If you can't find a restaurant or cookbook here it's because I have
either not yet reviewed or did not like it. Please look elsewhere for negative reviews.
Contact Chrissie Walker
mostlyfood[at]live.co.uk. For restaurant and hotel
reviews please email: enquiries[at]celebritychefs-online.com
or call +44(0)1925 418182
collection of over 100 recipes from 21 of the very best
Indian chefs. Saturday Kitchen Live regulars and Michelin-star chefs
Atul Kochhar and Vivek Singh are just two of the 21 top Indian chefs
who star in this anthology of spice-inspired recipes. Emerging out of
London, these chefs have helped to sculpt the city into the spice
capital of the world with their clever culinary skills.
Chrissie Walker has collated all of these incredibly mouthwatering
recipes into one beautiful volume, writing a framework around each to
contextualise their history and importance in this fascinatingly rich
and diverse scene.
Capital Spice is a collection of delicious recipes which allow you to
recreate the dishes of this rich crop of world-class chefs, and
experience a little of the magic of some of the capital's very best
restaurants. The foreword is written by Sanjeev Kapoor, India's most
recognised TV chef and restaurateur.
Atul Kochhar at Benares
Prahlad Hegde at Bombay Brasserie
Cyrus and Pervin Todiwala at Café Spice Namaste
Rohit Khattar and Manpreet Singh Ahuja at Chor Bizarre
Hari Nagaraj at Cinnamon Club
Vivek Singh at Cinnamon Kitchen
Shamil Thakar and Naved Nasir at Dishoom
Navin Bhatia at Dockmaster’s House
Claire Fisher at Ganapati
Rajesh Suri and Samir Sadekar at Imli
Mehernosh Mody at La Porte des Indes
Shusma and Deepak Kapoor at Ma Goa
Sanjay Anand at Madhu’s
Dhayalan Paul, Gerard McCann and Lara Zanzarin at Mint Leaf Lounge
Anirudh Aurora at Moti Mahal
Sriram Aylur at Quilon
Manish Sharma at Sitaaray
Reza Mahammad and Brinder Narula at Star of India
Alfred Prasad at Tamarind
Karam Sethi at Trishna
Jasbinder Singh, Claudio Pulze and Luigi Gaudino at Zaika
Chrissie Walker is Editor and Owner of Mostly Asian Food and Mostly
Food Journal, which garner more than 350,000 readers per year, with
more than 3000 followers on social media.
Published August 2012 by Absolute Press, an imprint of Bloomsbury
288 pages, 120 colour photographs, ISBN 978-1-906-65072-8, price
Order from your favourite bookshop or email mostlyfood[at]live.co.uk
Join award-winning cookbook author Corinne Trang, a celebrated expert
on Asian cuisine, as she guides you through New York
Chinatown demystifying the world of
Asian ingredients. You'll discover
markets specializing in dried seafood, bird's nests, and more, and meet
an herbalist. You'll visit a typical Asian supermarket and vegetable
stand where condiments and produce will be identified and tips on
proper storage and use will be revealed. You'll taste all sorts of
dumplings, northern style pulled noodles, Southeast Asian beef jerky,
and Asian-style ice cream including black sesame and lychee. The tour
will also include a Taiwanese tea service. Bring an open mind and an
Tours are scheduled every Wednesday starting the first week of July,
from 10 AM to 2 PM (unless otherwise noted) for a minimum of 8 and
maximum of 10 people. (Please note: autographed copies of Essentials of
Asian Cuisine, The Asian Grill (2006), and Noodles Every Day (2009) are
extra and available at a discounted price.) For more information
including cost or to arrange a private group tour, please email
email@example.com. Also feel free to browse through the website at http://www.corinnetrang.com/
CURRY FOR CHANGE
Curry for Change aims to raise awareness of Find Your
Feet’s work with vulnerable families in India who suffer from hunger
and raise vital funds to ‘change’ lives through a celebration of Indian
THE CAMPAIGN ONLINE:
Visit our micro site:www.curryforchange.org.uk
Follow us on twitter:@findyourfeet
Follow us on Facebook: Find Your Feet
Follow the campaign on twitter: #curryforchange
Khaadraas ('Greedy Pigs') Club Dinner at Cafe Spice
Namaste – Friday 21st June. Cooking the way Chef Cyrus’ Mum (and aunts
grandmothers) taught him! Your chance to taste authentic Parsee
cuisine, from recipes passed down through generations. Enjoy a 3-course
set menu featuring sophisticated and fragrant dishes prepared only the
way a true Parsee can. Further information can be seen on the Cafe
Spice web site http://cafespice.co.uk/
Darjeeling Express Supper club
Supperclub with Maunika Gowardhan
CAMPAIGN AMBASSADORS AVAILABLE FOR INTERVIEWS:
• Atul Kochhar – has visited Find Your
Feet’s work in India personally
• Vivek Singh – has visited Find Your Feet’s work in
• Cyrus Todiwala – extensive knowledge of the history
of Indian cuisine from around the continent.
• Anjali Pathak – has toured Indian on various
cookery explorations to discover new spices and recipes.
• Dhruv Baker – Masterchef winner has also travelled
extensively to develop his knowledge of Indian cuisine.
The campaign includes two elements: the first is the
eat-in element to encourage the general public, no matter where they
to get involved by organising their very own Curry for Change evening
to bring friends together and raise funds to help families build a
future free from hunger. In 2013, people who sign up for their
FREE Curry for Change kit will receive:
• Exclusive recipes by Anjali Pathak and Atul Kochhar
• A free pack of authentic spices from FUDCO
• The chance to win a private master class with
The second element encourages people to eat out in one of the
supporting restaurants and supper club hosts during the month of June.
In 2013 restaurants and supper club hosts supporting the campaign will
• Atul Kochhar’s Michelin star restaurant Benares and
his new contemporary restaurant Indian Essence
• Vivek Singh’s renowned restaurant group Cinnamon
Club, Cinnamon Kitchen and Cinnamon Soho
• Cyrus Todiwala’s popular Cafe Spice
• Authentic Indian family restaurant Regency Club
• Rohit Chugh's critically acclaimed Indian Street
Kitchen & Dining Room ROTI CHAI in the West End
• Renowned hosts and chefs will also be championing
campaign - Darjeeling Express, Cook in Boots, Urban Raj, Maunika
Gowardhan and Cooking with Monisha.
This year we are delighted to have the support of a number
of great companies who share our passion and commitment to enabling
families to build a future free from poverty. These include:
• COOK who produce delicious frozen ready meals,
including some tasty curry dishes that are made by their own chefs and
delivered to your door.
• Duke of Delhi who produces delicious biscuits and
snacks that are inspired by street food sold in the bustling heart of
• Pistachio Rose who are a boutique bakery that
specialise in the fusion of quintessential Indian flavours with elegant
cakes, delicate biscuits and crumbly pastries.
• Devnaa who make luxurious Indian inspired
Tourists are creatures of habit. They tend to stick to the
familiar and that is very much the case in Malaysia. There are fabulous
beaches and the city lights of the capital, but there is charm and
history waiting to be discovered in Malacca and it’s only a few hours
drive from Kuala Lumpur.
According to 16th century Malay historians, the city was founded by
Parameswara, a Palembang prince who, fleeing from his Japanese enemies,
eventually found himself on the west coast of the Malay peninsula.
While hunting near the mouth of a river called Bertam, he rested under
a tree and spotted a white mouse-deer. This timid animal kicked one of
his hunting dogs which fell into the river. The prince was so impressed
by the deer's brave attack that he decided to build a new city on the
banks of the river. He asked one of his servants the name of the tree
under which he was standing and was told that the tree was called
Malaka. Parameswara named his city after the tree.
By the first decade of the 16th century Malacca was a noteworthy
international seaport and a centre for the trade of silks and spices
from both China and India, and this inevitably attracted the attention
of foreign powers. The Portuguese under the command of Afonso de
Albuquerque arrived first in the early 1500s and after taking the city
by force he constructed the massive fortification of A Famosa on the
coast to deter any future counter-attacks. A small part of the fort can
still be seen today, although it’s now a little further away from the
sea due to modern land reclamation.
A Famosa remained until 1641, when the Dutch invaded Malacca after an
eight-month siege which left the city in ruins. They rebuilt it over
the following 150 years but in 1795 Holland was captured by French
Revolutionary armies and they handed Malacca over to the British to
avoid its capture by the non-revolutionary French forces. Malacca
changed hands several times over the following years due to its
strategic location, but from 1826 the city was ruled by the East India
Company. It was, along with the rest of the peninsula, occupied by the
Japanese from 1942 to 1945. Independence from the British government
was not achieved until 1957 with a proclamation of independence by His
Highness Tunku Abdul Rahman Putra Al-Haj, Malaysia's first Prime
Chinese, British, Portuguese, Dutch, Thai and Arabs have
come to trade or invade over the previous centuries and
each one of them has left their distinctive mark on Malacca. It is
considered Malaysia's most historically significant city and it’s easy
to see why. The rendered walls, painted doors and windows, tiled roofs
combine to give a very particular ambiance. It’s a living and energetic
city but there are those charming architectural features that remain,
allowing the visitor to take a peek at the past.
The Majestic Hotel in Malacca provides all that the discerning
traveller might want. It’s unique and nothing like the usual 5* hotel
which although well-appointed will have a degree of familiar sameness –
yes, very comforting but one might awake wondering if this is Brussels
…or Bratislava, as the drapes are the same. No, The Majestic is
bespoke, polished and full of local character.
The imposing frontage of The Majestic hints at the quality
and style within. Its painted shutters and shady veranda hark back to a
gentler time of rubber plantations and unabashed style. The original
section of the hotel was built in the 1920s as a private home and only
later became a hotel. It was purchased by YTL Hotels in 2007 and
reopened as The Majestic we see today with its 15-floor extension
creating 52 sumptuous rooms and suites.
The ground-floor reception and bar offer dark wood and
tiled floors which are original. It’s the attention to detail in the
public spaces that points to the accessible luxury throughout the
hotel. Jars of local sweets and treats tempt the visitor to linger but
more awaits in your room.
Dark wood and swathes of silk fabrics help to create an exotic nest for
the guest. Bathrooms are big here in every regard. Claw-foot roll-top
baths partner spacious showers, and those facilities become part of the
bedroom when the wall shutters are slid back. Rooms at the Majestic are
designed for those who expect and appreciate the best.
But tourist cannot live by unadulterated in-room pampering
alone. There is also a celebrated spa for those who can drag themselves
away from charming private opulence, and a restaurant that should be on
the list of must-experience culinary delights to be enjoyed by hotel
guests and Malacca residents alike.
Chef CK Pow presents a Nyoya or Peranakan menu and its dishes are
memorable. One can dine, or one can learn at one of the regular cooking
classes. The dining room is beautifully appointed and the perfect spot
in which to sample some of the iconic dishes of Asia’s original fusion
cuisine. It’s a tasteful melange of Chinese and Malay spice palates:
Pie Tee are crunchy pastry shells filled with vegetables and shrimps –
they make a popular Peranakan starter. The Laksa in Malacca is unlike
the more common Malaysian varieties as it’s a coconut curry-base with
fish cakes. Kuih are Peranakan cakes or desserts and are a must-try;
Onde Onde are rice dough balls filled with liquid palm sugar and coated
in coconut shreds. Bright blue Pulut Tai Tai are delicious sweets, and
isn’t blue food novel?
The Majestic Hotel in Malacca is a diminutive resort in
its own right. There is a small
library for those solitary sorts who relish the quiet of
that veranda out front. There is a pool for cooling dips on sultry
afternoons, a gym to work off those Kuih, and don’t forget that spa for
recovery after the gym. This hotel has polish and panache but it
remains cosy with the lingering ambiance of the original home.
The Majestic Hotel is a destination within a destination. Don’t miss
The Majestic Malacca
188 Jalan Bunga Raya
For more information on Malaysian holidays visit
For flights to Malaysia visit Malaysia Airlines
Train2e@t Local Foodbook - Kuala Lumpur by Danny Chen
Danny Chen is the author of this small yet deliciously stuffed book. He
is the complete modern man, being a lover not only of
Malaysian cuisine but of music and travel too, and well placed to pen a
volume that considers one of the best things in life: Food.
Danny isn’t a full-time food writer although he is evidently a
full-time eater. It’s the Malaysian national hobby which is practised
to perfection at least five times each day. People talk about lunch at
breakfast. They ponder dinner at lunch, and then there are those other
Malaysian street food is fast food. That expression will lead my
dear reader to assume that the roads of Kuala Lumpur are lined with
pizza parlours and burger joints. Well, they are creeping in and it’s a
mystery why. Fast food here is the traditional street food that is made
while the drooling diner waits, or is already in a steaming pot ready
to be served. Now that is surely faster than that Western ‘fast-food’
for which one will queue to order, queue to pay, and leave after only
moments, having chewed an insubstantial and iffy patty which lacks
flavour, cultural context and pertinence outside the land of its
Kuala Lumpur has thousands of restaurants and street stalls selling
food to the local population who appreciate a cuisine as diverse as
those who seek it. Every resident will have his favourite spot for a
soup noodle dish, his preferred stall for fried tofu, and a restaurant
which he believes sells the best rice dish.
Danny Chen gives the food lover, be they Malaysian or visiting tourist,
an overview of some of the most iconic, tempting and economic dishes to
be found in the city, and the element that links all these plates is
the transport system. Danny has selected eateries that are within a
kilometre of a station. There is an Integrated Train System map at the
front of the book to enable the hungry to plan both meal and method of
getting to it.
Kuala Lumpur offers vibrant foods that reflect the cultural mix of
those living in the city. Train2e@t Local Foodbook will encourage locals to try some
restaurants and stalls with which they might not be familiar, and it’s
surely going to become the must-read guide for the visitor. More
accurately it’s the must-carry guide for any tourist who wants to
immerse himself in traditional culture. Remember those aforementioned 5
meals per day.
I was lucky enough to spend an afternoon with this charming and
culinarily passionate writer who took me on a mini grazing marathon.
There is a world of traditional Asian dishes in Malaysia and it seems
we made an effort to sample an embarrassing wealth of them. Every
nation who has had even a passing relationship with this peninsula has
left its mark. Along with Malay there are Chinese specialities and
Indian curries, amongst others.
We stroll through the thronging Chinatown and pass stalls selling
‘designer-label’ handbags along with the usual array of tourist
kitchery, but we were on a mission and heading for Madras Lane. The
official name of the street is Jalan Sultan but Madras Lane is the name
by which it’s known, and is said to pay homage to the Madras Cinema
which burnt down in 1978. In typical Malaysian fashion, the Madras
showed Chinese films to a Malaysian audience.
Madras Lane can be intimidating with its cramped tables and novel
dining etiquette. Danny says that it’s important to pick a stall for
one’s food and then find its associated tables, as there are rules
about sitting in the correct zone.
We sample assam laksa which is a sour, fish-based soup and was
listed at number 7 on the World's 50 Most Delicious Foods complied by
CNN Go in 2011. Assam is the Malay word for tamarind which is a common
souring ingredient in Indian recipes. It was used to great advantage
here to give rich sharpness. Next was the more usual Curry Laksa
which has a creamy coconut stock base. We also enjoyed rice noodles and
stuffed tofu. With each dish Danny gave information about origin and
The meal was hot and spicy so a refreshing drink was in order. Danny
suggests Petaling Street market in Chinatown for a mug of Air Mata
Kucing. This is a traditional Malaysian drink and the name translates
literally as "Tears of the Cat's Eyes" as the leaves of this tree seem
to glow in the dark. You may know the fruit as a Longan which is
related to the lychee. Dried longans are boiled with rock sugar to
produce a sweet liquid looking like black brewed tea. Unmissable.
Our next stop introduced us to Indian food in Malaysia. It’s exactly
like Indian food in India and Anuja restaurant made no concessions to
Europeans. No silverware here …and no plates. Restoran Anuja, in Jalan
Pudu, is a 2-storey restaurant and those in the know will head upstairs
to enjoy air-conditioning. It’s famed for its banana leaf rice. The
leaf is in fact your plate and it’s a substantial swath of green to
accommodate an equally copious spread of biryani with eggs, side
dishes, sauces, chutneys and piping hot fried fish. There was also
moist and flavourful fried chicken along with papadoms and naan bread.
The restaurant is casual but the standard of food was as good as one
would find in any restaurant sporting the usual complement of forks and
Yes, I was spoilt by having Danny Chen as a guide but anyone can buy
his book and it’s worth the investment. You will find the best examples
of remarkable dishes; you will eat with locals; you will eat like
locals; and will doubtless be planning your stay to encompass as many
of the gastronomic attractions of Kuala Lumpur as the historic variety.
This is a colourful, informative and exciting book for anyone who
considers eating as important as breathing.
Train2e@t Local Foodbook - Kuala Lumpur by Danny Chen is available here
For more information on Malaysian holidays visit
For flights to Malaysia visit Malaysia Airlines
Hop-Off – Day and Night Tour in Kuala Lumpur
This city makes an ideal stop-over for long-haul
passengers heading for Australia or New Zealand, although
to delight, tempt and inspire those who want a
longer visit. Malaysia does indeed have those tropical beaches, but it
One can miss so much without a guide, but walking tours take time and
might not be appealing in hot weather …and it’s liable to be hot
weather in Kuala Lumpur. But a bus tour will give the visitor an
overview and will cover the most celebrated attractions. Hop-On Hop-Off
Day and Night Tours are unique, comfortable and give that
aforementioned overview, and some of those sites visited are actually
shown to best advantage after dark.
The Hop-On Hop-Off service has a regular circular route that allows
tourists to start the tour at any point and end at the same place. The
route passes around three dozen local attractions with 22 designated
Tickets can be purchased on the distinctive double-deck buses, from
authorized agents and, conveniently, on-line. They offer a flexible
"hop on, hop off" service which allows the passengers to alight at any
of the stops to see sites in more detail, or they can stay on the bus
for the whole circuit. Tickets are valid for either 24 hours or 48
hours allowing passengers to set a relaxed pace but still see plenty of
The Hop-On Hop-Off service has a pre-recorded commentary on headsets in
nine languages (Bahasa Malaysia, English,
Mandarin, Hindi, Tamil, Arabic, Japanese, French and Spanish).
There is a driver and a tour assistant on each bus to help passengers
during the trip. They are both local and will be able to answer any
There is a Customer Service Centre for the Hop-On Hop-Off tours at
Malaysia Tourism Information Centre (Jalan Ampang), Bukit Bintang, KL
Sentral (arrival hall) and Central Market, and there is also a
toll-free info-line at 1-800-88-5546.
Petaling Street is the main thoroughfare for Kuala
Lumpur’s Chinatown. It’s vibrant and exciting with stalls selling
food and tourist souvenirs but you will likely be there for a bargain
handbag. Note that a designer label at a low price is liable to be a
knock-off, so beware. Stick to a non-label with a nifty design and you
might just get a bargain. You will be expected to haggle!
Sri Mahamariaman Temple
The Hindu temple is striking and is, surprisingly, found
in the heart of Kuala Lumpur’s Chinatown. It was built in 1873
and is considered the most impressively detailed Hindu temple in
Malaysia. Its entrance is bedecked with ornate sculptures of Hindu gods
and its floors and walls are covered in coloured tiles.
Petronas Twin Towers
Also known as the Petronas Towers or Twin Towers, whatever
you call them there is no argument that they dominate the Kuala Lumpur
skyline. They were the world’s tallest buildings from 1998 to 2004 but
they are also masterpieces of design. Tower 1 was built by Hazama
Corporation of Japan and Tower 2 by the South Korean multinational
Samsung Engineering & Construction. Rising to 451.9 metres, the
88-storey building is said to be inspired by Tun Mahathir Mohamad's
vision for Malaysia as a global power. The Skybridge connecting the
towers is the world's highest 2-storey bridge.
Batu Caves and Lord Muragan Hindu Temple
The Hop-On Hop-Off offers a night tour that will allow the
visitor to see The Lord Muragan Hindu Temple at, in my opinion, its
most magnificent. The Batu Caves and the temple are found in the Gombak
district, 13 kilometres north of Kuala Lumpur. The caves take their
name from the Sungai Batu or Batu River, which flows past the hill.
The Batu Caves are set in limestone rock riddled with caves. The main
Batu Cave is known as the Cathedral Cave and is reached by a steep
flight of nearly 300 steps. This isn’t a climb to be undertaken by
anyone with health issues or those with vertigo. During daylight hours
the steps are invaded by macaque monkeys who will terrorise anyone
The top of the stairs opens into a huge cave with a high vaulted
ceiling. The cave serves as a Hindu Temple devoted to Lord Muragan, the
Hindu God of war and victory, who is a popular deity among Hindus, and
is worshipped primarily in areas with Tamil communities. At the foot of
the stairs there is a 42-metre high golden statue of the god. This is
the tallest statue of any Hindu deity in Malaysia and second only to
the Kailashnath Mahadev Statue in Nepal. This Malaysian giant took 3
years to build and was unveiled in January 2006. It’s mystical at night
when it is illuminated in all its gleaming splendour:
it is covered with 300 litres of gold paint!
Kuala Lumpur City Gallery
Located in a 114-year-old building, this is a must-see for
anyone who wants to know all about Kuala Lumpur, its history and its
future! The souvenir shop has a selection of marvellously crafted
wooden pictures, screens and other enticing gifts.
You will likely want ether a snack or a sustaining meal
during your tour of Kuala Lumpur. The Hop-On Hop-Off stops at Satay
Station where you will find the national speciality and it’s cooked on
glowing embers at the front of the restaurant. You will be served with
your choice of either chicken or beef satay and its associated
peanut-based sauce, and these will be served with the traditional
garnish of compressed rice cake, cucumber and onion. There are also
hearty noodle dishes and soft drinks. If you visit from the Night
Hop-On Hop-Off tour you might even be serenaded by local musicians
playing traditional Malaysian songs. You might not be able to join in
but you will be charmed.
Hop-On Hop-Off will teach you about the history, culture, food and
religions of this diverse country. You will cover more ground by bus
than on foot, you won’t get lost and the guide will give you
information not found in guide books. The staff are well-informed and
enthusiastic so sit back, relax, listen the commentary and watch Kuala
Lumpur unfold before you.
For more information on Malaysian holidays visit
For flights to Malaysia visit Malaysia Airlines
In the 15th century some city-states on the Malay
Peninsula paid taxes to China and Siam, now Thailand. There is a
legend that the Emperor of China sent a princess, Hang Li Po, to the
Sultan of Malacca as a token of appreciation for his tribute. The 500
nobles and their servants who accompanied the princess eventually
married local girls, and their descendants became “Straits-Chinese” or
You might think you know nothing of this unique culture, but Peranakan
ladies have inspired the striking, beautiful and iconic costume worn by
Malaysia Airlines staff that is loosely, or more accurately, tightly,
based on the Peranakan kebaya. The traditional dress for Peranakan
women is a long skirt adapted from the Malays’ batik sarong, with a
chiffon embroidered blouse called a kebaya. These gorgeous creations
are enhanced still further by the traditional three fastening brooches
called kerosang. The costume is completed by a pair of intricately
beaded slippers called kasot manek. These were originally made by
sewing Bohemian glass beads onto canvas-topped shoes. The designs
tended to be floral and reflected the patterns found in the colourful
Peranakan dinner services and tea sets.
Malaysians and Indonesians use the word ‘Peranakan’, meaning
descendant, followed by a qualifying indication of ethnicity, such as
Cina for Chinese, and Belanda for Dutch, the term referring to the
origins of someone’s great-grandparents or ancestors even further back
than that. Female Straits-Chinese descendants were called nyonyas. The
word nyonya or nonya comes from Javanese and is thought to be a
corruption of the word ‘donha’, the Portuguese for lady. Baba is a
Persian word borrowed by Malay speakers as a respectful name for
grandparents. The term is thought to originate with Hindi-speaking
Baba Nyonya heritage is celebrated at the private museum, called the
Peranakan Museum, run by the Babas and Nyonyas of Malacca. This
traditional 19th century Peranakan house is located along Jalan Tun Tan
Cheng Lock. The building shows some of the typical elements of a
Peranakan house: it’s a long house as properties were taxed by width,
and has an interior courtyard which allows both light and refreshing
rain into a home that would otherwise be rather gloomy.
From the Malay and Chinese influence Nyonya cuisine has developed, and
it’s becoming more popular as food-lovers search for regional or speciality
dishes. There is too much exciting food in Malaysia to even consider a
burger or even the ever-popular fried chicken on your visit, and it’s
unlikely you’ll find Peranakan dishes outside the Peninsula.
Peranakan cuisine takes advantage of a larder of regional spices, and a
battery of unique dishes has evolved to entice and intrigue the diner –
they range from the mild and comforting to the spicy and complex. The
visitor might have had Peranakan food in Singapore and that is also
authentic, but the Peranakan food in Malaysia is said to be hotter.
Laksa Lemak – rice noodles in coconut sauce – is a popular dish in
Malaysia with each restaurant offering its own interpretation. Ayam
Buah Keluak – Chicken with Keluak nuts – Is one of the most famous
Peranakan dishes. It’s delicious but needs to be prepared by
professionals: the seeds contain hydrogen cyanide and are poisonous if
consumed without proper processing. The nuts are boiled and buried in
ash and banana leaves and covered with earth for more than a month.
