Raja Charanjit Singh was a connoisseur and his knowledge of food, both Indian and Western was rivalled by few. Like most royal households, Chapslee had separate kitchens and staff for Indian and Continental cuisines. The English kitchen was always headed by a ‘Mog Cook’, with a ‘Mate’ and his helpers.

Magh (Mog) is the term used for the Marma people of Arakanese descent who settled in the Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh after it was annexed during the 16th and 17th centuries by the Kingdom of Arakan (now a part of Myanmar). The Magh sailors along with the Portuguese plundered the coast of Chittagong and were called Magh pirates. Aboard the Portuguese ships they were exposed to European food and developed legendary skills of being able to recreate the same flavours wherever they went. An added advantage was that being Buddhists, they had no qualms in cooking either pork or beef. In time, they made their way into the clubs of Calcutta, the bastions of the British Raj, where they were trained by English cooks. It was not long before they became an integral part of every House of standing in Colonial India.

Raja Charanjit Singh devised a set menu to gauge the skills of any Mog cook seeking employment at Chapslee. It comprised of a cold consommé without a speck of grease; roast mutton of required tenderness and succulence with tasteful gravies and sauces; fried fish fillet of the ideal thickness and fried to a flawless golden brown; and a hot soufflé of the perfect consistency.

While the Mog cooks have long since faded into history, the recipes survive and Chapslee continues to serve it’s guests a varied Continental Menu. The popular fare includes Eggs Florentine, Roast Mutton/Chicken, Sheppard’s pie, Fish Meuniere, Cannelloni, Lemon Meringue Pie and an assortment of soufflé’s and fritters.

Dinner at Chapslee in the elegant dining room, served by gloved beras, on delicate china with silver table ware, is guaranteed to be a sublime experience in fine dining.