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Kolkata is a city of foodies, and from dosa to vada paav, they are ready to try out everything that’s actually delicious. La Vanakam, a newly launched gem in Kolkata, is a pure-vegetarian restaurant offering a delightful blend of authentic South Indian flavours, North Indian classics, and street food favourites. 
Founded by Radhika Jalan and Anshika Jalan, this 1,000 sq. ft. space is designed to welcome guests with its warm and cosy ambience, enhanced by traditional wall art, hand-painted murals, and quirky tiles. Located at 10, Wood Street, just behind Pantaloons, La Vanakam invites diners to experience a perfect fusion of comfort, nostalgia, and innovation.
The menu boasts a wide range of dishes, from signature South Indian delights like Podi Tatte Idli and Chilli Oil Cheese Dosa to North Indian specialties like Shyam Savera Kofta and Dal Makhani. Street food lovers will relish everything from Kolkata’s Puchkas to Mumbai’s Vada Pav. The best part? The menu is both affordable and varied, with options to suit everyone, including a significant number of no-onion-no-garlic dishes that cater to Jain and other dietary preferences.
What Did Slurrp Try At La Vanakam?
And each food we loved for the innovation, homely touch and handcrafted food items prepared with care. The cute and classy mascot they have on their menu welcomes you to a cosy space. The food items actually have the feel of ‘Maa ke haat ka khana’. The homemade ginger ale was a signature drink Anshika and Rahul are serving at La Vanakam. With the freshly chopped ginger pieces, a bit of soda and not too much sweetness in it. Given the humid weather of the city, it gives you a sigh of relief along with a subtle taste. Also, on top of this food experience, you get a chance to relive your childhood days with the signature ‘Cola Float’ here.
The first dish we tried was an Idli Podi with their handcrafted Podi masala with ghee, sambar, and coconut chutney, which left me craving for more. 
Right from the fresh butter brushed on the top of the fluffy Vada Paav to the crispiest Chilli Cheese Dosa, it make you crave for more. The silky soft Mushroom Kebab as Anshika calls her ‘favourite’, truly deserves a mention for its taste, presentation and their green mint chutney. As a non-vegetarian Bengali that I am, this kebab actually left me mesmerised, ‘How delicious and fresh mushrooms it was’.
The Vada Paav they serve is one of the fluffiest and most refreshing paav I have ever tasted in my city. The vada had the perfect balance of crisp, taste, spice and a bit of ‘tikhat’. You just can’t stop at one with the green chutney and the masala on its side! Every bite screams for more attention, and that too, well-deserved.
Anshika mentioned, "For every dish that we prepare here, we do it from the scratch and it's never like storing food and serving the next day. From the coconut chutney to this bajji chilli chutney, it's freshly made after order. When we started this venture, the idea was to serve no onion and no garlic food to the vegetarian people in Kolkata. The city really has fewer options than it must have. I am a vegetarian and I felt that we could serve quality and taste together. That's when La Vanakam happened."
Now, the showstopper (and it’s not at all extravagant) is Malabar Paratha with vegetable Chettinad. The twist in this, as Anshika mentioned, “Mushroom is not preferred by all. So we kept the Chettinad with a mix of vegetables.” The paratha was crispy and the Chettinad curry was a combination made for each other. The flaky paratha can be a lovely addition to your lunch menu, and one plate is enough to fill your tummy. Or, maybe try it for your breakfast this Durga Puja? You won’t regret it at all!
Radhika Jalan mentioned, “We do taste every dish and add to our menu only when it tastes perfect. Mostly throughout the weeks, we have bookings for small parties, and people keep coming back to our delectable menu.”
For the desserts, they again have so much to offer. First was the hot mini gulab jamuns with vanilla ice cream that perfectly conclude your meal. And an additional delicacy you have here is the Kesariya Halwa. Even if you are on a diet or restricted to having something ‘meetha’, you can try this one.
La Vanakam is celebrating Durga Puja with some exciting offers:
- 6th–7th Day of Puja: Complimentary Kesariya Halwa on a minimum bill of ₹1500.
- 8th–9th Day of Puja: 10% off on bills over ₹500.
- Dashami: One complimentary drink with a bill of ₹1000 and above.
- Average Price for Two: ₹600