They change colour from a creamy white to dark brown or black; the
hydrogen cyanide released by the boiling and fermentation is washed
away with fresh water. The result when cooked is a nutty-sweet
preparation which is often returned to its shell for final
presentation. Ayam Buah Keluak is thought by many Peranakan food
aficionados to be the characteristic expression of how well a chef has
mastered the Peranakan culinary arts.
Nyonya cooking in the home has been in decline over the last several
decades. It’s not lack of regard for the epicurean heritage but more
the constraints of modern life. Long marinating of meats and
seafood before cooking, and the time-consuming preparation of spice
mixes make some of these dishes appropriate only for celebrations these
days. Here is a delicious and vibrant fish recipe that uses easily
found ingredients. This is a spicy dish but one could cut down
the number of chillies for a milder flavour. Other fish could be used
but be sure to choose a fish with firm flesh so that it doesn’t
disintegrate in the sauce.
Assam Pedas Mackerel
500g mackerel, in fillets
8 dried chillies soaked in water
2 cloves garlic
1 stalk lemongrass, crushed
1 tsp turmeric powder
20g shrimp paste
10g daun kesum / vietnamese coriander, or a
combination of mint and
2 cm ginger, peeled and finely chopped
2 tomatoes, cut into quarters
50ml tamarind juice or extract
Oil for frying
Salt to taste
Process the shallots and garlic together to form a paste.
Process the dried chillies and the shrimp paste together.
Remove the top and bottom parts of the okra but keep them whole.
Cut the aubergine into bite-sized chunks.
In a large pan or wok, heat a little oil and sauté the shallots
and garlic paste for a few minutes but without browning.
Add in the turmeric and dried-chilli-and-shrimp paste, and fry until
the oil separates slightly.
Add the tamarind juice, tomatoes, okra, aubergine, ginger and herbs.
Add salt to taste.
Simmer until the vegetables are just tender.
Add in the fish and simmer for a few minutes until the fish is cooked
Serve with steamed rice and other Peranakan dishes.
Malaysia is famed for its fine food and friendly faces.
Restoran Peranakan in Malacca offers a good selection of Nyonya dishes,
many of which show the Chinese influence. The restaurant is superbly
furnished with the dark wood and heavy furniture which is so much a
hallmark of traditional Peranakan homes, and now restaurants.
107, Jalan Tun Tan Cheng Lock,
75200, Melaka (Malacca)
For more information on Malaysian holidays visit MASholidays here
For flights to Malaysia visit Malaysia Airlines
Korean Royal Cuisine
A few years ago Korean food was almost unheard of – except
in Korea. There were no Korean restaurants and one couldn’t find
authentic ingredients even if one could find a recipe. But there has
been a burgeoning of restaurants, and one might wonder why.
Korean food fits well with the tastes of the British
public. We crave spice but also freshness. We enjoy simply cooked
seasonal ingredients. Korean food has much to offer and it’s more
available than ever. But what is Korean food?
Korean Royal Court cuisine can be traced back to the palaces of the
Joseon Dynasty, which
ruled Korea from 1392 until 1910. Kings were pampered and it was
important for them to eat healthy food. They were carried on
sedan chairs so they didn’t even have the chance of gentle exercise.
Their diet was designed to be low in fat to compensate for physical
The king would dine on a dozen different main dishes along with a
number of accompanying dishes including two types of cooked rice, two
types of soups, three types of kimchi (pickled vegetables), two types
of stew, three types of condiments and a steamed dish.
The twelve principal dishes were served on small plates and consisted
of cooked vegetables, fresh vegetables, chilled roasted meat or
fish, a boiled dish, pickled vegetables, dried meat or fish,
salted fish, stir-fried vegetables, and slices of boiled beef; there
would also be three special dishes of poached eggs, sashimi, and warm
roasted meat or fish.
All these dishes served not only to nourish the monarch but to act as a
guide as to how the rest of the country was
faring: the population was obliged to offer the king the best of their
produce. Crops would be harvested, game would be hunted and trapped,
and fish would be caught. The quality and quantity of these foodstuffs
would be an indication of the health and happiness of the nation.
A particularly attractive Korean dish gives a hint of the refinement of
some of these courtly foods. It’s the Gujeolpan which is the name for
the food and what it’s served in – very much like a casserole being
served in a casserole or a tagine being served in a tagine.
Gujeolpan or ‘platter of nine delicacies’ is just what the name
suggests. It’s traditionally an octagonal lacquered wooden box with
eight compartments around the sides and a central compartment.
These days they are also made of ceramic and even plastic. The outside
sections are filled with cooked vegetables, meats and eggs (with yolk
and white separated). The foods are placed so that similarly-coloured
items are opposite and this creates a harmonious design when the
Gujeolpan is filled.
The centre of the Gujeolpan is reserved for the delicate wheat pancakes
(Miljeon-byeong) which are often coloured with pureed vegetables. Each
guest takes a little of the prepared foods and fills a pancake. This is
rolled or folded and then dipped in sauces before being eaten. The
Gujeolpan always looks beautiful and exotic, and even the formality of
filling and rolling is appealing.
Cooking oil for frying
Beef suitable for
For marinating beef
Pepper and salt to taste
and cut into 4cm lengths, cut into sticks
Carrots, finely sliced into 4cm sticks
Manna lichen mushrooms, soaked, cleaned and sliced
Mung-bean sprouts, blanched, top and tail removed
Mix all ingredients together
Mix all ingredients together
Finely slice or grind the beef.
Soak the shiitake mushrooms and slice into thin pieces.
Mix both meat and mushrooms separately with the marinade.
Salt the cucumber and leave for ½ hour then squeeze out the
Marinate cucumber, carrots, mung-bean sprouts and manna lichen
mushrooms separately with sesame oil and salt. Fry them in the cooking
oil, then cool them.
Fry the marinated beef and then the shiitake mushrooms separately.
Add a little salt to both egg white and egg yolk. Fry egg white then
egg yoke in thin layers so you have a white disc and a yellow disc.
Finally, slice them into fine shreds, 4cm long.
In a bowl mix salt and flour and add water a little at a time. Then,
sieve the batter to remove any lumps.
Heat some cooking oil in a small frying pan, and put a tablespoon of
batter into the centre of the pan. Spread out with the back of the
spoon to create a thin crepe. As soon as the pancake starts to look
dry, flip and cook the other side until the pancake is just cooked
through. Remove from the pan and allow to cool. Continue till all the
batter is used.
When finished, the pancakes can be trimmed to a uniform size and shape
with a straight cookie cutter and then stacked in the centre section of
Place the toppings in the outer sections of the Gujeolpan. Make sure
that similar colours
are facing each other.
Use two separate small bowls to hold mustard sauce and vinegar-soy
Put different toppings on a crepe and wrap it. Eat with either mustard
sauce or vinegar-soy sauce.
Surely everyone in the Asian food industry, at least, must
have heard of Asma Khan. Indian Supperclubs and events flavoured with
family recipes that go back four generations is what this lady does.
But I had never been to a Supperclub and had no idea what to expect.
Well, yes, I had a notion that it was going
but I had not expected the
dishes to be so refined, so authentic, so delicious – I could affix any
positive adjective, any superlative to the dishes that arrived at our
table. The food was restaurant-quality, the like of which any
celebrated chef would be proud. It was more surprising when one
remembers that the kitchen is domestic, the chef has no formal training
and the sous-chefs are Asma’s friends. What was Asma Khan’s culinary
Asma grew up in India in a household full of women. ‘Food was very
important to us, and I think we were quite obsessive about it,’ she
says. ‘At breakfast we discussed what we would eat at lunch, at lunch
we discussed what we would eat at dinner! At the table we never talked
about anything but the food. It was very unusual if someone talked
about a problem at school, or some other event – there was almost a
silence around the table, “Why are you interrupting our talk of food?”
And the cooks would always come through to see that we children were
eating. The atmosphere at mealtimes was wonderful, and the cooks were
very much a part of that.
‘When we went to my grandfather’s house it was very embarrassing to us
outsiders: the best piece of meat or the hot paratha would go not to
the guest but straight to my grandfather – it was expected, the cook
would come and serve my grandfather first, and that’s not part of our
culture. Our food service was dictated by the fact that my grandfather
got first choice – first choice of the meat, first choice of the
paratha! He had this thing about a paratha having to be browned in a
certain way, so he would pick which one he would have, and then
everyone else was served. It seemed perfectly normal when I was growing
up, it was only when I left home that I realised what a crazy household
we had, and how food-obsessed we were! When I came here to Britain I
began to appreciate that this was not how other people are.
‘I met my husband when he was an academic at Cambridge
and I was a journalist in India; he got in touch with me to see if I
could help him interview certain people. We were engaged and got
married within three months of meeting – it really was quite romantic!
It was a shock when I came to Cambridge. I was cold and hungry, but I
couldn’t cook! I really suffered, because my husband had to eat his
meals in college and spend time with his students, so I ate a lot of
meals on my own. I grew up surrounded by food, I knew what dishes
should taste like, but I could cook nothing. I was really depressed,
and I told my mum that I wanted to get divorced because I was hungry,
and she said, “Are you crazy?” I told my aunts that they had better
teach me to cook really quickly and really well or I would get a
divorce and the scandal would come back on the family and nobody would
want to marry their daughters! Even my grandfather said, “Teach her how
to cook, this is really important!”
‘The advantage was that all the hidden recipes that
people had were shared with me. I am one of the few in my family who
can cook everything that my great-aunts could cook.’ Everyone
including cooks were anxious about Asma’s culinary predicament, and
evidently sprang into action, providing recipes and masterclasses. ‘It
was very emotional for me, because I learned to cook from everybody,
and now I have all the original recipes, including those never before
written down. Now I am cooking in the way my aunts did. I was one of
the few kids who didn’t like chillies, and the cooks would bring out
the food three-quarters cooked, for me to taste the spicing before they
put the chillies in for the others. When I look back I see that this
was the most privileged education in food that anyone could have – the
varieties, the subtleties, the adaptations – it was wonderful.’
Asma learnt to cook and the marriage survived.
ingredients in Cambridge
at that time, and Asma had to come into London for
everything she wanted. But help was once again on hand from the family
back home, many of whom brought over spices and half-cooked rotis
(because Asma was still learning to make round ones). ‘When we moved to
London it was a lot easier, and in any case things have changed
markedly in the last 22 years since we married. You can get everything
here now, and fabulous quality – in some ways the quality of spices is
better here than in India.
‘I have been gifted by this education and
and proud to share it
with others. For instance, there is a chilli dish in which the onions
are not supposed to brown. I was taught this dish by a man who had
cataracts and was blind, so he couldn’t see how I was cooking the
onions. To explain how to cook them he reminded me of a pearl necklace
that had once been given to me, at a time when he could still see. He
said, “When the onions swell up and look like those pearls, then take
them off the heat.” It is that kind of teaching that stays with me.’
But Asma didn’t consider a career in food right away. ‘I studied law,
and then did my PhD part-time, which I really enjoyed, but now I can
live my dream. I have 13- and 8-year old sons; they are very grown-up,
and I feel that this is the time for me. I am very lucky, because my
mother and grandmother never had that opportunity. I have a feeling of
real liberation. Which is why I called this Supperclub venture
‘Darjeeling Express’ – that train journey of my childhood was the start
of the summer holidays and you were no longer restricted in what you
wore or what you did.’
Asma comes from a regal and privileged background, and I wondered if
this had been a help or a hindrance. ‘I’m very aware of my heritage,
from both my father’s and my mother’s side, and I respect it deeply.
I’m not embarrassed about who I am or who they are; although it may be
bad form these days to say that I am from a royal family, we didn’t
live in that way. It’s not a burden – my grandfather gave away all his
lands and the palace – but I’m conscious of my heritage, and perhaps
the love of food comes from there. We didn’t have anything left after
Independence, but we kept the dining table tradition alive, where
everybody came together – I guess this was what my grandfather was used
to before everything changed. So for me, mealtimes are very important,
for the camaraderie and coming together as a family.’
I asked Asma if, as an Asian living in London, she sees
cooking as a way of maintaining her kids’ contact with their mother’s
culture. ‘I would really prefer my son to know his food more than his
language. This is the one thing that I can transmit to him, which he
can carry away with him wherever he goes, whoever he marries, whatever
household he has, whatever choices he makes in his life – the fact that
he can cook and will remember me cooking with him. This is the legacy I
carried away, and I think it’s underrated in some Asian families.
‘I think that food is the most wonderful gift that we have, although
it’s not being used as effectively as it could be to break down
barriers. I teach cooking at a state school opposite my home and it’s
great. They call me the ‘samosa mom’. The one skill that some immigrant
women have is cooking, and they are wonderful at it, and they love it,
but it’s confined to their home kitchen. They don’t understand what
value they have, and I think that so much more can be done for them. I
am working with a charity setting up a programme called Mummy’s
Cooking, for Asian women escaping domestic violence, and I will be
helping them to produce the perfect rotis and sell them locally.
I asked how Asma’s Supperclubs evolved. ‘I was very keen
to have some kind of food business, but didn’t know quite
friends, then at the last
minute four of them could not come, so I called another friend and
asked him to bring anyone else he knew, because I had prepared all this
food. He brought someone from the Supperclub Summit and this man called
me afterwards and suggested I present one myself, because it was the
most wonderful experience he had ever had; but I had to ask my friend
what a Supperclub was! My first one was a sell-out – 55 people! I have
had a dozen or so of them now, and I present one or two a month.’
Asma is modest but she does admit that she is getting noticed. ‘I do
know I am getting somewhere, I am very lucky – but this is not just
about me, I have had support from lovely people. A lot of people came
forward to help me initially, and though I am more experienced now, I
still need that. I don’t take it lightly, and I work very hard for the
three days up to each Supperclub meal. I want to present a meal that my
mother and I would enjoy together, and that is the basis on which I
design each menu. The optimum number is 24. I have my first wedding
Supperclub coming up – I am so excited. The couple had come to one of
my dinners – a Hindu and a strict Muslim – and they have asked me to do
their wedding meal for 30 here!’
What does a Supperclub mean to Asma? ‘It’s an extremely interesting
concept. If someone had told me that I was going to have total
strangers coming to my house and I was going to serve them food as if
it was a restaurant, I would never have got into it, because it seems
such an absurd idea. But I think it’s wonderful: I have been to other
Supperclubs and know other Supperclub chefs, and it gives you the
opportunity to offer home-cooked food, food that we have grown up
eating. People are adventurous – in the past I would have hesitated to
go to someone else’s house, but now of course I would go.’
Yes, the family palace might be a thing of the past but to many she is
considered the Rani of the Subcontinental Range, and the Queen of the
Indian Supperclub. She is now being recognised as a skilled and
dedicated food professional in the wider gastronomic arena.
One could easily miss Naga and that would be a shame. It’s
tucked down a side road off Kensington High Street and its entrance
doesn’t give much of a clue to the style of restaurant within; but it’s
a bijou revelation.
The bar is at the front and at street level but the business-end of
this restaurant is at the back and up …and down. This is a contemporary
and airy split-level conservatory with an ambiance that changes as the
sun (yes, I had to look that word up) sets. There are some tables on
the top deck and the floor of that provides the ceiling for one side of
the restaurant below. It’s intimate and cosy under there, with a
striking red wall decorated with calligraphy. A red parasol is the only
other design nod in an Easterly direction. Yes, Naga is a pan-Asian
restaurant but it introduces its diners to that continent via its
outstanding cuisine rather than flights of dragons. The ladies waiting
on table are traditionally dressed in cheongsams and that is much more
attractive than the ubiquitous black and white.
The character here is provided just as much by co-owner Tri Van Dang as
by the menu. He is fun, animated, friendly and dedicated. He isn’t a
chef but is passionate about the food served here. He will assure that
your evening is deliciously entertaining, and it’s obviously
appreciated as I noted several diners who were evidently regulars, and
that fact is an accolade for a relatively new restaurant. Naga was
doing very well on a freezing winter (spring is missing this year)
Owners Eddy Lim, celebrated
restaurateur with thirty years experience and Tri
Asian Chef 2011) have impeccable credentials for running a pan-Asian
think the secret to their success is not only the skill
of preparation but also the choice of dishes. Yes, Asian (with a few
fusion notes), but they offer harmonious culinary
insights into recipes using similar spice palettes. One can order an
array of starters, salads, meats and fish, and nothing will overpower.
All dishes are cooked to order so they are fresh and vibrant.
Silken Tofu with Ginger Dressing was light, indeed silken and
beautifully presented. A mild-tasting starter that will be sought by
both vegetarians and carnivores alike.
Crisp Chilli Salt Squid and Garlic French Beans are grazing dishes to
enjoy with a glass of fizz while considering the
rest of the menu. Once again the presentation was first-class.
Duck and Watermelon Salad was outstanding and a must-try:
plenty of meaty shreds on a herby salad; the fruit was
Slow Cooked Pork Belly with Crackling and Asian Mash is
a tempting dish, and your reward for ordering it will likely be
delicious addiction. It’s everything one would want from a traditional
pork roast – moist, flavourful meat and that band of crunchy crackling.
Black cod is always good but I could never understand the extreme
popularity - pleasant but not exciting. However, Naga Black Cod is the
best I have tried and now I can see the attraction. This dish was,
well, attractive and had lots of flavour. It flaked into glistening
saffron-coloured drifts that were aromatic and tender.
Asia isn’t famed for its desserts but if you have room
then I would suggest you try anything flavoured with pandan here. We
tasted the crème brulée topped with an emerald layer of
distinctly-flavoured pandan. For those who have visited
Singapore or Malaysia it will instantly revive memories. Linger over
this with a cup of jasmine tea and be transported far from High Street
I had not been keen on pan-Asian restaurants in the past but Naga has a
carefully chosen menu. The dishes all work, in
combination and alone. Strong Indian curries would not be appropriate
here but Naga’s subtle palette with sparks of chilli and garlic create
a delightful melange.
Tue - Sat: 12noon to 2.30pm for lunch
Mon - Sat: 6.30pm to 12.30am for dinner
(Last orders 11pm)
Sun: 12.30pm to 3pm for lunch, 6pm to 10pm for dinner
(Last orders 9:30pm)
Singapore is blessed with hotels of every comfort hue.
There are a few cheap and cheerful (if
you are lucky) small
hotels and a wealth of high-end spots to lay one’s travel-weary head.
But as with property of any kind, it’s location, location, location
that adds the word ‘memorable’ to ‘comfort’.
Park Regis Singapore is centrally located
want to be, and
especially if your break is a short one. There is so much that is
within walking distance, and that’s ‘easy’ walking distance.
Chinatown will likely be on your must-see
list and it’s only 10 minutes away. There are more
souvenir shops than one could shake an ornamental chop-stick at, and
dozens of restaurants offering anything from dim sum on which to snack
to full Szechuan banquets over which to sweat.
Park Regis has a metro station just across the road. Clarke Quay MRT
serves the eponymous neighbourhood just a short walk away, with its
restored warehouses which are now forming a hub of Singapore nightlife.
Set on the Singapore River this is a
tranquil spot for a coffee during the day, but it comes alive when the
sun goes down.
That handy metro stop offers Park Regis guests fast, clean and safe
transport to all Singapore attractions. It’s just a few
stops to the remarkable Marina Bay Sands complex with its iconic three
hotel towers. That’s right next to Gardens by the Bay with its huge
metallic trees. Little India has a metro station – go here for some
stunning fabrics. Orchard Road is all about tempting shops and
boutiques, and the metro will take you directly into its largest
Yes, Park Regis is a well-placed base from which to explore the city
but you will want a haven from the rigors of sight-seeing and you will
find it here. The service is impeccable and friendly and that’s welcome
after a jet-lagging flight that will have you longing for your room.
This is a fairly new hotel so everything is pristine and smart. Plenty
of dark wood but rooms are light and airy and ours had windows on three
sides. There is broadband internet access, 42" LCD TV, cable TV with
plenty of channels and Interactive TV (IPTV) and movies on demand,
although it’s unlikely you will find time for much viewing. The
individually controlled air-conditioning is a necessity as are the
spacious shower, crisp sheets and a good night’s sleep.
Park Regis has its own restaurant and several bars but breakfast here
is a treat. Hotels in Asia can be a joy for food lovers. They cater to
both western and eastern tastes and so present guests with lots of
early-morning grazing opportunities. There are the usual traditional
goods such as mounds of bacon, sausages (these were chicken), eggs and
potatoes but so much more. The omelette station was popular with both
Asians and Europeans but there were also steamed buns and dumplings and
congee for anyone looking for a
Chinese start to the day. Japanese guests had miso soup and there was
also a simmering pot of Laksa with its array of condiments for those
who want a taste of Malaysia.
So you have had a substantial breakfast and roamed the city for hours
and now it’s time to unwind. Park Regis has its own
pool in which to cool. There is a fully equipped gym for anyone who
needs a bit more exercise, and you will never be far from a snack or a
drink. For those unfortunates who must work, there is a full-service
Business Centre providing secretarial services. There are iMac
workstations with complimentary broadband internet access. Rental of
mobile phones and laptops and private meeting rooms are available.
Park Regis ticks all the boxes for this traveller. Yes, its location is
unbeatable but it’s that combined with all the other elements of
comfort and kindness that makes this one of my favourite hotels in the
area. It’s cosy, charming, practical and good value.
Park Regis - Singapore
23 Merchant Road
I first met Chef Janice Wong at her deliciously unique
dessert bar in Singapore in the early hours. It’s called,
unsurprisingly, 2am: dessertbar. It’s a showcase for this talented lady
and offers a flavour of this, her literary debut.
Janice looks even younger than her young years but she has
packed a lot into less than 30 of them, and has earned the respect of
her peers. That regard was broadcast internationally when she was
recently acclaimed Asia’s Best Pastry Chef at Asia’s 50 Best Restaurant
Awards in Singapore. This local girl has brought yet another accolade
to a city that is renowned for being the home of some of the most
innovative restaurants in the world.
But Janice didn’t initially find this passion for food in Singapore.
She was studying in Melbourne, Australia, when she was struck by the
wealth of foods from many different culinary traditions. She changed
her academic path and eventually went to France to study patisserie in
earnest. Yes, Janice has learned techniques from the world’s finest but
the imagination, drive and whimsy is Singapore-made and totally
Perfection in Imperfection is striking. Its cover is …well, partly
missing. The front is torn (each one by hand) and the spine isn’t there
at all. But remember the title and you will start to ponder, muse,
think, understand …and that’s what Janice Wong encourages her diners
and readers to do.
Perfection in Imperfection is a cookbook, but it is so much more. It’s
not a culinary destination but more a gastronomic signpost for the
reader. Janice’s dessertbar desserts are difficult to replicate. She
presents food in the form of art …or is that art in the form of food?
Some recipes are composed with the professional or dedicated and
experienced home cook in mind. There are a few with Bloomenthalesque
ingredients, but lots that can easily be accomplished by a regular food
enthusiast with a more limited larder. Rocher Magnums would be a start,
as it uses readily available ingredients to produce a classy, rich and
chocolatey frozen dessert. I am intrigued by Bubblegum Gummies, which
would make amusing retro edible gifts. Definitely one for every adult
with childhood bubble-blowing memories!
Attention to detail of not only the sweet creations but of the book
itself is beautifully evident. It’s the class of book that wins awards,
the style of book that will become a food literature collectable.
Janice successfully combines her love of ingredients with her flair for
design. She deftly combs and crumbles, brushes and blends, but – above
all – Janice Wong inspires.
Cookbook Review: Perfection in Imperfection
Author: Janice Wong
Published by: 2am: Lab
21A Lorong Liput
Ignatius Chan is unique, a quiet and gentle man who is sparked into
animation when talking about food and drink. He is celebrated and
respected in Asia but not as a chef: he is Asia’s sommelier.
Singapore is considered by many (this writer included) as one of the
finest of food capitals, not just in Asia but the whole world. Ignatius
has contributed to that reputation with his eponymous restaurant
‘Iggy’s’. It’s high-end, polished, with outstanding dishes, and
unsurprisingly a striking wine list. Its location in the Hilton makes
this eminently accessible to international visitors and locals alike.
But Ignatius has other culinary ventures and Kaiseki Yoshiyuki exudes
the same quality as ‘Iggy’s’ but it’s discreetly tucked away in the
basement of a shopping mall next to the Hilton, on Orchard Road. One
might not find this by accident but it’s worth seeking out. The
entrance is unobtrusive with just
in flowing calligraphy.
Kaiseki is a style of Japanese cuisine. With many courses that
represent both simplicity and complexity, it is becoming
Japanese food preparation and
Kaiseki is still to be found in ryokan (traditional inns)
in Japan, but it is also served in small restaurants, as it would
the home of Kaiseki and outside Japan these
restaurants are sometimes called Kyoto Kaiseki restaurants.
Kaiseki’s origins can be traced back to traditions of elaborate
feasting at the imperial court and the formalised Japanese tea
ceremony, along with the customs of Zen monks of the 17th century. The
dishes are characterised by not only their elaborate presentation but
the use of seasonal ingredients. The meal should be a homage to taste,
texture and visual appeal.
Finished dishes are carefully presented on plates and trays that are
chosen to enhance both the appearance and the seasonality of the fresh
ingredients. Dishes are thoughtfully placed and garnished with
vegetables sometimes carved to represent plants, birds or animals.
Kaiseki meals have a traditional order of serving with consideration of
cooking techniques, but an experienced chef will
introduce or admit dishes to help emphasise the theme of the meal. It’s
the highest form of culinary artistry, and chef
Yoshiyuki wields his knife to form epicurean tableaux.
