Paramount

There can rarely be a person who knows about College Street, College Square, Boi Para (an entire area dedicated to buying and selling of new as well as used books), Coffee House, but does not remember the name "Paramount". It is an age-old sherbet parlour located behind the College Square (1/1/1D, Bankim Chatterjee Street, Kolkata 700 073). The board at the entrance claims Paramount to be the "BEST IN THE TOWN" place to quench thirst, and thus depicts it's "paramount" importance in the world of cold drinks and sherbets.

The menu has some unique cold drinks which I must let you know before you plan to visit the place. Curd based cream rose, cream green mango, rose, grapes crush, passion fruit and cocoa-malai are only to name a few. The most popular and lovable drink on their menu is none other than the Daab (green coconut) Sherbet. The idea of this drink had come from the famous scientist Acharya Prafulla Chandra Ray and the propreitors have rigorously maintained the standards till date. They bring the green coconuts from Bashirhat as this region provides coconuts with the sweetest water and thin layers of soft pulp. They use this water and pulp to create the magic. Most of the sherbets are served with ice cubes although cream based drinks may be served without ice on request.

This place may seem to be simple in it's appearance but it has witnessed millions of love stories and some great revolutions of the past century. Calcutta University, Presidency University and some other famous educational institutions are within a stone's throw and many college students prefer this place to gazing at the blackboards full of alpha, beta and theta notations. Young couples come hand-in-hand, two straws dip in one glass and stories begin. The place has also been glorified by famous personalities since the Bengal renaissance. All these has led "Paramount" to have an unique aura of it's own.

The appearance never changes. The board at the entrance still rightfully boasts of the quality. Couples who come back to this place find it to be amazingly similar to the one they had left on a hot summer afternoon decades ago. Their romance may have not fainted. Perhaps two straws again dip in one glass... Some things never change. "Paramount" won't.