Hakka culture and traditions made its way to the kitchen of a Victorian-style coffee bar at Kolkata’s Park Street. Chef Katherine Lim collaborated with Gormei and Patron Tequila to curate ‘Not a Noodle Night’, a pop-up that celebrated the authentic Hakka cuisine, on February 8, 9 and 10 at AMPM Kolkata
All photos by Amit DattaBorn in Amritsar, Punjab, now based in Kolkata, chef Katherine Lim, presented a special a la carte menu that served as a prelude to the Chinese New Year. An ode to her culture and traditional cooking techniques, she used some of her homemade ingredients to add that extra touch of authenticity to the food. True to its name, the menu had no noodles but seven exquisite dishes, in both vegetarian and non-vegetarian categories, along with a sumptuous dessert
At the AMPM bar, there were five cocktails by (centre) mixologist Pankaj Singh Gusain that celebrated the theme. The star of the cocktail menu, (right) PM Takeout, was a Lap Cheong (Chinese sausage) fat-washed Bombay Sapphire gin-based cocktail with mushroom cordial and tonic. It had a smoky flavour with notes of sweet, caramelised mushroom. Giving it tough competition was (left) Huangjiu Highball, made with Grey Goose Vodka, homemade Chinese rice wine and pear cordial – a refreshing, mildly sweet cocktail topped with a pear chip that looked like glass
(Left) Fungpao AM, stirred with Bombay Sapphire gin, strawberry-infused Aperol and red amaranthus tonic, was a perfect sip for people who like sweet cocktails. Another option was (right) Dragon’s Breath, a Patron Tequila based sweet and sour cocktail with an aroma of kaffir lime. It had a beautiful dragon rice paper on top which looked rather too good to eat!
‘My Kolkata’ began with the (top) Moneybag Wontons, an auspicious Chinese New Year dish. The perfectly crispy coating hid a soft filling of finely-chopped cabbage, carrots and garlic chives. It was just the right starter served with the chef's special chilli oil. Up next, we moved onto the omnivore’s favourite part of the menu. We tried Katherine’s speciality, Roast Crackling Pork served on miso mash with ‘kasundi’ drops adding the Bengali touch. The skin of the pork belly was crisp while the meat was juicy and tender
It was time for some chicken wings — (top) Nam Yu Fried Chicken Wings, that were made with red bean curd, a traditional Chinese condiment made from tofu, rice wine, salt, and seasonings. The subtle sweetness and the umami flavour was tantalising. The dragons arrived at the table once again but in the form of Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, which was a soft Chinese bun stuffed with flavourful pieces of mutton marinated in Xinjiang spice mix, which had Szechuan peppercorns, cumin, dried Szechuan chilli flakes, and black peppercorns
Next was a dish from where Gormei began — yes, Hong Kong! (Bottom right) Hong Kong Curry QQ Fish Ball Skewers served as a Chinese counterpart of chitol maachher muitha. Argha Sen, founder of Gormei, described it simply as ‘a popular street food in Hong Kong.’ The texture was indeed exactly like our Bengal’s Muitha — soft, juicy and spongy! Speaking of Bengali cuisine, we found another similarity while tasting the ‘Good Fortune’ Lo Bak Go. These were radish cakes made with Katherine’s homemade Lap Cheong sausages and dried shrimps — a subtle smell which reminded us of ‘chingri shutki’! That set the mood for (top) Prawn Toast Sandwich. It had a juicy, meaty prawn filling in between two fried breads garnished with sesame seeds, which added a nutty flavour profile
After controlling the urge to try Lazy Dragon Rolls (Bao Swiss Rolls with chicken and scallion fillings), we indulged in a Fried Milk Custard served with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a unique soy caramel! Once again, the umami flavour made its entry with the soy sauce but this time it was mostly sweet because of the caramel. The custard was crumbly and crispy from the outside and soft and bouncy from the inside!
Cecilia Leong-Salobir, a food historian from Perth, Australia, who was visiting Kolkata with (left) her daughter Nena, dropped by AMPM Kolkata to experience Katherine’s special menu. ‘Every dish is incredible. It is a great experience for me as I come closer to understanding the traditions of the Hakka community in India. In one word, we feel very represented through this pop-up. And about Kolkata, it is such a wonderful place to be!’ said Cecilia
Busy in the kitchen, Katherine took a quick break to interact with guests. ‘It has been amazing to be able to do this very special pop-up in Kolkata with AMPM, Patron and Gormei. The feedback on first night has been amazing, with everyone saying it’s a different experience they haven’t had before in Kolkata’
The man behind Gormei said, ‘The Chinese New Year of the Dragon symbolises power, prosperity and fortune, and this is what Chef Katherine is bringing to the table with her creative, global spin on heritage Hakka Chinese dishes. Adding further spark are the Hakka-inspired cocktails that really make the dragon roar!’