Ignatius Chan and two partners opened this US$1.6m restaurant which is
named after its head chef, Yoshiyuki Kashiwabara, who has impeccable
culinary credentials. He spent seven years as the personal chef to the Japanese
Kyoryori Hosoi in Tokyo, where he
joined as a trainee and eventually headed the kitchen team. Yoshiyuki
now has his own venue to showcase the very best of Kaiseki cuisine.
This restaurant is instantly recognisable as part of the Chan empire.
Its design is thoughtful, inspired and a perfect vehicle for this
talented chef. There are no overt trappings of Japan but it contrives
to exude that distinct minimalist charm in contemporary fashion.
Shelves of tactile wooden book spines, and cases of illuminated
origami show imagination and flair but the décor doesn’t
overshadow the food. Nothing here offends the senses.
A meal at Kaiseki Yoshiyuki is memorable. The presentation is classic
with each of the many courses being offered to the guest as a complete
set on their personal tray. Every dish is beautiful, light and
delicious, and there are even elements of culinary whimsy. Yes, the
impression is of timeless formality, but enjoy the food and the event.
This is as far from one’s usual fast sushi outlet as one could imagine.
Sit at the counter and savour the ambiance.
Iggy Chan never disappoints. Kaiseki Yoshiyuki is a credit to both
Ignatius and this worthy chef who takes advantage of Singapore’s access
to the best ingredients from across the globe. This must surely be on
the must-visit restaurant list of any local or tourist.
Monday - Friday
12:00 noon - 1:30 pm for lunch
7:00 pm - 9:30 pm for dinner
7:00 pm - 9:30 pm for dinner
Forum the Shopping Mall
583 Orchard Road,
Raffles Hotel - Raffles
Courtyard for a taste of Italy
Tell anyone that you have just returned from Singapore and
the question on their lips is bound to be ‘Did you visit Raffles?’ They
don’t have to dignify that name with any appendage: everyone knows that
there is only one Raffles and that’s the hotel.
One walks down Beach Road and there is only one thing missing. The
beach. First opened in 1887 Raffles Hotel did indeed have a sea view
but years of much-needed local land reclamation has left this iconic
hotel around 500 metres from the sea.
It doesn’t need to have its name prominently displayed for one to
notice Raffles. It’s gleaming, ornate, imposing and there is that very
human and charming trademark – the Sikh doorman, who does command
respect even from the hotel’s well-heeled guests.
The hotel was established by two Armenian brothers
from Persia and it was remarkable, in those days, for accepting guests
of all races. Singapore was occupied by the Japanese during the Second
World War, and at the end of the conflict the hotel was used as a
transit camp for prisoners of war. In 1987 the Singapore government
declared the hotel a National Monument.
Raffles has been around long enough to have legend embroidered into its
very fabric. It’s reputedly where the last surviving wild tiger in
Singapore was shot, under the billiard table. In fact the probable
truth is that the tiger had escaped from a nearby circus and the poor
unfortunate was dispatched under the building that housed the billiard
table. That was back in 1902.
Another call to fame from this most iconic of Singapore institutions is
a much less violent event. That’s the invention of the Singapore Sling.
This cocktail was devised by bartender Ngiam Tong Boon between 1910 and
1915 and has remained a favourite ever since.
There are fifteen restaurants and bars at Raffles and all of them have
their own personalities and histories. The latest is
Raffles Courtyard and it provides an al fresco venue for casual Italian
meals at a very reasonable price. Tourists will be surprised to learn
that they can afford a meal at Raffles and enjoy at least some of what
the hotel guests are offered.
The Courtyard is beautifully appointed and gleams with
could be Cannes on
a fine day, although the service is guaranteed to be better here. There
is plenty that gives a nod to traditional Singapore, though. The
tropical palms and exotic plants add their own Asian ambiance, but that
ice cream vendor’s cart and the brick oven raise expectations of a very
Italian bill of fare.
The Courtyard opened on 14th January 2013. The Italian specialities
have been created by Deputy Executive Chef Nicola Canuti. He has a
creditable culinary pedigree having been Executive Chef at
Restaurant L'Albero in Moscow. I am betting he prefers the
weather in Singapore. Before that he could be found as Executive Chef
for Alain Ducasse Group at the Dorchester London and other locations.
Visitors can choose to have a light lunch and an hour or two’s quiet
during the heat of the day, or a leisurely dinner in the evening when
the Courtyard beckons those who want a memorable experience that won’t
break the bank.
The menu offers light and leafy salads, freshly made
pizzas from that aforementioned brick oven as well as classic pastas.
The dishes are authentic, delicious and create a perfect marriage of
European culinary heritage with that charming Raffles
architecture. This isn’t fusion but rather comfortable companionship.
My favourites from this Italian extravaganza are many.
good as you will find anywhere (including
Italy). It isn’t food to hurry but rather linger over with an
amphora (yes, they serve wine in terracotta jugs) of good red wine. Do
as the Italians do and people-watch, consider the day’s adventures, and
perhaps sample another pizza.
The must-try dishes at The Courtyard are:
Carpaccio di Carne Con Rucola e Parmigiano (beef carpaccio served with
rocket salad and Parmesan). Freshness is the key with this dish.
The beef was tender, the leaves were peppery and the cheese gave that
distinctive salty tang.
Vitello Tonnato (thin slices of loin of veal with a tuna sauce and
capers). This might sound an unlikely combination of ingredients but
they all work together marvellously in this classic preparation. The
sweetness of the meat finds a counterpoint in the fish.
All the pizzas here are light, crisp and traditional. A simple Pizza
Margherita would be delightful with perhaps a chilled prosecco but the
signature pizza must surely be Pescatore made with fresh tomatoes,
clams, shrimps, calamari with a sprinkling of vibrant green parsley.
This is a pizza for adults with discerning palates and it’s a million
miles away from anything you would have encountered at home …unless you
hail from Italy.
Pasta will be high on many an Italian dinner wish-list and The
Courtyard won’t disappoint. Linguini Con Pesto (linguini garnished with
basil pesto) is a summery plateful and this deserves a rustic red wine
alongside, but the star of the pasta selection must surely be Spaghetti
Con Vongole Zucchini E Botarga (spaghetti with clams, courgette and
botarga). Yes, I am suggesting seafood again because it is
famously good here in Singapore. The sweet clams are marvellously
complemented by the remarkable flavour of the cured fish roe. Just a
little grating of this transforms any seafood dish.
Save some space for the frozen desserts. The menu is short but none the
worse for that. These are artisanal ices that have remarkable flavour.
The sorbets in particular are outstanding. Try Sorbetto Alla Fragola
(strawberry sorbet) or Sorbetto Alla Pera (pear sorbet) for the
refreshing taste of real fruit.
The Courtyard at Raffles Hotel has something deliciously Italian for
every taste. All the dishes are reasonably priced so a meal at Raffles
is accessible to everybody.
Raffles Courtyard is open daily from 12 noon to 10pm.
Gazebo Bar Cocktails: 11:00am to 10:30pm
For reservations, contact Dining Reservations at +65 6412 1816 or email
with Executive Chef Massimo
Pasquarelli and Executive Pastry Chef Terence Pang
The Ritz-Carlton Singapore is one of my favourite comfort
destinations. It’s a delight
to stay there but also to visit and enjoy on Sundays when work is over,
or when one needs a civilised sit-down garnished with stunningly
delicious food. They are famed for their Sunday Brunch, which must be
on every traveller’s Bucket List, but they also present a seasonal
Sunday Afternoon Tea.
Spring Weekends Afternoon Tea is held in the striking Chihuly Lounge
(named after the artist whose impressive glass sculpture graces the
wall), and those seasonal teatimes are destined to become as famed as
the aforementioned copious brunch. The Ritz-Carlton does whatever it
does well, with flair, innovation and good taste.
Executive Chef Massimo Pasquarelli works with talented Executive Pastry
Chef Terence Pang to present this Cheese-themed Tea. That might conjure
images of a menu comprising a hefty selection of cheese sandwiches,
cheddar as main ingredient for cheese on toast, an individual macaroni
cheese, and perhaps a traditional cheesecake
But I was expecting something
special – this is The Ritz-Carlton, after all.
This menu is evidently a melding of mind and skill. Both Chef Terence
and Chef Massimo have respect for ingredients, and an afternoon tea
allows them to show those foods to delicious advantage, introducing a
little culinary whimsy to the proceedings. They have devised thirteen
desserts that contain cheeses, such as Baked Vanilla Camembert Cheese
Cake, Cheddar Raisin Scones, Citrus Cream Cheese Rolls (tangy and
fruity and unmissable), and Coffee and Soft Guanaja Mascarpone Cheese
Cream (guanaja gives the final product a more intense chocolate
But one does need savoury to act as a warm-up for those memorable
lactic sweets, and there were plenty of canapés on offer, all of
them laced with Chef Terence Pang’s evident Asian influence. Cucumber
and Cream Cheese Sandwiches started that cheesy homage, but there was
plenty more on those non-dessert tables: Beef Pastrami with Pickled
Gherkin in a Mini Croissant; Salmon Confit with XO Sauce and Salmon Roe
was a triumph; and Scallop Sushi topped with Japanese Mayonnaise and
Tobiko was luxurious. That shellfish made a second appearance with
Steamed Scallop Siew Mai. These and a host of other ‘starters’ would
have been sufficient to fill even the most practised of post-meridian
grazers but we had strolled by those desserts at the entrance and it
would have been rude not to try a few.
I asked Chef Massimo how he devised the theme for this unique Spring
Afternoon Tea. ‘We change the theme four times a year, which follow the
seasons. For Spring, it was based on the life of the cow, sheep and
goat. In the Winter the animals stay indoors and are fed on just dry
grass. In the Spring they are let out and they start to eat fresh grass
again. I have a childhood memory of the first 15 days of March when the
flavour of the milk was
totally different. I remember two desserts: one was bread with sugar,
and the second was milk – my grandmother collected the milk in a
cast-iron pan and scooped the mousse from the top, and added sugar.’
Cheese is a traditionally European ingredient: how does Massimo
reconcile that with working with such a talented Asian pastry chef as
‘We started work on the menu in November. Terence is someone who is
very passionate and it’s been very easy to get ideas together. Before
we are able to offer this menu to the guests we need to have it clear
in our own minds. If we see that there is excitement about the theme
then it means that it makes sense.’
At the Ritz-Carlton Singapore the Sunday Brunch and the Tea have an
Asian accent. I wondered if that was a difficult step for this very
European chef. ‘I went back to basics. At the end of the day it’s all
about passion, whether the chef is French or Chinese, and even if he
doesn’t speak English, you can see it in his eyes, you can see how much
of himself he puts into his food. That’s how I got into Chinese cuisine
– I followed those Chinese master chefs, looked at their benchmarks,
and came back to the kitchen to see how we could
improve what we were doing here.’
Having planned this Spring Afternoon Tea late last year, Massimo and
Terence must now be planning the next season’s theme. ‘Yes, first of
all we have to define Summer, and come up with a new concept. After the
Cheese theme, the next one I want to present is a sunny Summer
landscape, perhaps with a corner of blue sky ...something with coconut,
maybe. Every quarter I want to come up with something different, with
the theme coming first and then the recipes.’
These two executive chefs have formed an enviable culinary partnership.
They creatively and comfortably straddle both Europe and Asia in a
fashion that transcends that rather hackneyed description ‘fusion’.
They combine the best of ingredients from across the globe and offer
their guests plates of extraordinary culinary artistry and imagination,
and the results are harmonious and memorable. Their handiwork is almost
too delightful to eat. Almost.
This cheese-themed Spring Weekend Afternoon Tea can be
enjoyed between 2.30pm and 5pm on Saturdays and
Sundays from 2 March to 26 May
Priced at $52 for adults
and $26 for children (six to twelve years).
Indian food in any country other than India would not seem
the natural choice for the food-passionate traveller, but good food
should never be overlooked and there is no reason to introduce
geographic dining prejudice into one’s Singapore eating extravaganza.
It’s a city-state famed for its quality and variety of food. It has a
neighbourhood called Little India and it does indeed seem an authentic,
vibrant and colourful corner of the transplanted sub-continent. But the
local demand for authentic and good-quality restaurants seems to have
stopped, with a few exceptions, just short of Little India. One can
find surprising culinary gems but on the whole the eateries lack polish.
Chef Javed Ahamad had invited me to his restaurant, Punjab Grill by
Jiggs Kalra, and I was expecting something special. The clue was in the
address, a million culinary miles away from Little India. Marina Bay
Sands only houses creditable food outlets and the smartest of fine
dining restaurants, and Punjab Grill by Jiggs Kalra counts itself in
Those outside India might not be familiar with the name Jiggs Kalra,
but anyone with a love for Indian food and cookbooks will know this
man, who has built a formidable reputation in the Indian food industry,
from writing to presenting his own eponymous small chain of Punjab
Grills across India. The Singapore branch is the first outside India,
and was an inspired choice of location.
These days son Zorawar Kalra, Founder and C.E.O of Punjab Grill, and
business partner and Chairman of LiteBite Foods, Amit Burman, oversee
the workings of the chain, and Chef Javed is the man at the sharp end
of the Singapore branch. His dedication to presenting fine dishes is
evident. He glows with both pride and enthusiasm for this smart
restaurant which does itself glow with thousands of soft lights in a
kind of man-made firmament.
Diners are welcomed by tastefully-costumed waiting staff and seated at
well-spaced tables. There is a view onto the kitchen and into the
well-stocked wine rack. Yes, the myth has finally been dispelled that
one can only drink cold beer with Indian food. The menu arrives and it
offers many dishes that have made Indian food so popular with many of
us in Europe.
Punjab Grill has taken the rich and almost addictive flavours of
Northern India and presented them in a refined restaurant.
would think that’s
a simple preparation but the skill is in the delicate touch of the
tandoor chef. Every second counts, and too many of those can render a
moist piece of fish a dry and tasteless travesty.
The grilled lamb chops were another highlight among many. How often has
one heard the phrase ‘falls off the bone’ and it always
sounds like a poetic exaggeration, but the meat was truly melting,
well-seasoned and memorable.
Try the Patiala Shahi Machchi. It is indeed a royal fish dish of moist
and flavourful white fish in a spicy sauce. It’s a recipe that takes
some care as a heavy hand with the spices can mean a final result of
overpowered fish. It’s done well here.
Butter Chicken is a standard on many an Indian restaurant bill of fare
but Chef Ahamad offers us a version that is flavourful, well-buttered
but lighter than some. It’s a must-try for those who want a classic
gravy dish. And don’t forget the indispensible daal which is a
speciality here. One might think a bowl of lentils to be dull and
ordinary but the daal at the Punjab Grill will comfort and impress the
uninitiated and delight the converted.
Punjab Grill by Jiggs Kalra with Chef Javed Ahamad at the helm ticked
all the epicurean boxes for this food traveller.
The majority of diners were evidently local and regular visitors, and
there were a number of Indians who dropped by and enjoyed their
evening, and they know more about this cuisine than do I. The menu was
well executed and a delight to graze upon – plenty of choice of
classics as well as innovation. Return visits will definitely be booked
when I’m craving curry in Singapore.
Punjab Grill by Jiggs Kalra (Chef Javed Ahamad)
B1-01A, Galleria Level
2 Bayfront Avenue,
The Shoppes At Marina Bay Sands
It’s unique, brave and sensitive. The House of Trembling
Leaves takes us to the Malaya of the 1930s to introduce us to the main
characters. It’s a time of political and social upheaval and change,
and Lu See escapes from the prospect of a distasteful arranged marriage
to the assumed calm of studies in England. Sum Sum is a Tibetan maid
and she, despite her lowly status, is pivotal to the story.
The narrative moves from the strife in Malaya to an England that is
about to step into a conflict that was to encompass the whole world and
engulf our characters. The reader witnesses the horrors inflicted on
Malaya under Japanese occupation, as well as Tibet before and after the
Chinese Communist invasion.
The House of Trembling Leaves has its focus on relationships between
women, but this is far from light and fluffy chick-lit. What could have
been a sugary tale of romance is elevated by the other elements of this
remarkable book, geography and history. They add a backdrop that is
inspiring and sometimes disturbing and always daring the reader to put
that book down, and it’s unlikely you will do that.
This is a must-read for anyone who wants rich and human personalities,
a spot of adventure embroidered with the marvellous prose of Julian
Lees. Well worth a trip to the book store.
The House of Trembling Leaves
Author: Julian Lees
Published by: Sandstone Press Ltd
Willin Low -
Wild Rocket, Singapore
He hasn’t got a ‘serious’ chef persona. Willin rushes in
and tells me to wait right there. He has some curry puffs that he wants
me to taste. Just simple food and not even his, but Willin Low has not
only talent but real passion for taste and texture.
We settle in the courtyard of Willin’s first restaurant (there are
others), Wild Rocket. We nibble our savoury pastries, sip a cocktail
and cool off. This is a quiet haven away from the baking concrete of
the Singapore streets in the city below. It’s an oasis of green calm
with just the sound of splashing water to gently invite the guest into
a comforting stupor. The dining room of the restaurant reflects the
same quiet over lunch, but becomes vibrant with conversation in the
I asked Willin if there were any food-related connections in his
family. Does he come from a dynasty of restaurateurs?
He laughs. ‘My mum hates to cook, and I have always enjoyed cooking. My
mum’s very clean and neat and I was never allowed to mess up her
kitchen. I’m a really fussy eater, so it was inevitable that there
would be a showdown. She would cook something, and my siblings and my
dad would eat it but I would say, “That’s overcooked! That fish died
for a reason, and the least you could do is not to overcook it.” That’s
a really rude thing to say to your mother, and she would say, “I’ve
slaved all day over this, your brother and sister are eating it, I
don’t see why you won’t!” and she would send me to my room with
nothing. I always had an emergency supply of prawn crackers under my
bed, because I knew she would send me to my bed without anything to
eat. So there was no-one in my family who really loves to cook, but we
were blessed with a neighbour who cooks really well, and she would make
curry puffs and send them across, and that’s where I got to eat lots of
‘I think I have always known that I enjoyed good food, which was why I
was so fussy. The hawkers (food stalls in Singapore) were so good, and
we ate out all the time, so as a school student I was exposed to lots
of good food. I remember someone from England asking me, when she was
eating at Wild Rocket, whether the Indian and Chinese influences in the
food were deliberate, and I explained that when my mum went to the
market to buy breakfast there would be Indian bread, Malay soup,
Chinese noodles and I would be eating them never thinking about the
origins of the dishes, it was simply breakfast. I think that food is a
binding agent, it allows us to understand and respect other cultures.’
But there were culinary challenges ahead for Willin. ‘When I went to
England, to Nottingham University, the food in the halls of residence
was horrendous. I remember we had rice, but cooked in lots of water, so
you had to fish out the rice from the ‘soup’! And why was it yellow?
Everything came out of a tin – the tuna was grey, the mushy peas were
grey – and I couldn’t eat it. Next day we had spring rolls, and I
thought, “Oh, good – can’t go wrong with something deep-fried!” but
when I cut into it, it was filled with those mushy peas! So I had to
cook something, and the first thing was chicken congee – a chicken
porridge that my mum often cooks. Make a stock with the chicken, cook
the porridge in the stock, take the chicken out and shred it, marinate
it with sesame, soy sauce and white pepper, deep-fry shallots to use as
a condiment, some spring onions and cut chillies. That was the first
time I had made it, because mum never let me cook at home, and I really
‘My corridor mates all loved my food so I started cooking more, and all
my Singaporean friends started coming over to my room
to say hello, conveniently around mealtimes, and that’s how it started.
I cooked things I missed from home, like fried vermicelli with braised
pork belly – mostly things that my mum would make. The irony of it was
that I used to complain about mum’s cooking, but there were actually
things that I really loved. Now we have learned to understand each
other and when I’m home for dinner she will cook my
‘I moved to London to study for my bar exams, and I wanted
got a bit bolder, making
things like rack of lamb. I was craving giant prawns, and they are very
hard to come by in England, so I went to Selfridges and all I could
afford was three giant prawns, and lychees – just seven! I had two
housemates, so I came back with three lychees for me and two each for
them! That was the first ‘fancy’ dish that I made. I removed the shells
from the prawns, pan-fried them in butter, chopped some garlic
I could sell this!”
I think seeing the reaction of others to my food helped a lot, and I
had learnt so much from other Singaporean and Malaysian students, who
would teach me how to cook their favourites. I cooked all the time in
my corridor, despite being the butt of jokes from some of my English
friends: “Hey, is that my friend’s cocker spaniel you’re cooking?” “No,
don’t you know that we Chinese only eat German Shepherd?” This was at a
time before chefs were ‘sexy’ – there was no Jamie Oliver, just Delia
Smith (more a favourite aunt).
‘Then I came back home to Singapore, and worked as a lawyer. I did my
bar exams and worked for a very prestigious law firm
for about a year. Hours were very long. Once I came home at seven in
the morning, and my mum was horrified and I was very disillusioned.’ It
seems all the things you see lawyers doing in the movies was only
fiction and Willin was just stuck behind piles and piles of paper. He
looked at a colleague five years his senior and asked himself if he
wanted that to be his future. ‘I looked for an exit plan,’ says Willin.
‘I decided to find a post as an in-house legal counsel, and worked for
several firms including Singapore Airlines. It was wonderful – the
hours were great, it was a hospitality business and I travelled
everywhere first-class (that was the first time I had tried caviar – I
kept looking around the plane to see how to eat it!). I was exposed to
lots of fine dining, and I fell in love with the business, and started
thinking about what I would do next, because I had said I would work as
a lawyer for five years and then start my own business.’
During this period Willin was cooking every weekend for friends. ‘I
read that to be taken seriously in anything that you do, you need to
charge money for it – if you get it for free the value is less. So when
a friend wanted me to cook for a house-warming party, I said “Yes, if
you pay me.” Everyone loved it, and started talking about it. Then I
asked a friend to help me build a website, and that made a world of
difference in making the business legitimate. So Mondays to Fridays I
worked as a lawyer, and weekends I became a private chef for hire, my
colleagues working as waitresses!’
After two years of part-time chef/part-time lawyer Willin was confident
enough to take the next step and took the advice of a friend who told
him to leave his ‘day job’ and open his own restaurant. ‘He told me to
quit my job, because if you don’t you’ll never have the impetus to get
going. So I did and started looking for a restaurant that would hire
me. That proved to be difficult, as restaurant owners were suspicious
of employing someone from the legal profession!’ I wonder why?
In the meantime Singapore Airlines started a budget airline, and Willin
was able to work there setting up the legal department. ‘A month later
a restaurant took me on as kitchen assistant, so I continued at the
airline one day a week, to help pay the bills, while I cleaned squid,
chopped vegetables and made bread for the other six days. I did that
for 6 months, and between the two jobs I learnt everything I needed to
know about running a restaurant and managing a business.’
Willin started looking for a location, and a friend mentioned the
Hangout Hotel, up on a hill, but Willin had never heard of it, and
wasn’t sure he could just walk in and take over the premises. Later
that week the Straits Times wrote an article about this private chef
and mentioned that he was looking for a place to open a restaurant.
‘Following that story someone emailed me saying that they needed a
person to take over the Hangout Hotel! I had never heard of the place
before, and then twice in one week!’
That was eight years ago and at a time when there were not many
restaurant openings, so the media were eager
for any new projects; and from a story perspective a lawyer who quits
his lucrative career to become a chef was interesting. The newcomer
worked hard to cultivate good working relationships with butchers and
produce suppliers at the market and it took a while for them to take
Willin seriously but eventually all those business and culinary threads
came together. ‘Word got around, people started coming, and we did
really well. I wanted to grow and share ownership in the business with
the employees, so as they came onboard we opened more, and now we have
Wild Rocket is now a well-respected restaurant in a beautiful
location. Willin is a highly-regarded chef and has a close
relationship with his local suppliers. The bill of fare relies on fresh
ingredients and there are lots of fish and shellfish on the menu. The
dishes are thoughtfully presented with Asian flair, but how would
Willin Low sum up his cuisine, his style of food?
‘When I first started cooking I just cooked food that I liked to eat,
we never thought of what to call it. But the media wanted to put me in
a category, and I had to come up with a name if I didn’t want them to
name me, so I thought, well, it’s basically Singaporean, so I decided
to call it Modern Singaporean – that’s what I am, and no-one can fault
it because no-one knows what it is! Some people had asked us if it’s
Fusion, but I didn’t want to call it that because in the 80s fusion
wasn’t done well. In those days it was just Western and Asian
ingredients thrown together without any understanding of either, and it
‘We are in Singapore and that puts us in the right position to marry
the two, because everything that we have is already a fusion. I call my
food Mod-Sin for short, and already four restaurants that opened last
year are calling themselves Mod-Sin as well, so it’s caught on. The
regional foods of China are becoming better known; now people are
coming to live here from Burma, the Philippines, Thailand, so there are
lots of traditions to draw upon.’
Wild Rocket presents thoughtful combinations of fresh ingredients and
aromatic spices tempered with that confident Willin Low gastronomic
inspiration. The ‘Asia’s 50 Best Restaurants’ Awards seems to have
overlooked this animated chef, and that must surely be an oversight to
be rectified in the near future.
