The entrance to Chinatown in Kolkata
Because of its regular footfall, including on weekdays, one restaurant owner on Matheswartala Road said the eatery had maintained enough chicken and fish for around three days. Because our place has a good footfall even on weekdays, we keep this much stock.
Others said they have always followed a daily procurement system and do not maintain large quantities of frozen meat or vegetables. We have returned all the stock to the supplier and have instructed them to supply on a daily basis,” said the owner. The manager of another eatery said that he told the staff to dispose of the stock in the freezer. At Kafulok Bar and Restaurant, a manager said there was little need to maintain stocks for several days as its suppliers deliver fresh produce daily. We even procure our vegetables on a daily basis,” said the manager. Freddy Liao, owner of Golden Joy Restaurant, said his establishment follows food-safety guidelines and relies on fresh procurement. “Everything is procured fresh and we abide by all the safety guidelines,” said Liao.
“We had fish and chicken in our freezer. The inventory was worth two to three days. “There can be surprise checks at our place too, so we do not want to take any risk. The restaurant owners in Tangra are anxious, expecting more such checks. “We do not require to stock for four to five days as our supplier delivers on a daily basis. People from across the city flock to Tangra eateries for Chinese food. The place is crowded on weekends and it is difficult to get space at any of the restaurants during the festive periods of Durga Puja and Christmas.
Kolkata: Panic has gripped several eateries in Tangra after a surprise inspection by a KMC food team at Big Boss restaurant on Wednesday, with a number of restaurant owners saying they have either disposed of their stock in the freezer or returned it to suppliers. On Thursday, TOI spoke to restaurant owners and managers, many of whom said they had already started getting rid of freezer stock or had returned it to suppliers following the inspection. But after the Big Boss incident on Wednesday, we do not want to take any chances.