.
💛 I’ve been to their place for three consecutive weeks. The menu keeps rotating, and they post it on their WhatsApp group every week. What I’ve there are -
👉🏼 Kathi Rolls: This is my favorite item from their place. The filling is very good, so are the Porotas. Very crispy and nice! Reminded me of Podo-r Dokaan-er Roll from the para I grew up in. You know a place made it good when they’re able to create a childhood memory.
👉🏼 Fish Fry: This was also pretty good when I had it last time. For $7.99, the portion size is pretty commendable.
👉🏼 Luchi-Chholar Daal-Kosha Mangsho: This was okayish. The Luchi became a little khasta, but I’ll give them that.
👉🏼 Korashnuti-r Kochuri & Aloor Dum (not in pic): This, rather, was fantastic. I’ll go back every week they make this.
💛 All being said, here’s a few things I would keep a few things in mind before I visit the place. The joint is fairly new, and the owners are very new to the industry. So, please be patient when you visit. It takes time to deliver, but they’re trying their best to keep their clientele satisfied. They’re open from Thurs-Sun, so all the Kolkata Bangalis, show up to their joints, beaming with enthusiasm, and trying to get a taste of home. Being new as a joint, and also in the industry, they still need to figure out better ways of their ordering system and a lot of the logistics. Sometimes, if you aren’t satisfied with their food, it’s not a reflection of their cooking, but a result of stress amidst mismanagement. Hence I’d really like to give them a few more weeks (or even months), so that they can shun their skills, and serve us the best of what the India’s best food city can offer. I mean it from the bottom of my heart when I say this - I really really want them to succeed! 🙌❤️😍
[kolkata food truck, places to eat in houston, food truck in houston, bengali food in houston]