Wild Rocket @ Mount Emily
10A Upper Wilkie Road
Opening Hours: Tuesday - Saturday
12 noon to 3pm - Lunch
6.30pm to 11pm – Dinner - last order at 10.30pm
11.30am to 3pm - Brunch
6.30pm to 10.30pm – Dinner - last order at 10.00pm
Closed on Mondays
There is good food to be had all over Singapore. It’s
famed for it. One can sit with the locals and enjoy a bowl of laksa at
one of the numerous, cheap and buzzing hawker centres. There are small
side-street restaurants specialising in steaming bowls of congee for
breakfast through to hot, grilled skewers of meat after the sun goes
down. There are fusion fine-dining restaurants, and Japanese cuisine
has taken hold in a big way.
The Majestic Restaurant offers a stylish departure from the mostly
rustic options of the majority of Chinatown restaurants. It’s
Cantonese, it’s refined and it’s contemporary. There are indeed
traditional Chinese accents to the decor but they are manifested in a
memorable etched bronze sculpture and a striking geometric Chinese robe
motif on the back wall. There is a colourful trishaw parked at the
front, which adds to the eclectic mix.
The restaurant doesn’t need to persuade you of its Chineseness with
displays of red lanterns and dragons around every corner. Nothing wrong
with those traditional decorative devices but they wouldn’t work in The
Majestic with its clean lines and artful use of dark wood. Yes, The
Majestic is confident and modern and is housed in the New Majestic
Hotel which is stylish, unique, tasteful and delightfully retro.
There is a remarkable architectural feature and that’s the ceiling: it
sports holes. These are not decorating oversights. It’s not
energy-saving low-tech air conditioning. They are in fact portholes set
into the bottom of the swimming pool above. They shed a soft and
dappled light onto tables below and provide a memorable experience for
both diners and swimmers.
Opened in January 2006, this award-winning restaurant
seats 100, and has four private dining rooms, one of which
meal at The Majestic a treat for all the senses.
Chef Yong Bing Ngen has already had an impressive career. His
professional biography reads like a directory of must-visit spots in
Singapore: Executive Chinese Chef at Hai Tien Lo restaurant in the Pan
Pacific Hotel; Chef de Cuisine, the Empress Room, Raffles Hotel;
Executive Chef for Jade restaurant in the Fullerton Hotel. That history
will lead one to expect remarkable food. Chef Yong Bing Ngen won’t
disappoint. He has many deserved awards under his belt including one
for the Majestic Restaurant - Asian Cuisine Restaurant of the Year
(Singapore Category) at the World Gourmet Series Awards of Excellence
2012. That is a worthy accolade when one considers the standard of the
The dishes here are inspired, with a definite nod towards Cantonese.
Put aside any prejudices you may have developed through years of
over-indulgence at your local Chinese take-away – the sign over the
door might boast that the food is Cantonese but in truth it’s unlikely
to be authentic and I can guarantee that it will bear absolutely no
resemblance to the fare at The Majestic.
The subtle and aromatic dishes are plated in European style and include
signature dishes such as the combination platter of
crispy wasabi prawn and Peking duck served with pan-seared foie gras,
braised lobster in a creamy milk and lime sauce, grilled lamb chop in
Chinese honey. You’ll likely not find these on your high street. I
would also suggest that your first taste of the ‘celebrated’ durian
should be here. The chef transforms this much-maligned fruit into
confections that allow its distinctive characteristics to remain but in
a fashion that will be appreciated by nervous Westerners.
The wine list is creditable, offering a good selection from the New
World as well as Europe. There are wines by the glass for those who
would like to taste different vintages to complement each course. There
are wines here to suit every taste and every pocket.
The Majestic Restaurant should be on the Singapore restaurant list of
any traveller who wants to try some imaginative modern Chinese food
that pushes the culinary envelope, while still remaining true to its
classic flavour palate.
The Majestic Restaurant
The New Majestic Hotel
31- 37 Bukit Pasoh Road
Phone: 6511 4718
Visit The Majestic Restaurant here
Monday - Sunday
Lunch: 11.45am to 3pm. Last lunch order 2.30pm
Dinner: 6.30pm to 11pm. Last dinner order 10.30pm
Owner/Chef: Yong Bing Ngen
Millenia Singapore -
Grand Vintage Champagne Sunday Brunch
Singapore is special in so many ways. It’s many-faceted
and presents the food lover with temptations at every turn.
Opportunities for vibrant casual eating abound but there are also those
restaurants that present the visitor with delicious
memories along with unadulterated gastronomic pampering. The
Vintage Champagne Sunday Brunch at Greenhouse in The
Ritz-Carlton is iconic and unmissable.
Sunday brunch is now available in every city across the
globe. One can expect a brace of egg dishes and a couple
There might be a nod in
the direction of vegetarians with roasted vegetables in a sauce, and
there is bound to be a dessert or two. But then there is The Ritz
Vintage Champagne Sunday Brunch at Greenhouse and that puts the gilding
on brunch, and those other meagre impostors in the shade.
It’s Sunday and we want to relax with friends and family. Perhaps it’s
a celebration, although every Sunday brunch here seems festive. Folks
arrive in their Sunday best with ladies sporting floral finery, and
every shoe and child is polished. The guests bring their own touch of
charm to the occasion and they will be rewarded for their trouble from
the moment they arrive in the high-ceilinged, light and airy salon.
Sunday Brunch at The Ritz must surely rate as one of the finest of its
genre. The smart-casual event is famed. It’s not stuffy and muted. The
staff are friendly and helpful. There is a buzz of conversation from
groups of guests enjoying good company along with that unbeatable food.
It offers an excuse to dress up a little and to indulge a lot.
Younger members of the party will be eyeing the ice-cream station by
the entrance, while more mature grandparents are drawn
to another ice display which offers seafood. There are eight
types of oysters and all shucked to order and served
with red wine vinaigrette or lemon. It might be a couple of years
before the kids appreciate those but they will surely
be tempted by some prawns.
Moët & Chandon vintage Champagne fills the flutes of all those
who haven’t chosen an expertly muddled Mojito or shaken exotic cocktail
from the bar. The champagne is unlimited and
marvellously complements the aforementioned chilled
crustacea – every class of shellfish seems to put in an appearance at
this brunch. One might consider moving on to a more
robust red to pair with a traditional roast with all the trimmings. It
is Sunday, after all …but a more exciting one than usual.
Yes, it’s Sunday but this is Asia so the bill of fare here offers a
wider tapestry of taste than one might find in a European or North
American restaurant. Diners are free to mix Mediterranean tapas with
Japanese sushi, cooling leaves with spiced pork ribs. The Ritz-Carlton
Sunday Brunch contrives to represent the very best of all that
Singapore food has to offer, and that is the best available from every
continent. Diners can travel the world by stepping from one counter to
the next, from nigiri garnished with delicate green wasabi and shreds
of pink ginger (there are trays of various sushis), to slices of
traditionally roast meat with glazed orange carrots (there’s always a
choice of several roasts).
A cheese board is very much a part of any self-respecting Sunday brunch
but I confess I had not expected to find one in Asia
and more to the point, I hadn’t expected a restaurant in Singapore to
have the best selection of cheese I have ever come across on one table!
Yes, it’s true that I have found equally magnificent arrays of artisanal
different cheeses from Australia, England, France,
Italy, New Zealand and Switzerland and there is even Port
The kids may well have grazed on desserts all through brunch, but those
sweets are sophisticated enough for the most discerning palates. The
beautiful confections are created by Executive Pastry Chef Terence Pang
and they range from Kuih - a broad term which includes
Chinese cakes, dumplings, puddings and biscuits - to European pastries.
There is plenty of choice for those chocoholics as well. If cheesecake
or crème brûlée is your passion then
The Vintage Champagne Sunday Brunch is served from 12 noon to 3 pm in a
single sitting and is priced at S$168 per adult, S$84
per child (6-12 years) or S$42 per child (3-5 years). It includes
unlimited Moët & Chandon vintage Champagne,
juices and sparkling mineral water. Prices are subject
For dining reservations
Call Restaurant Reservations on 6434 5288
The Ritz-Carlton, Millenia Singapore
7 Raffles Avenue
Phone: +65 6337-8888
Fax: +65 6338-0001
Visit The Ritz here
Arun Kapil – Green
It’s possible that the names of both Arun Kapil and his
company Green Saffron will be new to you but it’s likely that over the
next year or so they will become, if not household, at least kitchen
names. The man and the company are carving out a respectable place for
themselves in Ireland and in the UK. Green Saffron is an award-winning
family business based in the famous food county of Cork, Ireland. They
specialise in the best quality whole spices and unique blends and
sauces for use in home as well as professional kitchens.
Green Saffron Red Lentil Dahl Spice Mix arrived along with food
products from far and wide, the usual post of boxes of (usually)
interesting items, but this little packet was bound to find its way to
the top of the pile. Dahl is comforting and particularly when, as on
this day, the snow is snowing, the wind is blowing (cue a song). I
weathered that storm with the most delicious pot of lentils I have ever
But how did this particular spice route start? This handsome
olive-skinned chap has not a trace of Irish brogue but a rather
polished upper-class English accent. He comfortably straddles Asia and
Europe and is well-placed to take advantage of both continents.
‘My father’s Indian, from a Brahmin Hindu family, and trained in
Lucknow as a doctor. My mother’s from Headingley, Yorkshire. My father
was the youngest of 7, and it was a big thing for an Indian to decide
to come to Britain in the 60s, but he was the black sheep of the
family. His mother and father had died when he was quite young, and his
family said, “If you’re leaving, you must learn to fend for yourself,”
so they taught him how to cook. Now for a Hindu man in the 60s to cook
was quite strange. They taught him to cook kitcheree, lentil dishes,
potato dishes, tomato dishes, and packed him off.
‘He came to Leicester, where he met my mum in Leicester General
Hospital. My mum clearly had a liberal way of thinking, because to be
marrying an Indian man in those days was quite a rebellious thing to
do! So the three of us – myself, my younger brother and my elder
brother – had a very loving, liberal upbringing.’ It’s evident that
Arun’s parents have given him a free spirit and a ‘can-do’ attitude
that has served him well.
A gastronomic career wasn’t initially on Arun’s agenda although he has
always loved good food and vibrant flavour. ‘If we weren’t making
models out of Corn Flake boxes and Andrex tubes we were cooking: rock
buns, marble cakes... I have so many memories of cooking – corned-beef
hash, Mum’s cowboy ranch beans which we used to have when we went to
Wales on our holidays. ‘Kitcheree is the one recipe of my dad’s that I
keep coming back to. I have vivid memories of being fed on rice pudding
and raspberry jam, or kitcheree (the basis of the English kedgeree)
while my mum was having my little brother. Now that my father is
retired he is coming back to cooking, and Methi Aloo (potatoes with
fenugreek leaves) is his latest thing, which was a childhood favourite
‘Mum and Dad were by no means extravagant: “We have to cook for
ourselves, we can’t afford to eat out all the time,” very practical.
But I am fortunate in that we used to go to India quite a lot when I
was young, so having seen big bowls of lentils, Mum and Dad in the
kitchen cooking, sweet and aromatic smells, ladies in saris, bottles of
Johnnie Walker Black Label – it was an attack on the senses and it was
something I wanted to dive into.
‘It was when I went away to school at Oundle that I began to ignore my
Indian side and concentrate on the British, probably because I wanted
to ‘fit in’.’ Oundle was founded by the Worshipful Company of Grocers;
coincidentally the Company was responsible for maintaining standards
for the purity of spices, and was closely associated with the East
‘That was while I was in junior house at Oundle, but when I moved up to
a senior house I began to rebel, or at least my Indian side began to
come out and I became a little more ‘left of centre’! I was in a rock
band at school, joined the National Youth Music Theatre (my first
pay-cheque ever was from the BBC!), and I was into acting and music.’
School finished and Arun moved to London where everybody assumed he
would take a lucrative job in the City. ‘I was
(Robert Earl and Ronnie Wood’s first restaurant), which had a
Cajun-Creole theme. I went in to ask for a job, not having a clue about
it, but they were looking for characters and I started as a bus-boy,
and absolutely loved it! As my friends were coming home from their City
jobs I would be going out for my second shift at 5151, and everybody
who was anybody went there – it was THE place to be. Michael Jackson
visited; Ronnie Wood was having a party at the same time as Terence
Trent D’Arby.’ 5151 was Arun’s first introduction to the food industry
and to those who would come to shape the restaurant scene in London.
‘Waiting on tables was a bit like acting for me, and I wanted to sing
as well. A production company took me on, but I didn’t get a recording
deal, so I formed my own record label, Funky Peace Productions. I was
the first person to take the DJs out of the fields and put them in the
studios, because I thought, “These DJs know what people want to dance
to.” Then I worked with some well-known bands and it was a great life –
clubs in Ibiza, clubs in London, a mad life, but brilliant when I was
that age! But I realised that I was becoming a ‘shark’, focused on
money – “money, money, money, where’s my percentage?” It was a
cutting-edge industry, you almost don’t dare to sleep, you have to know
the next trend, and it became too frenetic, so I pulled out.’
At age 34 he was considering his next move and was naturally drawn to
his previous passion for food.
A friend had done a cookery course at Ballymaloe. Myrtle Allen, the
doyen of Irish cooking, set up Ballymaloe House in Cork in the 1960s,
first as a restaurant and later a hotel and school. Arun wanted to get
back to cooking, so signed up. ‘It was another milestone in my life,
and in the middle of the countryside in Ireland. My friends were amazed
– I was not the sort of person they could imagine living here. Two of
them came over to Ireland, and I remember talking to them, over a pint
in the pub, about a salad I had been preparing, saying, “If it hadn’t
been for one bruised tomato, my salad would have been perfect.” The
guys both put their beers down and said, “If that’s all you have to
worry about, isn’t that a beautiful thing?” My whole life had turned
Arun had an idea for a range of spices but finding a means of selling
them was going to be an issue. ‘How am I going to market my spices to
people who aren’t familiar with them? But Cork has probably the largest
natural harbour in the world, and was a major port for trade across the
British Empire, so historically spices have been used by people in that
area, appearing in dishes like Spiced Beef. I called up my cousin in
India and got him to send me some spices, ground them, and called my
aunts for recipes. I weighed out the spices into packs and included the
recipe, went to the market, put on some Bangra music, and a pink
sarong. The customers were very supportive, and gradually the sales
began to grow. After three or four months word got around, and I
started to offer hot food on the stall. The takings doubled, and I
began to offer cooking lessons, and after 2 or 3 years we couldn’t keep
up with demand. A journalist I knew put me forward for TV, so the brand
‘The next milestone was in 2008, when we won an award for our Christmas
Pudding from The Irish Food Writers’ Guild. Suddenly we
are no longer just ‘curry boys’ but are known as spice people. Now I am
meeting amazing chefs like Joël Robuchon, Alain Ducasse, Richard
Corrigan, Pascal Sanchez, Eric Chavot, Bruno Loubet, and starting to
learn from them about cooking.
‘Ross Lewis has the Michelin Star Chapter One in Dublin, and he called
me up, asking for a plum chutney to go with a venison dish. So I mused
on where to start.’ Arun has a speedy monologue to explain the process:
‘Plum – plum is purple; what else is purple? Rose petals; rose has
floral sweetness, but an element of astringency; that astringency will
cut through the richness and sugar. So what are we going to
counterbalance that with? Vanilla – a lovely creamy vanilla with the
rose. Now we are starting to get somewhere, but how are we going to
take it around the mouth? Cassia – better than cinnamon for depth with
an anise flavour. To back that up, tej patta, Indian bay leaf, with a
citrus flavour. Now the blend is coming together. Star anise will add
depth, but not raw, it must be toasted. Plum chutney is a gastric – how
are we going to represent a gastric? Amchur powder – desiccated mango –
a lovely caramel on the tongue but with a sourness. Now we want more
fruitiness – orange, but desiccated orange for a biscuit note. Finally
a little white pepper to back up the heat a little’. Arun draws a
well-deserved breath and smiles a triumphant smile. ‘That’s how I come
up with blends!’
‘To make a spice blend you have to want to dive into it, to eat it, no
one note too dominant, and it shouldn’t take
over the food but complement it. Indian food isn’t about heat it’s
about nuance; if you can apply that subtle nuance to Western food then
maybe you can get something different. In my blends I am not
reinventing the wheel, but adding value, suggesting that you can use
them with this dish or that dish, and maybe try them in this other way,
Arun is not into the elitism that pervades the food world. ‘If there’s
something beautiful out there, it should be available
to everybody – they choose to take it or not, that’s up to them, but
having that choice is empowering and that is what Green Saffron is
about. I won’t use the term ‘fusion cooking’ but if you happen to mix
Japanese with French with Italian and it works, that’s great and it’s
decent food, not ‘fusion’ or any other term you might give it. Even
Indian food could be called ‘fusion’ because, after all, neither
chillies nor tomatoes are indigenous to India!
‘We have just completed the re-branding of Green Saffron last year, and
our distribution and supply chains are in place. As we are bringing
investment into the company our marketing efforts here in the UK and in
Ireland are focused on the high-end retailers.’ If that red lentil
blend is representative of Green Saffron then those spices and sauces
are sure to find a space on the most reputable of grocers’ shelves.
Arun Kapil sums up his work ethic. ‘There is a word in Punjabi, jugaad,
which is interpreted over here as ‘entrepreneurship’ but really means
‘getting the job done’ – if you’re not ill, get out of bed and get on
with it. It’s regarded as an intrinsic Indian trait, and when my Dad
first came to Britain he met it in the British stiff-upper-lip
get-it-done attitude. I’m glad that he instilled that jugaad spirit in
Co. Cork, Ireland
Phone: +353 (0)21 463 7960
Visit Green Saffron here
Easy Indian Cooking
Hari Nayak is an Indian-born chef who now tempts the taste
buds of Americans. In fact he, unlike most Indian
chefs in the West, graduated from a non-Asian cookery school, and in
his case the prestigious CIA. That’s not the Central Intelligence
Agency of the USA but the more internationally appreciated Culinary
Institute of America.
Easy Indian Cooking reflects Hari’s memories of the food with which he
grew up, his unique understanding of traditional Indian food, and an
appreciation of what ingredients are available to an American or
European housewife. You won’t be expected to book a shopping trip to
Mumbai and you won’t need to install a tandoor.
Indian food has long been popular in the UK, and Chicken Tikka Masala
has been said to be our national dish, but it is now interesting
food-lovers in the US – that’s Indian food, not the hybrid Chicken
Tikka Masala! Yes, it’s a different flavour palate from Mexican food
but Americans have always enjoyed spices of all kinds so it’s not such
a leap into the culinary unknown to present them with delicious and
rich flavours and textures of the sub-continent.
Hari has chosen recipes that are simple to prepare, are economic,
delicious and moreish. They range from the mild and aromatic to the
chilli-hot but one can vary the heat by using less spice (although I
would counsel making the dish to the recipe for the first time). Those
new to Indian cooking will be surprised to know that the focus is on
flavour rather than heat.
One of my favourites from Easy Indian Cooking is the recipe for Vaangi
Baath – Spicy Eggplant (aubergine) Rice with Mint. The basic
preparation is a South Indian dish popular among the Brahmin community
and seldom found in restaurants – Hari adds his own twist by using a
little fresh mint.
Many Indians are vegetarian and so that cuisine offers a huge array of
dishes that don’t contain meat. These are just as flavourful as those
cooked with animal products but, in these days of financial gloom it’s
good to take advantage of better-value (and healthier) ingredients that
don’t sacrifice taste.
Hari offers a selection of lentil (dal) recipes that will likely
convert carnivores to at least part-time vegetarianism. Spicy Red
Lentils use those small lentils that are found on every western
supermarket shelf. The list of spices might look lengthy but once you
have those you will be able to make most of the other dishes in this
inspiring book. These lentils make a comforting meal when simply served
over basmati rice with a relish as garnish.
Easy Indian Cooking has more than 100 Indian and Indian-inspired
recipes that will introduce a new audience to the vibrant tapestry of
sub-continental fare, and to the skill and charm of this talented chef.
Easy Indian Cooking
Author: Hari Nayak
Publisher: Periplus Editions
Ramen at YO! Sushi
I guess it’s a sign of the times. We want good food but
money is tight so we look for something delicious, fun and warming in
this typical 6-month cold snap. Ramen is now available in London and
it’s easy to see why it’s exciting the attention of the dining
Ramen is a ubiquitous Japanese noodle dish (in Japan, at least),
although the noodles are believed to be a Chinese invention. The
noodles are the substantial and solid part of the dish, but it’s really
the broth in which the noodles and other ingredients float that is the
key to its success or otherwise.
YO! Sushi has recently introduced Ramen to their battery of eponymous
cold fish and rice preparations. It’s a logical move and particularly
during the long northern winter when steaming foods are most appealing.
Ramen here constitute a substantial one-bowl meal that
YO! Sushi offers Ramen for every taste, and we chose the chicken and
the fish cake varieties. Both Ramen had the base stock which acts as
the perfect carrier for meat, fish or vegetables. It's described as
‘umami’ broth, which basically indicates that it has a pleasingly
The noodles were far from the thin and floury examples that one finds
in packs of instant noodles. These were hearty and didn’t turn gummy in
the bowl. Each portion of noodles and broth was garnished with half a
salted egg (ajitsuke-tamago), a strip of nori seaweed, menma (made from
dried and fermented bamboo shoots), wakame (edible seaweed used in
soups), narutomaki (a type of cured fish, each slice with a distinctive
pink swirl which is said to represent the whirlpools in the Naruto
Strait), and spring onions – an indispensible topping giving a
freshness to the soup.
The Fishcake Ramen had delicate handmade fishcakes as a topping
then roasted. The
hoisin gave a striking flavour and elevated the dish from a comforting
and warming soup to an aromatic and memorable meal.
YO! Sushi is a favourite casual restaurant and famed for the conveyor
belt laden with plates of sushi; but they also serve a selection of
traditional Japanese hot dishes and Ramen is a worthy addition to that
list. A bowl of Ramen is a meal at a reasonable price but it’s the
flavour that will ensure your return …and there is always sushi as a
Cinnamon Kitchen is another of the restaurants in chef
Vivek Singh’s empire. Cinnamon Club in Westminster has long been the
classy and dark- polished-wood Indian restaurant of choice for the
great and the good, and even politicians from the big house up the
road. Cinnamon Soho has recently opened and offers a dining experience
that’s fast, casual and buzzy and introduces a new audience to the same
standard of delicious food, but in a form rushed diners prefer.
Cinnamon Kitchen was the second in Vivek's portfolio and manages to
straddle the two concepts. It’s more casual than its formal parent,
Cinnamon Club, but it still has the air of fine dining, just clothed in
less tailored attire. Smart-casual would describe the guests and the
Cinnamon Kitchen – The Cookbook presents a beautifully photographed
collection of recipes from the Cinnamon Kitchen team. They cover every
course as well as some drinks from Anise, the bar, and some recipes
have step-by-step images of preparation for the novice.
At first glance some of the recipes might look complicated but they can
all be broken down into their constituent parts, giving 3 or 4 recipes
for every one listed. All of those are simple to follow and can be used
together as suggested or in a mix-and-match with other dishes. The
spices are all available from your local Asian grocer or online and a
selection of half a dozen or so will enable the home cook to tackle
most of the dishes here.
Dry-spice-crusted Guinea Fowl is one of the simplest dishes to prepare.
Vivek suggests you cook this in a tandoor (yes, trot out and get one;
it can also be used as central heating) but he concedes that it works
just as well on a regular barbecue or in the oven. Chicken can be used,
if you prefer, but increase the cooking time as it’s larger than the
Galouti Kebabs are not that common in Indian restaurants but you will
find them on some of the finest menus, and they are exceptional
preparations. The skill is in the mincing just as much as in the
spicing. The secret to success is grinding the meat to a smooth paste.
Once you have minced it a few times you will think that’s enough, but
process it some more and you will find you have kebabs that are truly
melting and memorable.
Lentils are a staple of Indian cuisine and form much of the traditional
Subcontinental diet. They are economic, delicious and nutritious. Vivek
has recipes for both black and yellow lentil dishes. My favourite is
the yellow version, and it’s versatile as several different lentils can
be used individually or together. I enjoy the mixed version as there
are different textures remaining when the dish is cooked. It’s a simple
traditional dish that can even be made in a pressure cooker to save
time and fuel. Most Indian households have at least one of these
practical gadgets. Eat these aromatic lentils with almost any meat,
fish or vegetables or even along with just rice or Indian bread. This
freezes well for future use.
Desserts in Indian restaurants tend to be a bit thin on the ground and
predictable, but Vivek has several inspiring sweet dishes that have
accessible ingredients, and very few of those. One of his desserts is
Spiced Banana Tarte Tatin. It’s a blessing to be given permission to
use shop-bought puff pastry, but buy the best quality available. The
topping is, unsurprisingly, bananas but with a hint of pink peppercorn
to spike the fruit. The caramel gives a sweet lacquer and shine to the
I mentioned Bar Anise, and they have contributed a battery of cocktail
recipes that are potent, impressive and delicious. The Cinnamon Bellini
must surely be a signature with that warming spice that is its
eponymous flavour – what better way to start an evening. A Vivek Vodka
or Singh Sangria could be the next Anise mixology inventions.
This is a stunning, gift-quality book that would be appreciated by any
lover of vibrant Indian flavours presented in stylish fashion. It’s a
book to pore over but it’s far from a coffee table novelty and it’s
likely to tempt even those who didn’t realise that they had a kitchen,
as every good cookbook should. Vivek never disappoints.
