Storming the Bastille
At its
Bastille Day
celebration, the French Consulate in the city hosted a party that saw the who’s who of Kolkata in attendance. The event that took place at a city hotel paid tribute to the French settlement in Chandernagar. The light-decorating art of the town as well as the replicas of its French colonial structures were showcased at the venue. Damien Syed, Consul
General
, France, said, “It’s a very emotional day for me as it is my last Bastille Day celebration in the city as the CG. I am glad that all our friends and well-wishers have joined us here to celebrate our National Day.”
Guests around the world
The French National Day party saw almost all the other Consul Generals and diplomats from the city in attendance. “It was a great evening. Such events always give us the opportunity to catch up with our colleagues from the other consulates. It is an important day for French Consulate. I am glad to be a part of this. Also, I really enjoyed the food and wine here,” said Jürgen Thomas Schrod, Deputy Consul General of Germany.
The city of stars
From bureaucrats to Tollywood stars and other artistes — our lensman spotted several dignitaries at the do. We saw young actress Anusha Viswanathan enjoying a plateful of French desserts. “I can’t stick to my diet when it comes to French dessert,” she said. Chinni Dragon, wife of Jamie Dragon, Director, American Consulate, said, “I was excited to choose a dress with a combination of red, blue and white for the night. I totally enjoyed the food and the selection of wine.”
French food at its best
The party started with champagne and soondelectable cold cuts, breads and cheese counters were thrown open. The menu saw a perfect balance between French and Bengali cuisine. Along with baked baby bekti with veggies and caper butter sauce and hachis parmentier, guests also enjoyed
kosha
mangsho and mochar ghonto. Meanwhile, religieuse, mille feuille, classic creme brulee and other French items competed mishti doi, rosogolla and other legendary Bengali sweets at the dessert counter.
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