Curry is said to be our favourite food in Britain. Popular
indeed, but quality of restaurants can be patchy. We hear from friends
that a particular chef is a star, that the local tandoori has chops for
which to die, and the recently closed estate agent (it's the economic
climate) now sells Biryani. But a good bespoke curry guide would be
worth its weight in gold vark.
Pat Chapman has penned more than thirty books on Indian food and is one
of the most respected supporters of the Indian restaurant industry, as
well as being a passionate educator. His cookbooks are considered
classics, but his annual Good Curry Guide will be sought by those who
prefer to have someone else do the shopping and the chopping.
Cobra Good Curry Guide is without rival. It’s comprehensive with many
full reviews as well as listings of those which are considered ‘OK’.
Pat takes pride in the fact that his guide has morals. The restaurants
included are there by popular public demand and not because the judges
have been garlanded with folding moola – in fact, for the most part,
the judges are the diners. No exotic trips have been promised and no
assessor’s children have been sent to university on the strength of
‘putting a good word in’. Pat rightly notes that would discredit the
The guide covers every genre of Indian restaurant from the polished
Michelin-spangled likes of Atul Kochhar’s Benares to the traditional
high-street curry house. We are encouraged to enjoy both styles of
cuisine (and everything in between) as restaurants are not compared and
each one stands on its own individual merits. 2013 finds this tempting
tome in its 30th year. Pat will have seen changes in our expectations
of Indian food over those three decades. We can find, if we are lucky,
a good meal in a Bangladeshi ‘curry house’ and those dishes have become
a hybrid cuisine, and it’s comfort food and familiar. These days many
diners also want the chance to taste truly authentic Indian dishes and
we can find more and more restaurants providing those.
India has introduced the world to its classic cuisine and it is now
taking its place alongside the much-vaunted French and Chinese. Cobra
Good Curry Guide enables us all to find the best and the most exciting
of Britain’s thousands of Indian restaurants, and for only £14.95
it should be on the wish-list of any good food lover.
Cobra Good Curry Guide
Author: Pat Chapman
It’s an icon of Indian food. It’s a beacon of culinary
hope around the corner from The Tower of London. It’s a
haunt of discerning businessmen, stars of film and the small screen,
and indeed anyone who enjoys vibrant food and friendly service.
Chef Cyrus Todiwala and his partner in life and restaurants, wife
Pervin, have been at the helm of Café Spice Namaste for the past
17 years. It’s a restaurant that has seen other Indian eateries come
and go but Café Spice Namaste remains, and just continues to do
what it has always done: providing memorable food.
One might ask why it’s taken me so long to review Café Spice
Namaste. Well, in truth I have written about their celebrated Khaadras
Club (see review here)
these cold northern shores.
Cyrus also has his eponymous restaurant at the Terminal 5 Heathrow
Hilton (see review here);
can keep any food journalist busy.
Those chutneys have pride of place by the entrance and the
distinctive pink labels are instantly recognised by the connoisseur.
I am sure the diners would not object to the sentiments, but it’s more
a matter of pink not suiting every complexion.
Café Spice Namaste is just yards from The Tower of London but
its clients are mostly regulars rather than passing tourists and I
guess 17 years’ worth of regulars amounts to a lot of familiar faces.
You might notice that guests are greeted by Mrs T and often by their
first name. Those guests have their favoured table and their habitual
‘curry’ (perhaps a Dhaansaak, which is a Parsee speciality and it’s
authentic here), and settle themselves for an evening of conviviality.
If you are a Café Spice virgin then start your meal with a
sharing platter which will give you a tantalising overview
the wisdom of buying
the best. A morsel of salmon tikka and you will appreciate the skill of
the chef at the tandoor – every nibble is distinct in flavour and
texture. But save room for what’s to follow.
Murghi Ni Curry Nay Papaeto was my choice. Those aforementioned
regulars have insisted that this curry remain on the
menu. It’s a traditional Parsee-style chicken curry and one can
recognise that by the chunks of tender potatoes.
Parsees say a meal is not complete without potatoes or eggs. It’s a
rich and aromatic gravy dish made with a selection of nuts and spices
and moist chicken breast, and I can now understand the appeal. This is
comfort food that we crave on these cold wintery nights. It’s a simply
presented and flavourful curry that takes time to prepare. It’s worth
the effort, as the diners will attest.
My guest ordered Country Captain which he proclaimed remarkable. Cyrus
cooked this for the Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh at the first
Diamond Jubilee Luncheon in March 2012. Many versions of this
Anglo-Indian dish use chicken but this mutton Country Captain is richer
and more impressive. Shoulder of mutton is slow-cooked with whole
spices such as cinnamon and cracked cardamom, along with ginger and
garlic. The meat becomes meltingly tender and forms the filling for the
fusion shepherd’s pie. The topping is mashed potatoes enriched with egg
yolks. It’s a magnificent dish but it tastes like home cooking at its
The meat used for Country Captain isn’t just a bit of any old sheep.
This is mutton from rare breed sheep from the Orkney Island of North
Ronaldsay. No need to feel anxious about eating something from a rare
breed, as these animals represent the livelihood of Orkney crofters.
Their way of life and traditional culture depends on the continued
success and popularity of their particular sheep, that live just on
Cyrus is dedicated in his support for both the crofters and their
animals, but he is active in many charities as well. For every portion
Your Feet (tackling poverty in India
Café Spice Namaste prides itself on its selection of seasonal
vegetables so Parsnip Bhurta was the side dish for the Country Captain.
Now, I know it’s that jolly ‘ho ho ho’-ish time of year when our lives
are punctuated with gift-buying, tree-trimming and sprout-avoidance but
I felt sure that the banal parsnip would be at least worth a taste
here. Yes, I dragged my feet over trying this, but it was a revelation
and a delicious one. The vegetables are roasted in the tandoor then
pureed and cooked with shallots, ginger, chilli and spices to create a
moreish vegetable preparation that you will likely fight over – and it
really does contain parsnips!
Café Spice Namaste offers a tempting array of Indian desserts
that are authentic and unique to this restaurant. Their wine list
offers lots of by-the-glass options as well as bottles from Europe and
the Subcontinent. I hear their mixologist has a deft hand with a Red
Chilli Mojito and I look forward to trying one on my next visit.
There have been many ‘next visits’ over the past 17 years and it’s no
surprise. Cyrus and Pervin Todiwala have created an enduring restaurant
that’s unpretentious, welcoming, with food that will assure a return.
You can sum up Café Spice Namaste in just one word:
‘outstanding’, and you don’t need to be a food critic to know that.
Café Spice Namaste
16 Prescot Street
London E1 8AZ
Phone: 020 7488 9242
This corner of London remains one of the most expensive
and sought-after. Cheyne Walk has a mix of stylish houses, and has been
the address of choice for the worthy and notable for the past couple of
centuries, although it might be best remembered as the home patch of
Rolling Stone Mick Jagger.
Near Battersea Bridge, the Painted Heron enjoys an enviable location
with its easy transport access. Its unobtrusive exterior barely hints
at the nature of this pillar of the Indian dining scene. Its name
doesn’t suggest Indianness in any way. No cinnamon, saffron, mango or
tamarind over the restaurant door to tell the diner that its fare
includes some of the best Subcontinental-inspired dishes the capital
has to offer.
The Painted Heron is celebrating its tenth anniversary and has
undergone some refurbishment. Its walls are a subtle grey and the
architectural features of alcoves and columns play their part in
presenting a contemporary dining space that is cosy rather than
austerely Zen. Tables laid with red glass chargers offer splashes of
Proprietor and cigar aficionado Charles Hill has taken advantage of the
no-smoking laws and has turned the rear courtyard into a striking
(pardon the Swan Vesta-esque pun) outdoor Cigar Lounge. I am not a
smoker but I do enjoy sitting with an after-dinner spirit and being
enveloped by fragrant cigar smoke. No, a packet of Woodbines just does
not have the same caché. The Cigar Lounge is also fitted with a
retractable roof, and that’s probably a blessing.
Chef Yogesh Datta is one of the UK’s most respected Indian
chefs and has worked with the Taj Group and
Sheraton Hotels in India and then at Tabla in Canary Wharf before
launching The Painted Heron in Chelsea. It’s a fine-dining concept
befitting the area, and it’s buzzing even on cold, wet, mid-week
The wine menu as well as the food is surprisingly reasonable. The
portions are substantial and the presentation enticing. It’s the
attention to detail that elevates The Painted Heron above many other
Indian restaurants. We were teased with the best papadoms I have ever
crunched and the home-made pickles alongside indicate the quality to
come. Enjoy these while you consider your starter and main course and a
wine to suit. I sipped a Prosecco which was priced at only £6.50
– economic but delightful fizz; The Painted Heron has an extensive and
thoughtful wine list covering every style.
My guest chose Indian Ocean black tiger prawns, tandoor roasted with
samphire as his starter. The mini-lobster-sized crustacea were moist
and flavourful, and the masterful addition of that rarely offered
samphire showed this chef’s innovation.
I ordered Duck Tikka which was large cubes of tender duck, blush pink
at the centre. It would seem a simple dish to make but it’s necessary
to have a skilled hand at the tandoor to present meat that remains
juicy and flavoursome.
Bird Stew of Duck, Quail and Pigeon with Coconut and South Indian
Spices was my co-diner’s main course. Stew doesn’t adequately describe
this rather classy preparation. The broth-like sauce bathed the meats
that retained their individual and distinct tastes.
South Indian Hot Pepper Chicken Curry sounded tempting and it didn’t
disappoint. Once again the meat was perfectly cooked and moist. The
name suggested that this might be a spicy-hot dish but it was simply
well spiced and none of the ingredients were overshadowed by macho
laddish heat. A balanced and delicious curry.
Vegetarians are not forgotten at The Painted Heron. Ayurvedic
Vegetarian Thali is a platter of various vegetable curries cooked in
accordance with traditional ayurvedic principles of food for both the
body and soul. I look forward to trying that in future.
Chocolate Mousse sandwiched in Almond and Hazelnut Cake, served with
Caramel Ice Cream was honestly a dessert to share. It was attractive
and not over-sweet. The mousse held its integrity and didn’t ooze when
the sandwiches were cut; and anything with caramel has my culinary vote.
The Painted Heron has been around for a decade and I would say the next
10 years of success are assured. They do it right here - simply and
with imagination. A confident chef with a restaurant to match.
The Painted Heron
112 Cheyne Walk
Chelsea, London SW10 0DJ
Phone: 020 7351 5232
Every day from 11am - 5pm & 6pm -11pm
Reza’s Indian Spice –
Eastern recipes for Western cooks
There are a few chefs in Britain who are icons of the
industry and recognised by just their first name. There is the forceful
“Gordon”, the ever popular “Jamie”, the solid and respected “Cyrus”,
and then there is “Reza”.
Reza Mahammad has been one of the cornerstones of Indian food media
saffron and a shimmer of
gold vark’. His youthful visage isn’t thanks to the skill of the TV
makeup girl, it’s part of his battery of assets.
Reza’s Indian Spice – Eastern recipes for Western cooks is the latest
in a slew of projects showcasing Reza’s skill as a chef, TV presenter
and writer. His restaurant, Star of India on Old Brompton Road in
London, remains popular and soon there will be a cookery school in
France to give further coverage, but for many the first introduction to
Reza Mahammad was via the small screen. His passion, sense of camp fun
and evident knowledge of Indian food has made him a much-loved exponent.
This book is a confident expression of different ways of using Indian
spice. Yes, there are plenty of classic curries, but Reza’s Indian
Spice has its focus on the spices and their broader use, rather than
just Indian dishes. He shows imagination and flair and an appreciation
that perhaps Westerners want to use that stock of cardamom and cinnamon
at the back of the larder for something new and contemporary.
Reza loves ‘Frindian’ food which showcases his admiration for French
cooking methods combined with Subcontinental vibrancy. Paupiettes of
Lemon Sole with Saffron Sauce is a recipe which takes advantage of that
partnership. It is undoubtedly smart and even the most discerning of
diners won’t feel short-changed when presented with this combination of
delicate sole and complex filling of prawns and spices, garnished with
a creamy-spicy sauce.
A recipe that wafts the prospect of seasonal spreads is that for
Turinois. It offers that well-loved combination of chestnuts and
chocolate but Reza adds a hint of exotica in the guise of ground
cardamom seeds. These work so well with chocolate and introduce a
certain je ne sais quoi or whatever that is in Urdu or Hindi.
One of the simplest dishes from Reza’s Indian Spice is that for Roast
Potatoes with Chilli and Chaat Masala. One would think that that pillar
of a good Sunday lunch could not be improved upon, but Reza throws in a
couple of spices and transforms those spuds. A great idea when you want
to present something a little special but haven’t the time to fiddle.
Reza’s Indian Spice – Eastern recipes for Western cooks is an
attractive volume that will be welcomed by even the most avid Indian
cookbook collector. It’s full of innovation but remains accessible to
the home cook. Nothing is over-taxing but the results of your labours
will be deliciously impressive. It’s gift-quality and amazing value for
money and will be on many a Christmas culinary wish-list.
Reza’s Indian Spice – Eastern recipes for Western cooks
Author: Reza Mahammad
Published by: Quadrille Publishing Ltd
The Star of India
154 Old Brompton Road,
London, SW5 0BE
It’s a stunning restaurant but it’s much more than the sum
of its palms and antiques; there is, after all, the food. La
Porte des Indes truly is a door to India. It’s celebrated for good
reason: its anonymous exterior hides an exotic oasis just around the
corner from Marble Arch Underground station. Its beauty is almost
distracting, so my advice is to come a little early in order to relax
and sip your cocktail and admire this icon of Subcontinental charm.
This series of Indian food-and-wine pairing masterclasses is unique.
They are conducted by award-winning Chef Mehernosh Mody (Ethnic Chef of
the Year for 2012 – The Craft Guild of Chefs). Yes, he is rightly
recognised as one of the best Indian chefs in the UK, perhaps the
world, but don’t expect a dry, academic and over-worthy display of this
man’s talents. He is charming, funny and enjoys playful interaction
with his guests.
Chef Mehernosh and wine expert Jacqueline Kay of Berkmann Wine Cellars
have joined together for these once-monthly food and wine pairing
masterclasses. It’s a myth to think that the only thing to drink with
Indian food is a bucketful of lager. Many people just have a glass of
water with their meal but neither of the above actually enhances food.
A well-chosen wine helps to elevate the flavours of the spices and
other ingredients, and the advice that Jacqueline gives will translate
to other cuisines.
Executive Director Sherin Alexander will show you around the restaurant
kitchen. Even those who have attended masterclasses at other
restaurants will find an Indian kitchen a little different. The
tandoors stand in a sweltering rank, the garnish station offers exotic
carved centerpieces and there is a granite spice grinder that would do
Stonehenge proud. You will meet some of the chefs and see naan bread
baked before your very eyes. Straight from the tandoor, it doesn’t come
fresher than this.
Sherin will leave you in the main restaurant with Chef Mehernosh. This
is a cookery demonstration but you can leave your seat and have a
closer look into the cooking pot, and you might be invited to stir the
contents for a while. The chef will tell you about the spices used and
how they are best prepared; why you need to roast them beforehand; he
will also tell you about the history of the food. You’ll be able to
watch as several dishes are prepared and you will taste the fruits of
the aforementioned labours with a glass of wine. Jacqueline will give
you guidance about which bottle of wine works best with which spices.
Those samples of La Porte des Indes dishes are not all
that you will be invited to eat. The masterclass package includes
and you won’t want to miss that. The food
is a delight here and the presentation outstanding. You relaxed with a
drink when you arrived so take time to finish in the same fashion.
Graze on your starter and wonder at the glass-domed ceiling, savour
your substantial main course while enjoying the murals, and be
mesmerised by the sound of the waterfall (yes, there is indeed a
2-storey-high water feature) as you are tempted by a platter of
La Porte des Indes is a sensual experience whether for just lunch,
dinner or the famous Sunday Brunch; but add a Friday masterclass to
that lunch and you have a memorable event. Gift certificates are
available which could solve your Yuletide gift dilemma for several
family members. They will leave with a deeper understanding of the
diversity of Indian food and its relationship with wine, the La Porte
des Indes Cookbook which has been penned by Sherin Alexander and Chef
Mehernosh Mody (get autographs while here), memories of a delicious
meal, and a note in the diary to come back for dinner.
Classes are available each month so take a look at forthcoming dates here
Price: £45 per person inclusive of VAT
Time: 12 noon – 1.30pm and lunch from 1.30pm onwards.
What’s included in our Indian cooking classes?
Tour of the Kitchens
Indian cooking class and food tasting
Food and wine pairing
Three-course Indian lunch
Signed copy of the La Porte des Indes cookbook
Certificate of Participation in our Indian cooking
Complimentary spice mix
La Porte des Indes
32 Bryanston Street, London W1H 7EG
Phone: +44 20 7224 0055
Fax: +44 20 7224 1144
Open 7 days a week
12:00 – 14:30 (Mon – Sat)
12:00 – 15:30 (Sundays)
18:30 – 23:30 (Mon – Sat)
18:00 – 22:30 (Sundays and Bank Holidays)
review: Potli Hammersmith –
Potli is a little over a year old and it has already
earned a mention in the Michelin Guide so you might be expecting something
over-priced and glitzy. But this restaurant is the sort you would want
as your local, your regular haunt for truly delicious food and a
pleasant evening with friends, and at a reasonable price.
This little gem is the brainchild of two friends with impeccable
culinary credentials. Jay Ghosh, head chef, and front of house manager
Uttam Tripathy are joint managing directors and are justly proud of
their considerable achievements.
Jay studied with one of the most celebrated groups in India, Oberoi
Hotels and Resorts, and moved to the UK in 2002. Uttam graduated
from the Institute of Hotel Management and Catering Technology and
joined the Radisson Group. They have had the best training, but nothing
beats making your own mark and the ex-Tandoori Nights restaurant has
provided these two young men with their venue.
We first visited shortly after opening (see review here)
how times have changed. We were confronted by a
large group of expectant diners sipping some signature cocktails as we
arrived. Seems that Potli is becoming a destination bar as well as
restaurant in Hammersmith.
That main restaurant was full and buzzing so we were shown to our
basement table. It’s now all finished and furnished, and would be my
space of choice for private dining. It has an air of sophistication
with a window onto the kitchen. Atul Kotchhar once told me that a
restaurateur should never be ashamed of showing his toilets or his
kitchen, and that window does rather give a sense of being totally
immersed in the theatre of food preparation.
No, not everything has changed on the menu but it makes good business
sense to present new dishes from time to time, to gauge what works for
that increasing band of loyal regulars. We took the opportunity to try
a few of the new items:
Samosa Chaat - homemade samosa flavoured with ajwain (carom seeds),
served with onions, tomatoes, chutney, and yoghurt - is a new house
speciality and this evening it was studded with pomegranate seeds for
colour and juicy sweetness. A delightful light nibble while considering
the rest of the well-balanced menu – plenty of choice here for non-meat
eaters and even vegetarians:
Shammi Kebab was made from Kentish lamb and flavoured with cinnamon and
mace. This style of kebab is just as much about texture as taste. ‘Melt
in the mouth’ and ‘soft as butter’ are a couple of overworked phrases
but sometimes they honestly are accurate descriptions. These patties
were fragrant and delicate.
Sarsho and Ajwaini Salmon tikka is a must-try and I can’t remember the
last time I enjoyed a salmon dish so much. Chef Jay displays a deft
hand at the tandoor. Premium Scottish salmon steak is marinated in
piquant mustard and carom seeds, and finished in the charcoal tandoor,
which imparts a remarkable flamed flavour. Another tapestry of
Lamb Coconut Fry is one of the more robustly spiced dishes
on the new menu but it doesn’t sacrifice flavour for heat. Tender
morsels of Kentish lamb, tossed with whole spices, coconut, curry
leaves and crushed black pepper creating an unctuous sauce is hearty
and deserves the accolade of House Speciality. Don’t miss this one.
Kadhai King Prawn Masala was plump and moist seafood flavoured with
coriander, chillies and ginger. Nothing needed with this
apart from some rice or a round or two of Potli’s excellent naan bread.
It has that heat but sweetness from the prawns.
It’s such a pleasure to see the dream become reality for Jay and Uttam.
Monday - Thursday 12 noon - 2:45pm, 6.00pm - 10:30pm
Friday and Saturday 12 noon - 2:45pm, 6.00pm - 11:00pm
Sunday: Open all day from 12 noon - 10:30 pm
Asian restaurant review: Potli -
An Indian market kitchen
319-321 King Street, Hammersmith, London, W6 9NH
Phone: 020 8741 4328 / 020 8741 5321
Visit Potli here
Ravenscourt Park or Stamford Brook: 3-4 minutes walk
Hammersmith: 8-10 minutes walk
Hanggang sa Muli – Homecoming
stories from the Filipino soul
Filipino and English are the official languages of the
Philippines. Filipino is a de facto version of Tagalog, spoken mainly
in Manila and other urban areas where the phrase Hanggang sa Muli might
In English “Until we meet again” is a collection of essays, poems and
stories from the Filipino diaspora, which is a considerable one. The
Philippines has a population of more than 92 million with an additional
11 million or so Filipinos living overseas. That could constitute a lot
Hanggang sa Muli sensitively considers the reflections of Filipinos who
live away from their motherland. They yearn for the taste of home, the
smell of home, the sound of home, and they wonder where is home? Am I
the same person here as when I am at home?
We all move house from time to time and we are reminded that moving is
right up there with such adventures as divorce and death. We arrive at
an unfamiliar building, try to remember where we put the cat, and feel
ourselves very savvy when we find the airing cupboard. But our
neighbours still look like us and speak like us, and Tesco’s is just
where you would expect it to be. Yes, we have been very brave.
Hanggang sa Muli reminds us of the anxieties and practicalities of
cross-cultural moving. Filipinos have faced racism and hardships as do
any migrant group, but those featured in this book are eloquent and
imaginative in their discourse. We eavesdrop on conversations and
memories of first impressions and unromantic reality. The writers have
Filipino accents but their words are those of so many transplanted
Homesickness Bequeathed (Tricia J. Capistrano) offers us the concerns
of those who have children. Should one stay in one’s adoptive home and
rarely return, to avoid confusing the children, or should one return
often in order to acquaint the kids with their cultural roots? The
author points out that the latter choice offers its own hazards, with
the possibility of second-generation Filipinos being just as likely to
say “I wish I was home” in either country. Could two homes become
Hanggang sa Muli – Homecoming stories from the Filipino soul is a book
by Filipinos and it will have instant appeal for all scattered
Filipinos; but look beyond that exotic title and we find a book for so
many of us. Well-written and poignant anecdotes, observations on
mankind in general and thought-provoking scenarios that encourage “what
if that was me?” pondering.
In The Laughter of my Father (Carlos Bulosan) a father gives his son
these moving parting words: “Remember in America that I am your father.
Don’t forget I touched you at birth.”
Hanggang sa Muli – Homecoming stories from the Filipino soul
Available at Tahanan Books. Visit here
Asian cookbook review: Tasting
I enjoy almost every book that crosses my desk (now a
uni-leg computer stand from a Swedish lifestyle emporium).
It’s just as much a travelogue as a cookbook. The recipes here are as
inspiring as they are useful. All the recipes work marvellously, but
you wouldn’t want to be taking this gold-silk-embossed stunner anywhere
near a kitchen full of anything that resembles ghee, tomato, turmeric
(that might be OK as it’s a matching colour) or anything described as
gravy. No, keep this book safe, read from cover to cover and scan some
of those delicious recipes for use later. You will want to make them.
The book is divided by region and it takes you on a journey around the
subcontinent. The photography is sumptuous and even if you are a
stranger to the inside of the aforementioned kitchen you will find this
book worthy of gracing your coffee table. There are views of elegant
buildings, majestic landscapes, but the population of India is the
undisputed star here.
Tasting India temps with the prospect of gentle adventure and food. One
of the first 2-page images is of The India Coffee House in Kolkata. It
offers so many instantly recognisable elements: naturally aged walls,
slow moving ceiling fans, turbanned waiters and tables full of casual
diners. This is the real and authentic India and it’s not polished for
the tourist. The pictures draw you into a culinary adventure. One wants
to sample the street food and to sip from the terracotta disposable
There are a good number of simple and traditional recipes to go along
with each chapter. At first glance the ingredient lists might look a
bit daunting, but you will find a collection of half a dozen spices
will enable you to make most of the dishes. They will all be available
in your local Asian supermarket or even online. If you don’t often make
Indian food then buy whole spices and grind them yourself in small
quantities. Tasting India also offers a creditable number of desserts
and sweets, which are more often than not overlooked in other cookbooks.
Tasting India is indeed a gift, even if only to oneself, but consider
giving this to a friend before he or she goes off on that amazing trip.
It will give inspiration to the traveller – places to visit, unique
aspects of daily life, colour and tempo. Then there is the food to try:
freshly brewed chai, fragrant kebabs, syrupy sweets. The author,
Christine Manfield, has evidently done her homework and has
thoughtfully included a directory at the back of the book which
includes places to stay like The Manor Hotel in Delhi, and places to
eat such as Indigo in Mumbai. Shopping is an absorbing pastime and
there are plenty of suggestions of spots to splash the cash, from tea
centres to silk boutiques. A list of local travel agents would have
been handy as you will be booking that flight as soon as that ornate
back cover closes.
This is a must-have for any collector of books on India, any lover of
India and any serious cookbook collector. Christine Manfield must be a
very proud author, and photographer Anson Smart must surely consider
this as his masterwork. Beautiful.
Asian cookbook review: Tasting India
Author: Christine Manfield
Published by: Conran Octopus
Asian restaurant review: Dumplings' Legend
This restaurant has been open a couple of years and is a
sophisticated spot for smart-casual dining; but one starts the culinary
adventure before one even reaches the table. The open dim sum kitchen
is your introduction to the eponymous creations of Dumplings’ Legend.
The restaurant is a contemporary vision of white with mirrors. It’s a
large restaurant with seating for up to two hundred people, and a
private dining area that can cater for another hundred or so guests.
Its impressive picture window gives views onto Gerrard Street in
London’s bustling Chinatown that attracts Chinese locals, Chinese
tourists and Europeans from London and across the globe. The street
adds much to London’s economy and is now being taken seriously as an
attraction in its own right.
Those dumplings or Siu Long Bao are the cornerstones of this restaurant
for much of the day. They are sometimes classified as a dumpling
outside of China, but they are far from a European dumpling which is
usually a ball of something substantial, rib-sticking and hearty. One
might think of the suet dumplings found in traditional British meat
stews, but Siu Long Bao are delicate gems of Chinese gastronomy.
There is a variety of Siu Long Bao at Dumplings’ Legend, but they all
take broadly the same form: bamboo steamer trays filled with small
dough wrappers that are deftly folded and twisted around fillings. It’s
the production of these morsels that one can watch at the entrance to
the restaurant. The filling is smeared on the dough and then the
unprepossessing mass is transformed by skilled fingers into the
characteristic pleated dim sum. I noted that the dough here is thinner
than some used for similar dishes elsewhere.
Eating Siu Long Bao is an art but a delicious one. First
select your dumpling from the steamer and carefully transfer that to
your spoon with your chopsticks. You will doubtless realise that the
texture of the dumpling is that of a balloon filled with liquid. That’s
the striking thing about these exotic bites – they have a meat or
seafood centre which is surrounded by a flavourful broth. I have no
idea how this is achieved as the filling looks like a paste when it’s
in its raw state. Take a little nibble and enjoy the soup and then
perhaps take a bite of wrapper and filling to appreciate its moist
richness. Dip the remaining dumpling into chilli sauce or add some
shredded ginger and devour the rest. I am sure there is Siu Long Bao
etiquette but I am only a Gwailo so I manage the best I can.
For our first visit to Dumplings’ Legend we wanted to stick to those
famed snacks and we ordered a mouth-watering overview. Fresh Crab-roe
Siu Long Bao is a speciality here and it’s unique. No strong flavours
but a smooth and mild seafood filling bathed in an equally light broth.
It’s not always available but do try these if they are on.
Spicy Pork Siu Long Bao is perhaps my favourite of this type of dim
sum. The wrapper is just as thin as for the other dishes but the
filling has a robust and Sichuan pepper-laced flavour that gives that
characteristic mouth-numbing sensation. That might not sound appealing
to the untutored but it is truly remarkable and different from any
other dumpling that would likely just be flavoured with the more common
red chilli. These spicy dumplings are unmissable and moreish.
No trip to Chinatown is complete for me if I miss buying a steamed
barbecue pork bun. I prefer these to the baked alternative although
even those are addictive. Dumplings' Legend offered Juicy Barbecued
Pork Bun and it was as good as I have had. The steamed dough is light
and snowy white and it cracks and bursts as it rises in the steamer to
show a seam of the mahogany-coloured filling. Warm and aromatic, this
is a classic bun.
Turnip Cake is another dish that doesn’t immediately entice the novice
to order. A turnip is an ingredient that is seldom craved, written
about in culinary literature, or lauded as a vegetable hero, but Turnip
Cake with Assorted Dried Meat here could change your at best
non-committal attitude to this root. I think the turnip in question is
actually a mooli which is processed and flavoured and presented as
blocks of golden-fried comfort. Yes, that probably is its appeal, it’s
comforting. There are no strong flavours and the texture is glutinous
and starchy. Even that description by this lover of a turnip cake
hardly has one rushing to try it, but suffice it to say it’s a winner
and well worth ordering. It’s the same as with mashed potatoes – what’s
not to like?
The desserts are tempting at Dumplings' Legend. My companion had never
tried the celebrated (I am not sure that’s the word I am looking for)
durian fruit. I am rather fond of it but it’s a fondness that has taken
time to cultivate. I can understand the reluctance to lower a segment
of the fruit from the assault that it might have made on one’s nose to
the taste buds that will probably already be in a state of panic. But
make the effort and try this fruit a few times and you might start
(slowly) to understand the appeal.
We ordered Durian Puff Pastry and it was a gentle introduction to the
flavour and aroma of durian. The pastry was flaky and delicious and had
a seam of fruit running through it. The texture of the filling was
rather like a thick apple puree and indeed the colour was very much
like that. The sweet flavour was not overpoweringly durian but the
slight aftertaste gave a nod to that characteristic pungency. OK, so
it’s an acquired taste but these pastries will have you hooked after a
visit or two.
It’s a universal truth that however stuffed we are with savoury dishes,
there is always a little space for dessert, and if you can only manage
a vey airy pud then try the Malaysian Cake. It has a warm tan from
brown sugar and is as light as a feather. It’s steamed rather than
baked so it’s moist and an ideal accompaniment to a cup of tea.
The star of the dessert selection is without a doubt the Egg Yolk
Custard Bun. These look like smooth and well-rounded snowballs but
there is a sunny, sweet and hot centre that should be treated with
respect. My advice is to use the fork provided to cut into the fluffy
dough and release the yolky magma which will cool slightly as it flows.
This is the most memorable dessert I have had in Chinatown and I can
recommend it to anyone who wants a truly different dessert
I hadn’t known what to expect from Dumplings' Legend. It could have
been a humid café offering stodgy and heavy dishes that would be
bound to settle like bricks but I found a clean, bright and busy
restaurant with a host of regulars and that’s always a good sign. The
staff are helpful, smiling, efficient and charming but the food is what
will bring you back time and again. I am impressed, and I look forward
to my own return to try the non-dumpling menu in the near
future. My expectation of good quality in the dishes is high, although
I wonder if they could perhaps find another Egg Yolk Custard Bun
somewhere on the premises as well.
15-16 Gerrard Street
Chinatown, London W1D 6JE
Phone: 020 7494 1200
Visit Dumplings’ Legend here
Alvin Leung – Bo Innovation Hong
Kong, and Bo London
Bo London will be the next venture headed by “demon chef”
Alvin Leung. He could just as easily be described as “the Man in Black”
due to his habitual costume, although not his personality. He is an
easy chap to like, with a dry sense of humour and engaging manner. He
was in the UK to visit the site of his new restaurant, so I asked how
much time he will be able to spend in Hong Kong at Bo Innovation when
Bo London opens in September. How will he divide his time?
“I’m going to spend as much time as I need until I think the restaurant
is ready. It’s like nurturing a child: you leave the restaurant when
you feel that it’s working and sustainable by itself, operating
smoothly alone. When that happens I’ll return to Hong Kong but I’ll
come back regularly to monitor it.”
Why was Alvin Leung so keen to open a restaurant in London rather than,
say, Singapore or Paris? “I was born in London and I have an affection
for the city so I will come back, it’s not like I’ll just open a new
restaurant and not return! If London proves successful I do have
ambitions to open more – but London first: it’s special to me and I
come here regularly.
“I left London when I was an infant. My father had been to university
here and I came back twenty years later to go to university myself, and
my daughter was born and went to school here. I’ve spent as much time
as I could in London. This is not just a ‘second home’ to me, it is
almost a ‘home’. My dream was always to open in London: even when I
started in Hong Kong London was my goal, it was always in my mind. If
you open a restaurant like Bo Innovation – very innovative, very new
Chinese – you want to do it in a place where there’s an audience. Would
you open it in Yorkshire, in Manchester? I don’t think so, because what
I do is not going to be easily accepted there, it probably wouldn’t
have an audience. You open a Broadway show in London and people will
come, and I think I will have an audience here.”
Did family play a part in his interest in food? Does he come from a
family of food lovers? “My mother cannot cook, and that’s well
documented! In a Chinese family, if your mother can cook then why learn
– we are lazy people!” he laughs. “So we had to learn how to do that
for ourselves, we were getting sick of instant noodles every day – and
believe me, instant noodles in the early 1970s were not even close to
what’s being eaten now – think ‘wax’! I was brought up in Canada, so we
had a relatively large kitchen where it was easy for a child to learn
to cook. I started to cook around age 11 or 12, and I enjoyed it. I
enjoy eating, too – you have to enjoy eating to be able to cook. I’m
the oldest of four brothers, and my father and I prepared food for
everyone in big batches – well, you can’t cook something like a turkey
just for one. My father used to love turkey, and he cooked one not just
for Thanksgiving but every month, and when the stocks in the freezer
ran down and we didn’t have any left for sandwiches he would cook
another one. There’s so much you can do with turkey – sandwiches, fried
rice, the bones are good for congee – and it was cheap. My father never
taught me how to cook: I’m a guy, in those days you asked your father
how to build a dog-house, you didn’t ask him how to cook, or he’d put
you through military school! And my mother’s instruction consisted of
telling me to read the back of the box!”
But despite Alvin’s love of food he didn’t choose a career in food
right away. “I was an acoustics engineer, and I only started to cook
professionally about seven years ago. I think having an engineering and
a business background – everything except one in cooking – helped my
restaurant survive. When I went to university here I worked as a waiter
at my friend’s restaurant, but that was only for about three months. I
have never worked under anybody, and I don’t think I ever would. For me
having my own restaurant was the logical way to get started: if you
haven’t learned to do things classically, then just do things that are
a little bit away from the norm, so people won’t realise your
mistakes!” Still more of that infectious Leung chuckle. “When you cook
something classic there are benchmarks, something to which you can be
compared; when you do something ‘bang – just like that’ those
comparisons don’t exist. People can’t say you’re good, you’re bad. I
tell people, ‘I’m the best, I’m the worst at whatever I do, because I’m
the only one!’
“Being the black sheep of the family, the rebellious sort, I wanted to
do something that was unique. If you can do something that nobody else
is doing, you don’t have competitors. But your craft has to be accepted
if you are going to succeed. I’m not going to try to educate everybody
– that’s the job of the journalists. I think it was a smart move, even
if it happened to be a fluke, to do something where there are no rules.
In these seven years I think I’ve learned a lot, and it’s easier to
learn from the top. You learn a lot more when you’re at the top than
when you’re at the bottom – where you’re washing dishes and you just
learn how to get grease off a knife, how not to scratch
an ivory handle. I’ve been learning, and I’m still learning, which is
good. When you reach perfection you reach the end. Like the Olympics,
it gets harder and harder to break the record, and if you don’t break
the record you’re not going to be happy. When you start from the very
bottom and still have a long way to go, there’s a lot of excitement, a
lot of opportunities for you to develop. I like the development stage,
and when I reach a certain goal there’s satisfaction. This is what
makes me happy.”
How did Alvin get his start, his break? “I was cooking seriously at
home, doing elaborate dinner parties with a real menu and everything,
and friends were saying, ‘Your food’s better than a restaurant, you
should open one!’ Never take that advice – it’s the same with singing,
friends will say you have the best voice they have ever heard. Ask
strangers: when strangers say you are
good, you can believe them. During the SARS epidemic, a friend had a
restaurant, a speakeasy, and it was not doing well. The chef left and I
took over. I didn’t drop everything and go there, I took my food and
tried to see if there was a market for it. I am more of a pessimist
than an optimist: I thought, ‘This may not work, but if it works it’s a
bonus.’ I think, being a businessman, that’s a safe approach – you
don’t put all your eggs in one basket.
“So I did something completely new at that time in Hong Kong: using
molecular gastronomy methods for Chinese food. There was a lot of noise
from critics and writers from all over Asia, who came to Hong Kong to
write about the trend for ‘speakeasy’ home restaurants, and there were
a lot of great reviews. Then the celebrated Patricia Wells came and
took me apart: she said I cooked like an eleven-year-old! I said,
‘Great! Now let’s move on, and start to take it to her level.’ But she
didn’t tell me what her level was! I was, technically, still running
the family business, but I was encouraged to push myself and go
full-time with the restaurant. But how do you develop your cuisine? Do
you shave truffles into everything, put foie gras in all your dishes,
lines of powders, herbs, cress?
“In my new restaurant I want to showcase London with my cuisine – it’s
quite extreme Chinese: exciting, exotic, an experience. It’s something
that I want London to be involved in, that’s why it’s called Bo London,
not Bo Innovation or Alvin Leung’s. This is about London, it’s a dream
coming true, it’s trying to show people what I have gathered, and how
British food has inspired me.”
Will Bo London have a different menu from that found in Hong Kong?
“There are certain things on the menu that are delicious and that I
have done all over the world; of course I’m Chinese so there’s a
Chinese element in there, and there will be lots of dishes derived from
vibes I’m getting from London, from England. I am coming here not to
show you what I can do, but what I have learned, what I am able to
absorb from my surroundings. Innovative molecular gastronomy, fusion,
everything – 50% of it has to come from where you are geographically
for people to accept it.”
From where does he find his culinary inspiration? “My ideas come from
everything around me – from architecture, people, ingredients,
restaurants. If you get inspired by a lot of things, then you are able
to create from different perspectives: if you only get inspired by
ingredients, you’ve only got one perspective; if you get inspired by
techniques and ingredients you get two perspectives; if you get
inspired by energies from the architecture and techniques and
ingredients you have three, and so on.
“I have an affection for London. In London I’m in a happy environment
so I can create better dishes and therefore have more fun here, I can
put more effort into it. There’s also a psychological element: when I’m
happy, comfortable I can create something better. It’s about the
history, the surroundings, so I think I can do more here than if I try
to figure it all out somewhere else.”
What kind of restaurants does Alvin enjoy visiting? “My favourite
places are comfortable; it may not even be about the food. The biggest
problem is that I am always trying to analyse things, in order to learn
from them. To do that, you have to understand what’s good about it,
what’s bad about it. If you go to a favourite place, psychologically
you are not going to be able to see the bad, you can only see the good.
You have to expose yourself in all directions in order to pick up
ideas, inspiration, and energy. My brain is always on the lookout for
any opportunity to pick up new ideas.”
What of Chef Leung's new creations – how do they evolve? “When you are
creating something new, you are either making a new model, or changing
an old model and you have to think laterally. Take the fish and chips
we have here in the UK: say I was presenting that in Hong Kong. We
don’t have potatoes, so we have to do something else in place of the
chips. The fish is the protein, the more expensive part. There is the
comfort of the fried potato, so you have to think about a replacement
for that starch that’s there to fill you up. Instead of potatoes you
have rice, or noodles, or taro. The batter for the fish - would it be
the same? Would you substitute the salt with soy sauce, because the
Chinese don’t use salt? That’s too obvious. Then think about fish and
chips in the future, 50 or 100 years from now. Think about all those
things and you start to get ideas and create something. Of course
there’s always a story around that particular dish, some sort of
inspiration. You have to take yourself down many different avenues.”
Is it, therefore, a process of modernising? “Yes, you can
say it’s modernising. You have to ‘deconstruct’ in order to put it back
together again, but that term doesn’t hold up as well as it used to.
It’s a method that an engineer uses when he wants to find out how a
thing works and then try to improve it. But I’m not saying I ‘improve’
it; instead I say that I try to present it from another perspective. I
take a lot of very strong Asian flavours, like morning glory, which
many chefs never touch. I take on stronger flavours that may not be so
readily accepted and try to make them more accessible to people who did
not grow up with those flavours.”
What is Alvin trying to do with Bo London? Is he going to
educate us with his, well, innovation? “I would not try to educate you
on how to eat – everyone’s an expert on what they like. I might educate
you on how to hold chopsticks, I can tell you how in Hong Kong we like
to steam our food, but London has a very big Chinese presence, in the
culinary sense. I’m not going to show you a lot of things that you
haven’t seen before, but I’m going to present them in a slightly
different way. If you go to a normal Chinese restaurant, hopefully you
get what you expected. For what I do, extreme eating, I’m trying to
pleasantly surprise you and give you the unexpected. That adds to the
pleasure, the excitement. If it’s predictable you’re not going to be
excited by it. This is what I do, and this is what I’m reasonably good
How would Alvin describe his menus? “My menus evolve. Take molecular
gastronomy: seven years ago you sprinkle some powder and everybody’s
excited. Now that trick does not work so easily. You now have to go to
a different phase – I don’t say ‘level’ because food can go sideways as
well as up. Now people eat out so much, and it’s getting harder and
harder to impress. There’s a generation gap. Things are changing
“These days I don’t try to impress you with bubbles and jellies and
powders in every single dish – you need to balance the menu. It can’t
all be ‘smoke and mirrors’, you have to offer a dish that’s a bit more
comforting as well. Each dish is judged by the test of time – it only
stays as long as people continue to come back for that dish. But there
are some dishes from seven years ago that I continue to refine, or that
I bring out from time to time, dishes that ‘click’ or just work.
“My formula is always to find out what’s going on, and not just to go
with the trend. You have to move in a different direction or you’re
just part of the mass. It’s important to sit down and think about the
model, and work on the psychology: you can break through culture
barriers by using that. There are certain things that everybody needs,
and taste is one. But if in England you like your food at a certain
temperature, then I’ll address that subliminal need.”
It all started with a kitchen and a kid. Does Alvin still cook at home?
“At home I cook simple stuff, soup, congee; we’re quite good at
cooking, just not very good at cleaning up!” I would say that Alvin
stands a very real chance of cleaning up, in two great cities.
restaurant review: Blue Elephant
– Imperial Wharf for Dinner
Until a short time ago I confess that I had no idea where
Imperial Wharf could possibly be, but I had the notion that it was a long way from anywhere
convenient. In fact it’s London’s undiscovered playground with
outstanding transport connections. It’s just one stop on the train from
West Brompton (served also by the Wimbledon branch of the District
Line) or one stop by rail from Clapham Junction. There is a bus (391)
that will transport prospective diners from Hammersmith and Richmond
and another (C3) from Earls Court.
I can’t think of many better views to enjoy over a summer night’s
dinner. Blue Elephant basks in the warmth of a setting sun and diners
watch the dusk fall over the River Thames. The quality of light changes
inside the restaurant as well. The striking dragon bar is transformed
into a shimmering swathe of richly tooled gold. The dark polished wood
of windows and doors reflect the low lights. Outside has become a
sophisticated night-time cityscape.
The bar at Blue Elephant is a destination in its own right and is
perhaps one of the most magnificent I have ever seen. The barmen are
particularly skilled, it seems, in making those exotic cocktails that
waft one away to swaying palms. Granted, that’s a romantic notion but
the cocktails here are some of the most beautiful and potent around,
and a couple will undoubtedly have you wafting somewhere, even if it’s
only home on a late bus.
Raspberry Bellini (Champagne, raspberry, Crème de Framboise) was
our host’s choice of cocktail and she, a lady of discerning taste,
pronounced herself addicted to the version here. My guest chose the
fruity yet deceptively powerful Pomelo Martini (vodka, pomelo
grapefruit, Limoncello, Cointreau). My preferred cocktail has long been
Lychee Martini and they offer one at Blue Elephant, but I wanted
something unique that spoke of this very individual bar. Tom Yam Mary
(vodka, red chilli, tomato juice) was piquant, potent and perfectly
spiced with far more vodka than some similar cocktails I have tried
recently. This should be a signature tipple. If you don’t find anything
on the cocktail menu that takes your fancy then ask the barman to mix
another classic, or perhaps even your own recipe.
Blue Elephant offers a selection of menus that will give you a vibrant
culinary overview of past, present and future Thai cuisine. Mrs. Nooror
Somany Steppe is one of the founders of the Blue Elephant Group which
also includes the iconic La Porte des Indes. She has been responsible
for introducing the world to her authentic Thai food but she has also
enjoyed presenting innovation and her perspective on evolved Thai food.
Even the most enthusiastic Thai restaurant-goer will find new and
exciting dishes at Blue Elephant, but traditionalists will feel equally
We chose the Memories of Siam Tasting Menu this time but we
will graze on other menus in the future. This offered flair along with
flavour. Even the crockery here is bespoke, with each piece being
hand-decorated in distinctive blue and white. It’s contemporary and
simple but remarkable. Each dish and even the complimentary amuse
bouche looks graceful with that as a backdrop.
Satay of strips of grilled naturally-reared British buffalo and
marinated free-range chicken, with home-made peanut sauce and cucumber
relish for dipping, was the first of our starters. It’s evident that
the chef here believes the choice of raw ingredients is just as
important as the preparation. It’s possible to ruin good meat, but
difficult to elevate poor-quality chicken to anything other than
Chef Nooror’s Ma Auan - Steamed minced chicken with crab-meat and foie
gras – was originally created during the reign of King Rama V.
You might not think that you know anything about Thai history but you
will all have heard of this king. Phra Bat Somdet Phra Poramintharamaha
Chulalongkorn Phra Chunla Chom Klao Chao Yu Hua or Rama V was the fifth
monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri. He is said to be one of the
greatest kings of Thailand, or Siam as it was formerly known. He
undertook to modernise his country and keep it from the clutches of the
French and British who were always noted collectors of other people’s
lands. It’s all very worthy but you will possibly only start to
recognise the man when you know that Anna Leonowens was one of his
tutors. His father was THE king in “The King and I”. The dishes
provenance is impressive and this stands as a great starter in its own
right. Delicate and moreish.
Tom Jew Kai is a free-range chicken soup, and another dish dating from
the reign of the previously-mentioned King Chulalongkorn. It’s
considered as a cure for the common cold, although I am sure this
monarch did not have a Jewish mum. This light broth was spicy and would
have been a meal in itself with only the addition of a handful of
Fresh Lime Seabass was part of our array of main dishes.
Steamed fillet of seabass was flavoured with lemongrass, fresh lime
juice and crushed chilli. The sweetness of the white fish was
contrasted by the chilli and was perfumed by the lemongrass. Any fish
lover would be delighted by this.
Massaman lamb curry is a staple in Thai restaurants but it’s a popular
dish because it offers so much that we crave from Asian food. Tender
meat in a rich and flavourful sauce has long been appreciated and
Massaman lamb curry was described in a poem by King Rama II, whose
reign was known as the "Golden Age of Rattanakosin Literature".
Evidently a man of refined tastes in every regard.
Wild-catch prawns were stir-fried with garlic and black pepper and were
juicy with an agreeable heat from the pepper, a spice
that is often overlooked as banal and ordinary. Here it is used as
flavouring rather than as an apologetic seasoning. Delicious.
Slices of marinated duck breast grilled and served rare on a bed of
seaweed, topped with tamarind sauce was notable. Tamarind alone is a
sour and mouth-puckering ingredient but it is used in sauces and dips
along with sugar and spices to give a garnish that not only imparts
flavour of its own but which enhances anything that it partners. A
Thailand is blessed with a wealth of sweets and desserts. They range
from the courtly and refined to the rustic. Chef Nooror has both
traditional and contemporary on the Blue Elephant menu, although you
will likely have only a little space left after such a considerable
repast. We had little tastes of fresh fruit and desserts starting with
ginger coconut crème brulée, which was much more
interesting than the Western version: creamy and rich with distinct
Longan Black Sticky Rice Pudding was made from simmered black sticky
rice with palm sugar, longan, and young coconut meat, and
topped with coconut cream. A longan looks much like a lychee and is
native to South East Asia. The desserts on offer might change with
availability of ingredients, but try the taro puffs if they are on the
bill of fare. Taro is a purple-fleshed root vegetable, and boiled taro
with coconut milk is one of the traditional Thai desserts, but here it
is used as a filling for French choux pastry. It has a nutty flavour
almost like a European chestnut.
We finished our meal with a cup of jasmine tea but I noted that Blue
Elephant offers their own White Tea and even Thai coffee, packages of
which the guests can buy as they leave. It’s a company that prides
itself on inviting their guests to enjoy an all-round experience: the
ambiance, food, drink and even something to take home with you along
with memories and a plan to return. I have tried both dinner and Sunday
Brunch and now I am on a mission to persuade this restaurant to open
for breakfast. I have no idea what would be on the menu but I know it
would be good ...and the eggs would be free-range.
Blue Elephant - London
The Boulevard, Imperial Wharf, Townmead Road,
London SW6 2UB
Phone: +44 (0)20 7751 3111
Fax: +44 (0)20 7751 3112
Visit Blue Elephant here
restaurant review: Blue
Elephant – Imperial Wharf, London
Imperial Wharf sounds smart and indeed it is. It was for
centuries a working-class area with poor housing. My mother’s
– tasteful in every
This isn’t a new restaurant but it is a new location for a much-loved
establishment. Until recently Blue Elephant called Fulham Broadway home
and it was an outpost of Thai refinement there for 25 years or so. But
the views from Imperial Wharf are much more interesting and attractive,
and now there are tables outside – they will be the ones sought, should
we ever have a summer.
Blue Elephant occupies an enviable plot in that new development, but
step though those anonymous doors and you are in Thailand; more
accurately a traditional house in Thailand. The interior was inspired
by the Saran Rom Palace of Bangkok, which was once the seat of
Thailand’s Minister of Foreign Affairs. It has the ambiance of a home
rather than a restaurant. OK, a home with lots of friends over for
The new Blue is smaller than the original but its intimate proportions
add to the cosy atmosphere. It’s designed to give flexibility of
seating as well as space for private dining. The restaurant is a
testament to Thai craft and continuity. There are carved statues and
friezes and a lower ground floor bar which is a shimmering vision of
tooled gold. Teak woodwork and exotic flowers make this an unmistakable
satellite of mainland Thailand.
The menu has been created by the founder of the Blue Elephant Group,
Chef Nooror Somany Steppé. She is one of the most celebrated
chefs in Asia and indeed among the most respected woman chefs in the
world. She is considered the unofficial culinary ambassador of
Chef Nooror was born in Chachengsao province and grew up surrounded by
a family that was involved in the food industry. Her mum taught her how
to pound spices to make the curry pastes to sell at the market. These
days Blue Elephant curry pastes can be found all over the world.
When Nooror was a teenager she moved to Brussels where her brother was
studying Hotel Management. She met Karl Steppé there and married
him, and a few years later they and a few friends opened their first
Thai restaurant in Brussels. There is now a veritable herd of Blue
Elephants across Europe, the Middle East and Asia. It’s still very much
a family business though, with Karl taking care of the administration,
daughter Sandra looking after the Bangkok complex, and son Kim is in
Phuket at the new branch.
Sunday Brunch at Blue Elephant is a must for any lover of Thai food
with midday hunger pangs. It’s also the ideal venue for an introduction
to Thai food, as one can take just a little of each dish from the
buffet, and decide on one’s favourites. One can graze on exquisitely
crafted starters. There are fish cakes with dipping sauce and they are
a perfect first taste to provide the novice with a hint of aromatic
spice typical of this cuisine: a Thai dish should have hot, sour, salty
and sweet notes to create a delicious flavour tapestry.
Spring Rolls offer texture and freshness. This is a ubiquitous dish on
many Asian restaurant menus but these were generously stuffed and
worthy of a try. Rice cakes are offered on porcelain spoons with a
chicken sauce alongside. Thai salads are chopped and crushed before
your very eyes. Skewers of marinated grilled chicken
partnered with satay dip is bound to be popular as it’s a snack
familiar to everyone, but a must-try from the starter station is Banana
Dim Sum: strange but true – this is a startlingly simple Oriental
nibble of crunchy deep-fried wrapper and sweet banana interior. Banana
is, in fact, one of those fruits that work perfectly well in both
savoury and sweet dishes.
You will want to take the rare opportunity to try some Thai wine.
Monsoon Valley Blended Red (vintage Buddhist era 2553) from the Siam
Winery was a revelation. In truth Thailand isn’t a country famed for
its wine but this was a creditable bottle and would have passed muster
even if it had sported a French label. Siam Winery was established in
1986 by Chalerm Yoovidhya and now has a state-of-the-art winery in
Samut Sakorn, 30 miles south-west of Bangkok. They cultivate over 300
acres of vineyards and have a wine tourism and education centre. Siam
Winery is surely a producer to watch, and a visit is bound to be
fascinating for any wine enthusiast.
Blue Elephant offers an array of vegetarian and non-vegetarian main
dishes, many of which are unique to the restaurant, along with some
traditional soups and salads. The seafood curry had plenty of tender
fish, squid and shellfish and an aromatic sauce, but the star of the
non-vegetarian selection was the venison with chilli. This was rich and
warming but without searing, mouth-numbing heat. Thai cuisine does have
fiery dishes but it has many more that are complex melanges of ginger,
lemongrass, kaffir lime leaves and Thai basil. The pineapple curry was
outstanding, mild and comforting.
I have one small criticism of Blue Elephant. They don’t supply
blindfolds at the door. It’s a great restaurant to go to if you
subscribe to the philosophy of eating dessert first: it takes strength
of character to stride by that display
Blue Elephant introduced me to a new fruit. The salaka looks like a
long-faced lychee with a hair-cut but has a taste somewhat between that
and a pineapple. The jellies, flavoured with fruit or jasmine, and with
a crunchy sugar coating, make an exotic petit four, with a few morsels
of moreish Kao Too, rather like a brown-sugar coconut ice which I think
this restaurant should sell by the boxful.
This isn’t Indian food with a difference; it’s not Chinese food with a
slant. Thai is a classic cuisine in its own right and
Blue Elephant is spreading the word. The Sunday Brunch is great value
for money and it’s the opportunity to relax and enjoy high-end food
with the family. Children are welcomed and will find not only food to
enjoy but also face-painting to make their outing even more memorable.
There is an elephant on the Thai flag, and Blue Elephant flies that
flag every day to entice us with glimpses of Thai culture and
delightful food. Chef Nooror Somany Steppé is an ambassador with
some amazing embassies across the globe.
Blue Elephant - London
The Boulevard, Imperial Wharf, Townmead Road,
London SW6 2UB
Phone: +44 20 7751 3111
Fax: +44 20 7751 3112
Visit Blue Elephant here
Asian restaurant review: La Porte
des Indes for Sunday Jazz Brunch
Sundays are for relaxing, or that was the old-fashioned
notion. It is the day, at least in most of the Western world, for
gathering with friends and family, and there was usually a traditional
Sunday roast involved in the conviviality
Lots of Indian restaurants offer a special Sunday menu, but all Indian
restaurants are not created equal and it’s easy to be put off from this
gastronomic interlude by previous encounters with dubious curry-houses,
the sort that proclaim as many as 6 dishes (one of them being a
poppadom) and as much as you can eat for £7 a head with service
that will continue till the oil congeals on top of last week’s
left-over korma. There is a quite different class of Indian restaurant
that will charm, tempt and enthral its guests, and La Porte des Indes
is counted amongst their number.
It’s long been a favourite of mine and one visit will convince those
weary of dingy curry-houses that this will likely be their weekend
venue of choice, their polished gem in a sea of culinary mediocrity (or
worse). It is, quite frankly, stunning. Sunday Brunch here will offer
the visitor the chance listen to some live jazz and to wander around:
the buffet is displayed over two floors so you will get the chance to
glide down that sweeping especially-imported-beautiful-bespoke
staircase like some transplanted Rajesque Scarlet O’Hara.
your next visit.
Some tables are placed for animated chatter between just two diners,
while others are big enough to accommodate a family:
brunch is a casual meal and a buffet allows everyone to try a little of
this and to have an extra portion of that with never a hint of “Finish
those sprouts or you don’t get any Arctic Roll.” Everybody can pick
their own favourites, tantalise their tastebuds with the best of Indian
cuisine; parents can enjoy a stress-free mealtime and kids might
discover that they do actually like fish.
The Sunday Brunch buffet is famed and it’s easy to see why. The lower
floor is where you will find the starters. Chefs man hot food stations
and will tempt you with such things as mini potato-filled dosa or
stuffed puri. There are several kebabs from which to choose and each is
presented with their accompanying chutney. It’s a street-food
extravaganza and it would be easy just to spend an afternoon grazing on
these perfectly-formed little savouries, but there is more food on the
Copper chafing dishes stand in rows – one section for
vegetarian dishes and another for those containing fish and
meat. I am not an Indian food expert but I noted that half the diners
at La Porte des Indes were Asian. They all seemed to be
enjoying the food as much as I did, and many were evidently regulars
there. Surely that must be a sign of the quality of the
food. These folks know more about Subcontinental cooking than this
writer, and they were all going back for seconds, so we followed them.
The selection of dishes on offer is huge; there is something to please
every palate. The Lamb Biryani was aromatic and the meat tender. The
Chicken Makhani was flavourful and mild. The vegetarian options
supplied a spicy star in the guise of small, whole Asian aubergines.
This was a rich and warming vegetarian option that just needed some
plain boiled rice and some yoghurt on the side. Fresh naan bread was
provided at the table.
It’s a universal truth that one can eat savoury dishes until one can
eat no more and one swears that not another morsel will pass one’s lips
until at least teatime, and then someone mentions that the desserts are
at the foot of the stairs. Somehow we get a second wind: well, perhaps
something light might help with digestion; sweet after savoury
definitely constitutes a balanced diet. The desserts here are almost
too good to eat. Individual portions of each and sized to allow
everyone to try almost everything on offer. Kheer (Indian rice
pudding), mango yoghurt served in terracotta bowls (my favourite),
chocolate truffles, white chocolate and lime mousse, a mithai platter
sweets) with a fig and honey confection for which to die; and then
there was the fresh fruit that you will take either because you know
it’s good for you and it does look refreshing, or (and this is more
likely) because, even though you really want some more mithai, you want
the people on the neighbouring table to think that you have amazing
Sunday Brunch at La Porte des Indes isn’t the occasion for overt
displays of restraint. It provides all the fixin’s for a thoroughly
civilized smart-casual meal. The restaurant offers the most delicious
Indian cuisine in a setting that is unique and a feast for the eyes.
One visit will never be enough and the experience can be summed up in
one word: Memorable.
La Porte des Indes
32 Bryanston Street, London W1H 7EG
Phone: +44 20 7224 0055
Fax: +44 20 7224 1144
Visit La Porte des Indes here
Singapore – A moving
One huge flyer, 2 feet, 3
small wheels and 4 F1 tyres
Singapore is my destination of choice. It offers everything for which
any civilised traveller could hope: vibrant and delicious food (eating
is a universal hobby here), friendly locals and a rich and diverse
heritage. Singapore has a wealth of contemporary design and fashion
outlets, alongside history and traditional culture, still very much
alive on the peninsular.
This is the land of the short break, so how does one make the best of
just a few days on that first visit (for there will doubtless be many
happy returns)? What would constitute an overview? How to see lots
without the kids complaining?
The Singapore Flyer
The quintessential ‘overview’ must surely be that afforded
by the Singapore Flyer. This is the wheel that dominates the
Singapore horizon, higher than the London version and in fact the
world’s largest observation wheel. This month (April 2012) the Flyer
will celebrate its 4th year.
Singapore Flyer stands 165m from the ground at its highest point and
gives stunning views of Marina Bay, the city of Singapore and even
across to Malaysia and Indonesia. The cargo ships offshore will remind
you that despite its exotic charm Singapore has one of the world's
busiest ports in terms of total shipping tonnage and it’s the world's
busiest container port.
Strategically located at the new developments of Marina Bay, the Flyer
has 28 air-conditioned capsules from which your view will slowly change
– historical and cultural buildings and neighbourhoods like Chinatown,
Little India, the financial district and now Marina Bay Sands. That’s
the beautiful and impressive 3-towered structure with a
boat-like platform straddling those skyscrapers. High-flyers on this
wheel can indulge in a flute of Moët & Chandon Champagne, a
glass of Singapore Flyer Signature Cocktail or a version of the
Singapore Sling. Those who are celebrating and who want an exclusive
experience while enjoying those views can take advantage of the world’s
first full-butler Sky Dining on board the Singapore Flyer.
The Singapore Flyer extravaganza doesn’t end with your landing. Back at
ground level there is a lush tropical rainforest as the centre-piece of
a three-storey shopping mall. There is a waterfront dining promenade
and a street-food option for those who want a retro eating adventure.
It’s called The Singapore Food Trail and presents a selection of
old-fashioned food carts (you will remember them from the Singapore of
the 1960s if you’re of a certain age, like me) which will give you the
chance to try so much that is typically local and delicious. Try Nasi
Lamak from one of the carts – rice, chicken, spicy sauce, dried
anchovies and a fried egg.
Singapore Flyer is the only observation wheel to be part
of a Formula One Grand Prix race circuit. It is a rotating
grandstand at the F1 night race in Singapore.
The Singapore Grand Prix is a celebrated motor race, currently in the
calendar of the FIA Formula One World Championship. It is held at the
foot of the Singapore Flyer in the Marina Bay area of Singapore. The
event was resurrected in 2008 and was the championship’s first night
race; it was won by Renault F1 team with Spaniard Fernando Alonso
It would be a horrible tease to show you the circuit from your vantage
point of the Flyer and then not invite you to take a closer look – a
very close look. The ‘Ultimate Drive’ is a 15-minute or half-hour
experience that will take you around most of the track used by those
famous F1 racers.
‘Ultimate Tour’ is an extended option that will allow you to get your
eye in on the F1 circuit before taking to the local freeway for around
an hour of performance driving. This extended route will give you
plenty of opportunity to discover the power of a Lamborghini or a
Ferrari. If you are a couple then you can have one car apiece and swap
your Supercars halfway through the tour and experience the pleasure of
each of these celebrated vehicles.
Visit Ultimate Drive here
Visit the Singapore Grand Prix here
The Endearing Trishaw Uncle
There are still a few of us around – that dying breed of
folk who don’t drive. I can appreciate a Supercar for its superb lines
and gleaming paint finish even though I couldn’t turn a wheel myself. I
won’t be driving when I visit Trishaw Uncle, either.
There are truly quite a lot of Uncles and that might encourage the
untutored to come to the conclusion that everyone in Singapore must be
related! The term Uncle or Aunty is used by younger people to show
respect. In this case the Uncles are the trishaw riders on the streets
It’s a quaint mode of transport that was a necessity before the era of
the combustion engine. Originally the vehicle would have been a 2-wheel
affair and pulled by a wiry gentleman. Eventually a bike was tacked on
the side and the contraption was driven by that same surprisingly
powerful style of men, mostly labourers who formed the historic work
pool of Singapore. Trishaw Uncle is a term of respect for the riders,
and it’s the name of the company that employs them.
Trishaw Uncle is introducing a new fleet of 100 battery-assisted
trishaws. It’s tough work and some of the Uncles left youth behind a
while back, but they are just the sort of characters to enhance your
ride, with faces that one would want to sketch. A bit of electric
assistance must be welcome.
Take one of the Trishaw excursions on offer. There is even a taped
commentary which is piped to your bench
few minutes you will relax into your
seat and enjoy the sights at close quarters.
That’s the beauty of this expedition – no glass between you and the
action. It’s all at eye level and passing slowly enough for you to snap
some pictures and take note of shops to return to or restaurants to
visit. It’s all conducted at a very civilised pace. You will smell
flower garlands, munch some Subcontinental snacks as you drive though
Little India; you might spot a Buddhist family burning paper money and
even a paper iPhone to honour departed family members. This is
Singapore in all its colourful diversity, and you are in the middle of
this moving tapestry.
Trishaw Uncle offer a couple of tours so visit them here
Starting point: Albert Mall Trishaw Park
Ending point: Albert Mall Trishaw Park
Highlights: Bugis and Little India
Duration: Approximately 30 minutes (subject to traffic conditions)
Starting point: Albert Mall Trishaw Park
Ending point: Singapore River Cruise, Liang Court Jetty
Highlights: Bugis, Little India and Singapore River
Duration: Approximately 45 minutes (subject to traffic conditions)
The Albert Mall Trishaw Park is Trishaw Uncle’s home base where they
wait and from where they operate their trishaws. It’s located at Queen
Street between the Fu Lu Shou Complex and Albert Centre Market and Food
Trishaw Uncle opens daily from 11am to 10pm
So you are visiting Singapore for a few days and you have,
it seems, spent much of your time sitting. The landscape has moved
before your eyes with little energy used by the viewer. You need an
outing that will make you feel healthy and noble and which will show
you another face of Singapore: Henderson Waves. It’s not a water park
with indoor surfing and slides, although this structure does indeed
Henderson Waves was commissioned by the Urban Redevelopment Authority
of Singapore following an international competition. The commission was
awarded to IJP Corporation and RSP Architects, Planners and Engineers
in 2004, with concept and scheme design engineering by Adams Kara
Taylor Consulting Civil and Structural Engineers. They have been worthy
of the task and brave in their vision. It’s organic, contemporary and
appropriate for its use and the environment. Henderson Waves
constitutes the highest point of The Southern Ridges, which is a 9km
trail connecting parks along the hills of Singapore.
At 36 metres above Henderson Road, Henderson Waves is an unforgettable
landmark. It is the highest pedestrian bridge in Singapore and was
built to connect the two hills of Mount Faber and Telok Blangah Hill.
It has a unique ‘wave’ form constructed of seven curved steel beams
that create a unique walkway.
Slats of yellow balau wood form the surface of the walkway. This wood
comes from Malaysia, Indonesia, Vietnam and the Philippines. It is a
tropical hardwood very much like teak, and often used for garden
furniture. It isn’t yellow in colour but a soft natural grey. The
timbers undulate and wrap over to create shade for sun-kissed walkers.
This footbridge is 284 metres long and was built at a cost of S$25.5
million and it’s the largest project of its kind in Southeast Asia. Its
curves mimic the undulations of the landscape and offer not only a
casual arena for gentle exercise but also a platform from which to
admire the city, and a tranquil (mostly) refuge from the activity of
modern life. Stroll through tree tops and listen to the birds.
Asian cookbook review: The Food and
Cooking of India
It’s quite honestly a stunner. The Food and Cooking of
India by Mridula Baljekar is an engaging almanac of Indian cooking with
elements of travelogue. Even those who have yet to discover the inside
of a kitchen will be tempted to invest in a spice box, or at least a
plane ticket to the subcontinent.
I am surprised that Mridula Baljekar is not still gracing our TV
screens. She had a successful series which won her fame, for her food
as well as her calm and charming delivery. Her manner suggested to the
anxious viewer that, yes, they too could cook authentic Indian food
without exotic kitchen equipment and a degree in Asian culinary arts.
All would be well. It’s only dinner, after all.
In real life Mridula is exactly that same person. She insists that she
is a cook rather than a chef, although she is a sought-after restaurant
consultant both in the UK and overseas. She has a sense of what the
European domestic god/goddess needs to give them confidence and a real
insight into Indian food.
The Food and Cooking of India is published by Lorenz Books, an imprint
of Anness Publishing. They present some of the very best cookbooks for
those who actually want to, well, cook. All recipe books are not
created equal. There are those which have a few pictures of restaurant
kitchens with ghostly, blurred shots of fast-moving chefs in the
background and some lovely snaps of their favourite beetroot grower,
and if you are lucky an ‘ooh, aah’ image of a baby piggy called Hamlet
who is soon to have his name changed to ‘Lunch’; but Lorenz give us
books stuffed with pictures not only of finished dishes but a slew of
step-by-step photographs to keep the novice cook on track.
This volume offers a collection of 150 recipes from across India with
more than 850 pertinent photographs. It’s a beautiful yet practical
book that will serve you just as well in the kitchen as it does on the
coffee table. It’s a book that entices with its vibrant food and
descriptive text. The recipes are simple to follow and we all have
access to the ingredients these days. There is a glossary of fresh
groceries, along with a directory of authentic Indian kitchen
paraphernalia, none of which is essential, and an overview of Indian
spices, all of which are essential - only half a dozen or so, but armed
with these you will be able to attempt and indeed master every recipe.
Mridula Baljekar has penned 20 or so books and has won numerous awards
so it’s obvious that the lady can write a bit. Thousands of recipes
have earned her a reputation as an author but the food she makes has
earned her a reputation as a lady who truly can cook. She demonstrates
across the globe, and her books are paper versions of her
masterclasses. Here she offers classics and family favourites that you
will likely not find in your local Indian restaurant. There are dishes
for economic family meals as well as celebrations and each one will
take the reader one step nearer to becoming a confident and
well-informed home chef.
The first pick of the book is the recipe for Chicken Biryani. This is a
dish that’s oft abused but I can tell you from firsthand experience
that Mridula presents a very fine Biryani that is surprisingly easy to
prepare and is fragrant and memorable. It works as a regular week-day
dinner or as an impressive centrepiece for friends on a Saturday night.
As yet there is no tax on eggs so they can still constitute a delicious
and good-value family meal. Egg Do-piaza is well-flavoured, with onions
in the sauce and as a crunchy garnish, but it’s the battered and
deep-fried egg halves that are the stars. Mridula even offers a tip on
keeping the egg yolks in the centre of the boiled eggs!
Spicy Stuffed Bananas – kela na sambhariya – is easy to prepare and
it’s probable that you will have some bananas lingering in the fruit
bowl. The filling is a mix of gram flour (chickpea flour) and some
spices. The flour is toasted so it takes on a rich nutty flavour. A
unique vegetarian dish that’s striking to look at and different from a
traditional vegetable curry.
The Food and Cooking of India offers something for every taste and
every pocket. There are creamy and rich royal dishes as well as simple
breads. There is a good selection of desserts as well as recipes to
delight vegetarians and fish lovers. It’s a gift-quality book and for
less than £15 – a bargain.
The Food and Cooking of India
Author: Mridula Baljekar
Published by: Lorenz Books
Kitchen – Terminal 5 Hilton
There are many Mr Todiwalas strewn around the world but
there is also “THE” Mr. Todiwala. It’s a familiar
name to those who
know anything about Indian food in the UK. His iconic
restaurant Café Spice Namaste at Tower Hill, and his numerous TV
appearances, have assured his high profile; but it’s not his celebrity
that has garnered such a faithful following.
Cyrus Todiwala is a chef, and the showbizzy bit isn’t much in evidence
in his restaurants. Yes, ‘restaurants’ plural, as now there is the
eponymous Mr. Todiwala’s Kitchen at the new Heathrow Terminal 5 Hilton
Hotel. He is just the same as ever, visible in the restaurant rather
than remaining aloof as the majority of celeb
chefs tend to be. He takes notice and cares about his guests.
We arrived on a cold and wet evening to find both Mr and Mrs Todiwala
on duty. The “missus” is Pervin and she is one of the unsung heroes of
both restaurant teams. She has a phenomenal memory for the previous
meals ordered by guests. She is herself a trained chef and has the same
passion for food and fresh produce as does her husband. She is a
consummate professional but with a warm personality and a sense of
humour which has endeared her to diners.
C and P Todiwala were staying later than they had planned, as one of
their regulars (to have ‘regulars’ already in a little over a month
speaks volumes) had asked for something a little different, something
not on the menu. No problem at Mr. Todiwala's Kitchen. The guest is
just as important as the food. I
don’t want to give the impression that the table staff hover too
closely or watch your every move from a distance. The
service is appropriately attentive, with a good number of waiting staff
who are indistinguishable from the chefs. OK, the chef jackets and
taupe aprons are spotless but one has the impression that each dish has
been made and delivered fresh from the open kitchen just for you
...which indeed it has.
So that’s introduced my readers to the stars, but what of the new
stage? When I dream of exotic spots I have a vision of a bungalow (an
Indian word), sun-bleached shutters, lime-washed floors, rustic
furniture, sumptuous soft furnishings and an elephant called Roy. In
truth, I have just added the animally element after visiting Mr.
Todiwala’s Kitchen, but all the rest of it is indeed also there.
The huge wooden elephant is just about the only overtly
Indian adornment in this stunning restaurant. It’s light and
Mr. Todiwala’s Kitchen offers an extensive menu but if you are new to
Indian food, as many at this airport restaurant might
well be, then consider Mr. Todiwala’s Kitchen Menu which will give you
an overview. This menu is bound to be popular with rugby players – or
American Football players – as the main dishes can be continually
replenished. There is also a Gourmand Tasting Menu for those who want a
food-and-wine pairing experience.
Cyrus is Parsee and he has incorporated some of his family dishes into
his menu. In fact there is much that will be new to even the most
ardent of “curry” enthusiasts. Papaeta Purr Eedu is a recipe from
Cyrus’ mum who was a great influence on his culinary repertoire. This
dish incorporates both potatoes and eggs, two ingredients
Mankyo Chem Peri Peri or “dynamite” squid is vibrant with heat. Baby
squid rings are marinated in a fiery Goan peri-peri masala then dipped
in wheat, rice and white lentil flour. The squid is fried and garnished
with more red Goan-style spices. This is one of the hottest dishes on
the menu but there is also flavour that shines through the heat.
Dhaansaak was bound to be my guest’s choice of main course. He enjoys
all Indian food but he does find the Dhaansaak at either venue to be
unmissable. This is a classic Parsee lamb dish, prepared in the
traditional way. Dhaansaak is composed of two words: ‘dhaan’ meaning
rice and ‘saak’ meaning puréed vegetables and lentils with lamb.
The rice served with the meat is different from your regular steamed or
boiled rice. It’s a brown onion rice, which has
a flavour of its own. The lamb was meltingly tender but there were some
small and delicate meatballs in addition. These were peppery and
moreish and alone would have been a delight with just the sauce and
that celebrated onion rice.
Keeping with the theme I also chose another Parsee favourite, a recipe
from Cyrus’ great-grandma. Murghi Na Kofta Ni Curry Nay Chaawal is a
rich and aromatic dish with lots of ground nuts to make a silky sauce
to coat moist chicken dumplings. Simply served with steamed rice, this
sauce would have been just as good with some Indian bread. A winner.
Mr Todiwala’s Kitchen offers some tempting desserts and a little
different from those you will find in most Indian restaurants. The
ice-creams are unique and there are a couple that I will sample on my
next visit. Black Pepper Ice Cream sounds intriguing as does the Stem
Ginger Ice Cream, but we chose the Parsee Caramelised Apricot version,
which was delicately perfumed by the slowly cooked Hunza apricots so favoured
am addicted. The
caramelised topping was perfect and was evenly speckled with dark burnt
sugar. A simple and sophisticated dessert.
Mr. Todiwala‘s Kitchen boasts an Indian Tea Library. This is actually a
changing list of exceptional boutique teas that will delight the
connoisseur and educate the rest of us. We tried Makaibari Estate First
Flush Grand Reserve 2011 from Darjeeling. Makaibari is located at
Kurseong, and was the world's first tea factory, established in 1859.
Rajah Banerjee, the fourth generation, is now the owner.
We were expecting a special cuppa, but there was also theatre and a
thoroughly engaging masterclass. A tray arrived laid with white linen
and brandy glasses. I was starting to think this might be a misplaced
order for those chunky American businessmen a couple of tables down. No
error, these were just some of the props for the unique brewing process.
The glasses were warmed over steam while hot water was poured over the
chosen leaves contained in a handmade ceramic pot. The slowly trickling
sand in an egg-timer showed the passing of a couple of minutes. Once
the infusion was complete the heated glass was filled with the light
amber tea. Yes, it truly was a step up from your habitual dusty teabag.
I preferred the first pouring as I felt it had more taste notes and
less tannin. If you are into strong builder’s tea then you might like
the darker and gutsier second brew. Tea at Mr. Todiwala’s is an event.
Mr Todiwala’s Kitchen is an outstanding example of a remarkable
restaurant that just happens to be housed in a
hotel. Gone are the days when hotel restaurants were mediocre and dull
with a focus on merely fuelling a captive
audience. Mr Todiwala’s Kitchen can compete with any Indian restaurant.
Nothing mean, skimpy or banal here. This is an apt showcase for the
talents of the Todiwalas – Mr and Mrs.
Mr Todiwala’s Kitchen
Hilton London Heathrow Airport Terminal 5
Colnbrook SL3 0FF,
Asian cookbook review:
Cooking with Olive Oil
An acquaintance gave me this book, Cooking with Olive Oil.
I was rather surprised. No, in truth I was shocked.
The title ‘Cooking with Olive Oil’ explains just what this book is
about. Europeans, and especially those fortunate enough to live an
olive-pit’s throw from the Mediterranean have used this “green gold”
for millennia. It has been widely promoted as a healthy food, natural
and delicious. Yes, olive oil and I have been on nodding terms for several
So, OK, it was not the olive oil that stunned me but rather my
acquaintance. Sanjeev Kapoor is perhaps the most celebrated and
recognised face in India. He can hardly walk a few yards even in
England without being recognised, his hand pumped, a snap for the album
taken, and even his feet touched by those who admire the most-viewed
chef on the planet. Sanjeev Kapoor has penned a book on, obviously,
cooking with olive oil, but this is Indian food cooked with olive oil
and that is tantamount to a revolution!
So many people in the UK complain that Indian food in restaurants is
too heavy and oily. That has changed over the last years, and now we
have many fine Indian restaurants which replicate traditional home
cooking and authentic fare. Those gloopy and oil-drenched “curries” are
still with us but they are fewer these days. The best Indian food is
often found in homes and the insertion of olive oil into the kitchen
larder adds to the appeal of this great and classic cuisine.
So is this still “classic” Indian food? Well, yes indeed. A cuisine
must live and evolve. We think of Indian dishes as being chilli-hot
with good use being made of potatoes and tomatoes. But those
ingredients are not indigenous to the Subcontinent – they arrived with
the discovery of the New World. Amazing food should never be limited by
anything other than good taste and imagination. Olive oil is a natural
and healthful addition to the regular battery of Indian ingredients.
Part of the inspiration for this book came from Sanjeev's own home
cook, a lady of fairly advanced years who used some bottles of olive
oil just because they were there. Her endorsement must be taken
seriously as she is, after all, the chef to a chef. The family had been
unaware that they had been enjoying olive oil in place of the regular
choice for a while. I guess that was the most convincing of blind
This book is full of tempting Indian dishes that have been adapted take
advantage of the positive qualities of olive oil. Several recipes also
include the olives themselves, to offer an intriguing and unique
fusion. Carrot, Raisin and Black Olive Salad is reminiscent of those
North African side dishes found along the southern coast of the
Mediterranean. Corn Bhel with Tomato and Olives has its origins in the
snack culture of India.
My pick of the book is Punjabi Kadhi. These are spicy and aromatic
pakoras dressed with a yoghurt-based sauce. The dumplings are
deep-fried in olive oil but, cooked at the right temperature, these
will absorb hardly any oil, making this a delicious and guilt-free
meal. That’s dinner this evening, chez nous.
Cooking with Olive Oil by Sanjeev Kapoor will appeal to all of us, and
particularly to those who have health or weight issues. A simple
replacement of olive oil for your habitual medium is a 21st century
departure, but it’s a healthy choice rather than a trendy fad. No
flavour is diminished and the olive oil will not be noticed, even by
the purists, in those hearty and flavourful dishes.
Cooking with Olive Oil
Author: Sanjeev Kapoor
Published by: Popular Prakashan Ltd
Kapoor - Master of the Art of Indian Cooking
Talking on the radio a few months ago, I was musing on
books I would take to a desert island. Those who know this city ‘girl’
will understand that the prospect of an isolated space would induce
sweaty palms. Red buses and black taxis are my comfort zone.
My choice of essential reading matter was at that time the (mythical)
Marine Carpentry for the Beginner, with chapters on “How to whittle a
speedboat out of a log” and “Making an outboard motor from a coconut
and two sardines.” Sanjeev Kapoor has swept that volume from my
home-made fantasy island bookshelf, and replaced it with Mastering the
Art of Indian Cooking.
We met in a comfy corner of London’s celebrated Bombay Brasserie, a
favourite restaurant with not only plenty of buses and taxis nearby but
the security of Gloucester Road Underground on the doorstep. Sanjeev
Kapoor is the least affected and most charming of celebrities I have
ever met – a funny, warm character that truly is in life exactly as his
TV persona. He has been voted one of the most trusted men in India.
Sanjeev Kapoor is perhaps the best-known chef in the world. If the name
is not familiar then I could guess that you are not Indian or Asian of
any description. This man stars in Khana Khazana (it is actually
India’s longest-running TV show) which broadcasts to 120 countries and
in 2010 was estimated to have more than 500 million viewers. He now has
his own food-dedicated TV station aptly called Foodfood. He remembers
that “Some said that 24-hour food TV would never work, but it does. We
keep the content pertinent to the Asian market. We give viewers what
they want – recipes that they really would like to cook themselves.” He
was the first TV chef to become a culinary star. “Till that time chefs
were not really appreciated. People were almost sympathetic when they
saw me on TV. They hoped that I would get a proper job in the near
future,” he joked. He has been recognised as giving the food industry
and chefs in India respectability, and he himself has gained much
personal caché. Richard Quest selected Sanjeev Kapoor as one of
the top celebrity chefs in the world, along with Gordon Ramsay, Jamie
Oliver and Wolfgang Puck, featuring them in his programme “Quest” on
the CNN channel.
Sanjeev started in the hospitality industry in 1984 with a Diploma in
Hotel Management from the Indian Institute of Hotel Management (IIHM)
in Pusa. He was academically brilliant so his choice surprised some,
who had expected him to become an engineer or a doctor. Many Indian
chefs have come from families who have had a connection to restaurants,
hotels or catering, but Sanjeev chose this path independently, not
being associated with any foodie family firm. “My Dad used to cook
wonderful meat dishes. In those days it was unusual for a man in India
to cook at home.” Perhaps his father sowed the seed of Sanjeev’s future
Mastering the Art of Indian Cooking is the latest in a
steady stream of cookbooks penned by this Indian culinary worthy. All
others, although eminently accessible to the Western audience, have
been written for the Asian reader. This latest tome offers dishes
selected for those outside the Subcontinent. The recipes are not
‘dumbed-down’ for the non-Indian palate, but they have been chosen to
introduce an array of both classic and contemporary delights that can
easily be prepared with the use of your regular high-street shops. For
those folk who live in a lighthouse off the coast of Shetland then
there is always the internet.
Sanjeev Kapoor is on a panel of India’s Ministry of Tourism set up
specifically to document Indian cuisine and to present to the world an
authentic view of these classic dishes. We are all very enthusiastic
about French cuisine and it has indeed given us so much: remarkable
patisserie, memorable sauces, refined plates; but the cuisine of India
has been for too long overlooked. It should, in my humble opinion,
stand proudly shoulder-to-shoulder with French cooking. Different but
equal in every regard.
Mastering the Art of Indian Cooking would be my all-encompassing
cookbook for my island adventure. Yes, this book is a considerable
size. No, it is not garnished with photographs of exotic food shown
tastefully balanced on the back of an elephant. Not a single lacy dosa
silhouetted in front of the Taj Mahal. This is a straightforward book
of recipes that you can and will make in your very own and not very
exotic kitchen. There are more than 500 recipes listed here. Many will
be familiar but there will be others that reflect Indian home cooking,
and it’s unlikely you would have found them on any restaurant menu.
A quick flick through the pages will assure you that the majority of
these recipes are simple. Note that the dishes that seem to require a
lengthy list of ingredients are easy to prepare. That list will
comprise spices that you will find in your supermarket. Once you have
your battery of half a dozen or so common spices then you are set to
make pretty much all the dishes collected here. Just add a couple of
fresh ingredients, fish, flesh or veggies, and dinner is on the way.
Not even home cooks in India want to spend too much time chained to the
Beans Poriyal represents the easy yet truly Indian dishes found in
Mastering the Art of Indian Cooking. Few ingredients, which combine to
make boring green beans a thing of the past. Ten minutes cooking time
gives a delicious side dish for an Asian or European meal. The majority
of Indians are full-time or part-time vegetarians so Indian cuisine
offers a wealth of vibrant yet healthy dishes for those who prefer to
stick to vegetables. The spices in Indian food compensate for the lack
of animal, so even card-carrying carnivores will be wooed by these
I love Shrimp Balchao. I could consume this pickled Goan delicacy by
the bucket-full. It’s eaten with rice or even with the Goan savoury
coconut cakes called Sannas (included in this volume). This isn’t a
seafood version of our English pickled onions. Shrimp Balchao is a
sweet and sour preparation that is moreish. The vinegar is added early
in the cooking and the sugar added near the end to produce a zesty and
striking, well-balanced dish in less time than ordering a take-away.
Indian sweets are seldom found on restaurant menus. There are plenty of
sweetshops in Indian neighbourhoods but unless you are lucky enough to
live near one you’ll want a good recipe. Chocolate Walnut Burfy is a
two-layered confection made with rich solid condensed milk (found in
Asian supermarkets or on the internet for those in the lighthouse). It
has a shelf life of only a day or so but it will be gone before the
Mastering the Art of Indian Cooking is, like the author, trustworthy.
No need to be an expert in the kitchen. The ingredients for the dishes
are not expensive. In fact the most costly and indispensible ingredient
will be the second copy of this book. You will want to keep that in the
kitchen and at hand to use frequently. It will become stained and
dog-eared over the years. It will naturally fall open at favourite
pages after a decade or two. Mine is already a little creased around
Shahi Paneer and a peppercorn is acting as a book-mark at Chettinadu
Mastering the Art of Indian Cooking is a must-have for any serious
cookbook collector or lover of real Indian food. It will, I feel sure,
become the Indian equivalent in status of the French Larousse
Gastronomique. Sanjeev Kapoor presents us with a delicious and
practical masterwork that is entirely relevant to today’s lifestyle and
tastes in both the East and West. Amazing value for money.
Mastering the Art of Indian Cooking
Author: Sanjeev Kapoor
Published by: Stewart Tabori and Chang (Abrams)
Price: £19.00, $27.28
ISBN: 978-1-58479-933-7 (UK)
ISBN-10: 1584799331 (US)
ISBN-13: 978-1584799337 (US)
Asian restaurant review:
Khaadras Club Night
In the seventh century, Arab armies conquered Persia (now
Iran). Some Zoroastrians were converted to Islam whilst others fled to
India. They settled in the western part of the country where the
community already had trading contacts, and they established
settlements to the north of Mumbai. Their descendants founded the
community which later took the name Parsi (Parsee),
They were not universally welcomed in India. Jadi Rana, the king of
Gujurat, is said to have pleaded “My country is overflowing already so
how would we find room for you as well?” The leader of the Parsi
community asked for a bowl of milk filled to the brim and also a
spoonful of sugar. He then carefully stirred the sugar into to the bowl
without spilling a drop of milk. “We are like sugar. We will only
sweeten your land.” explained the Parsi.
Parsis have enjoyed great success in India but we in London also have a
celebrated Parsi who has come to sweeten London with his notable and
delicious food, and he even offers his guests the chance to try some
traditional Parsi fare. Celebrated chef Cyrus Todiwala invites one and
all to The Khaadras Club Night!
This ‘Greedy Gourmand’s Club’ was established after Parsi friends
begged Cyrus and his wife and partner, Pervin, for some dishes from
their own community. It was to be a meeting of friends with a focus on
food. It has become such a popular event that Café Spice
Namasté has made these feasts available at intervals throughout
the year. The event is always eagerly awaited by Parsis but equally by
lovers of fine food, and as this is a true Parsi event one can be sure
that the helpings will be generous. It is indeed well-named the Greedy
The food on these evenings is authentic and presented to an audience
comprised of many who know exactly what they want, and how it should be
cooked and presented. I am no expert on this little-known cuisine but I
can attest to the fact that the food was mouth-watering, served with
many smiles and much good humour, and there was plenty of it – food and
humour, that is. This wasn’t just an evening at any old restaurant.
This was a Todiwala celebration and had the air of a family party.
Cyrus and Pervin are famed for knowing their regulars by name, and that
warmth is magnified on these special evenings when all of us were
welcomed as friends.
The company was outstanding, with many a story told and laughs provided
by our hosts. But the food was the centre of our convivial evening.
Saria/achaar was a basket of light crackers served with spicy chutneys,
while Waffer Nay Bhaji Purr Eedu – finely chopped onion sautéed
with minced garlic and cumin, blended with chopped spinach and wafers,
gently simmered with whole steamed egg on top, served with crispy naan
– was our first course.
Chutney May Luptaeli Machchi - filet of fish folded over with fresh
green chutney, rolled in flour, dipped in egg, fried and served on
Tamota Ni Gravy Nay Rotli, a rich tomato sauce – was exceptional.
The main course was Vaegna Ni Buriani - Lamb and Aubergine stew –
although the name does not honestly do this dish justice - dark and
flavorsome meat wrapped in slices of melting aubergine: there must be a
better word than stew. There was more meat in the guise of Masala Ma
Taraeli Jungli Murghi Ni Boti – dices of chicken marinated
cubes of potato
cooked with diced mixed peppers, cumin and garlic.
Saev Nay Mitthu Dahi is a traditional Parsi dessert served at
celebrations, a confection of vermicelli, fruit and nuts served with
thick yoghurt which was a fitting sweet end to a meal that was indeed a
celebration of Parsi culinary heritage and culture.
This veritable feast is prepared just once every couple of months, and
has a different menu every time: these regulars want to see different
dishes to tempt their well-educated palates. At a very reasonable
£25 for all of that food, I’ll be returning again and again.
Book by contacting Binay Aryal at firstname.lastname@example.org
London Asian restaurant review:
Café Spice Namast, 16 Prescot Street, London E1 8AZ
Open Monday – Friday
Lunch: 12.00 – 3.00 pm
Dinner: 6.15 – 10.30 pm
Asian cookbook review:
Food from Northern Laos
– The Boat Landing Cookbook
I am driven to describe some cookbooks as recipes with a
bit of travel. Other volumes I have reviewed as travel adventures with
some cooking on the side. Food from Northern Laos – The Boat Landing
Cookbook is as much a travelogue as an encyclopaedia of every culinary
tradition of Northern Laos.
Note that I suggest that there is more than one cuisine in Northern
Laos. In fact there are several distinct cultures that call this region
home. Some of these groups have lived there for many hundreds of years
whilst others have moved in more recently from the neighbouring
countries, and naturally they have brought with them their style of
cooking and their love of diverse foods.
The Boat Landing in question is a guest house and restaurant which
introduces travellers to the food of this corner of Laos. These dishes
represent the regular fare of the local population. They have been
carefully chosen to appeal to the Western palate but are authentic and
Now, it’s true that there are some recipes here that will be a bit
challenging if one does not either live in the tropics or have access
to a good Asian supermarket. But there is much here that can be made
with the spices that you will likely have lingering at the back of your
larder. There are even dishes that are familiar to lovers of south-east
Asian food. Pho originated in Vietnam but now this soup has become a
The book starts by tempting the reader to visit this charming and
culturally rich corner of our shrinking planet. Each of the resident
communities is presented in prose and pictures. It’s a small world
that’s fast changing – this book is as much about archiving the lives
and values of the population of Northern Laos as it is about preserving
its culinary heritage. A couple of hours in the company of this book
will have even those who are strangers to the inside of a kitchen
booking a flight to Laos.
Food from Northern Laos – The Boat Landing Cookbook is a must for any
passionate cook who might be considering a trip to south-east Asia.
Many of us are enthusiastic home chefs who are comfortable preparing
Indian curries, Japanese domburis, Chinese dim sum and Thai soups, but
this book introduces so many unfamiliar ingredients and combinations.
Yes, it’s true that some dishes have been influenced by other cuisines,
but Laos has indeed cultivated its own culinary identity.
Food from Northern Laos – The Boat Landing Cookbook is well written,
and illustrated by some of the finest photography of that region that
one will ever find. A credit to both the author, Dorothy Culloty, and
the photographer, Kees Sprengers.
Asian cookbook review: Food from Northern Laos – The Boat Landing
Author: Dorothy Culloty; photographer: Kees Sprengers
Published by: Galangal Press
review: Vegetarian Cooking
Mridula Baljekar presents us with another superb
example of her skill as a food writer. Vegetarian Cooking of India is
latest in a string of books which exemplify the reasons why she is held
high regard by home cooks, those with a passion for Indian food, and
of beautiful recipe books.
Vegetarian Cooking of India is a
large format volume
from Aquamarine. This publisher offers some of the most thoughtful and
practical cookbooks around. They have found a path that strikes a
between a food manual and a food annual. Mridula puts recipes in
geographic context and there is a very appealing element of food
This is not only a vegetarian cookbook but also a culinary reflection
One can always expect something
Mridula, and this latest work will not disappoint those who have
enjoyed her previous
recipe collections. She does not assume that her reader has any
kitchen prowess. She starts with an overview of ingredients, equipment
techniques. Each recipe includes a few words to give confidence to the
and to inspire the more practised.
There are 80 classic recipes here,
but classic does
not mean that they are facsimiles of those already contained within the
of your other favourite Indian cookbooks. The dishes here are authentic
there is something for every taste: Sweet Pineapple Salad flecked with
seeds from South India to Potatoes in Chilli-Tamarind Sauce from West
Vegetarian Cooking of India
represents the style of
food that is eaten in homes all over the Subcontinent and indeed in
homes worldwide. The dishes are lighter and fresher-tasting than those
in all but the best Indian restaurants. The recipes here contain more
spices than searingly hot ones. It’s about flavour rather than fire.
Channa Madra – chickpeas in a
sauce – is North Indian. This is a substantial dish which will be
even by those who would normally crave meat at every meal. The use of
and beans in these recipes might persuade many carnivores down the
Sanar Kofta – cheese balls
from North East
India – are made with Paneer which can be found in most large
a mild cheese which absorbs flavours and is used extensively in Indian
kitchens. These balls are covered in a piquant sauce and served with
rice for a
main meal. I would think that they could equally work as a vegetarian
tempting version of the ubiquitous cocktail sausage, which was
passé by the end
of the 60s yet endures in some quarters.
Dimer Dalna – egg, potato and green
pea curry from
East India – is economic and a must-try dish. It is delicately infused
cinnamon, cardamom and cloves. Mridula serves this with Indian bread
she includes several recipes. Comfort food at its warming finest.
Good Indian desserts are more often
found in Indian
homes than Indian restaurants. Mridula has some tempting traditional
suggestions, and Shrikand – saffron-scented strained yogurt – is one of
favourites. It has to be made at least 2 hours in advance so it’s ideal
end of an exotic meal or to finish a light summer lunch.
It’s no surprise to find a chutney
recipe in a
Mridula Baljekar cookbook: she produces her own brand of seasonal
are delightfully flavourful and different. If you can’t find her jars
supermarket then you can at least enjoy her Tomato Achar – roasted
chutney – made by your own fair hands.
of India is a book that will encourage you into the kitchen. The
recipes are simple to execute but are exciting enough to be appreciated
those who already have lots of Indian dishes in their repertoire.
drive a debutant into panic but plenty to inspire.
Asian Cookbook review: Vegetarian
Cooking of India
Author: Mridula Baljekar
Published by: Aquamarine
Dal and Kadhi
Sanjeev Kapoor is the Indian chef with the golden touch.
His acclaimed TV series, Khana Khazana, has
enjoyed a 15-year run, has won the Indian Television Academy “Best
Cookery Show” and the “Indian Telly” awards year after year, such is
the popularity of this man.
Dal and Kadhi presents regional comfort food at its best and the book
is as delightful as the food. Each recipe is accompanied by a
photograph by Bharat Bhirangi who has a talent for showing these dishes
in a mouth-watering fashion. You’ll be planning your next meal before
you leave the bookshop.
What could be better than a flavourful dal or kadhi to eat with rice or
roti? Your meal might be humble or you could add a dal to an array of
other dishes to make a sumptuous and satisfying spread. They range in
texture from the rich and substantial to the light and refreshing to
suit the season or the occasion. These are the dishes that people miss
when they leave home and crave when they are in far-off countries.
This book offers 45 recipes that you will want to add to your culinary
repertoire no matter what your home region. They are a broad-based
selection of recipes so there is sure to be something to please every
palate. Dal Makhni is perhaps the most celebrated both in India and
overseas where it has become a restaurant speciality, although seldom
cooked in an authentic style. Maharashtrian Kadhi is a traditional dish
and represents India’s culinary diversity in a most delicious way.
All these dals and kadhis are tempting but as with life in general
there are firsts among equals and I have picked a few that are
particularly tempting. Rajasthani Baati ki Dal is made with split green
gram (dhuli moong dal) and Bengal gram (chana dal) and the resulting
dal is served with traditional baked balls of dough.
Bhindi ni Kadhi is bound to be on my list as I love ladies’ fingers
(bhinda/ bhindi). This is a soupy combination of yogurt and gram flour
(besan) flavoured with spices. The vegetables remain a little crisp
giving the kadhi an interesting texture.
Dal Hari Bhari contains spinach and fenugreek leaves, onions and
spices, and Sanjeev uses it to tempt those who would not normally enjoy
green vegetables. This would be an easy meal when served just with rice.
Dal and Kadhi is an Aladdin’s cave of ideas for quick, tasty and
healthy dishes. One expects lovely books from Sanjeev Kapoor and this
is another in that collection that never disappoints. You don’t have to
spend a lot of money to enjoy good food. This book will show you the
way in fine flavourful fashion.
Asian cookbook review: Dal and Kadhi
Author: Sanjeev Kapoor
Published by: Popular Prakashan
The Blue Elephant
This must surely be the most celebrated of Thai restaurant
empires. It would be diminishing the class and
the quality of the group to describe them as a chain. This is far from
the KF Mac Hut of the Thai food world – think sumptuous and exotic and
The Blue Elephant has a fine reputation wherever you might find it. and
the cookbook now allows its followers to replicate its dishes in their
home kitchens. Those who have never had the pleasure of visiting a Blue
Elephant will soon appreciate the attraction.
Thai food in general has gained worldwide popularity over the past
decade. More of us have the opportunity to travel to Thailand and also
to visit Thai restaurants in our home countries, and we want to try
those dishes for ourselves. The Blue Elephant Cookbook will offer you a
marvelous array of recipes that represent the very essence of Thai food
with all its vibrant flavours.
Blue Elephant recipes are authentic, attractive and tempting. They are
not over-taxing for the competent home cook, and the ingredients are
all availiable either from your favourite supermarket’s Asian food
aisle, from a specialist Thai food store or by mail order via the
internet. You’ll not only learn how to make soups, starters, salads,
main dishes and desserts but also curry pastes and sauces.
Thai Fish Cakes will be instantly recognised by travellers returning
from sun-kissed Thai resorts. They are delicately soft with a crunch
supplied by a garnish of peanuts and refreshing lettuce. Serve this
with Cucumber Sauce (recipe in this book) and you have a delicious
snack or light lunch, or combine with other dishes as part of a Thai
Stir-Fried Seafood with Garlic and Peppercorns (Seafood Krathiam Prik
Thai) is elegant and flavourful and would be an ideal “special” meal.
OK, the prawns, scallops and crab are not cheap but this recipe makes
the best of that seafood, and the finished result is stunning. The base
is Blue Elephant Special Sauce which you can easily make and freeze for
Tuk’s Duck Salad (Laab Ped) is a dish devised by the aforementioned Tuk
who is a chef at the Blue Elephant in London. The duck is grilled and
flavoured with a spice paste and garnished with fried shallots,
chillies, fresh coriander and salad. A simple dish to prepare but it
has great impact.
The Blue Elephant Cookbook is a jewel of a volume and definitely among
my favourite Thai cookbooks. It will be snapped up by lovers of classic
Thai food as well as those who are regular diners at The Blue Elephant
restaurants. A lovely book.
Asian cookbook Review: The Blue Elephant Cookbook
Author: Chefs of Blue Elephant.
Published by: Pavilion – Anova
This is a collaboration between two of India’s finest sons
of the culinary arts. If you have not heard of Sanjeev Kapoor (Sanjeev
you must have been living under a rock with no access either to
cookbooks or the internet, for surely you would have read my previous
review of his work! Chef Harpal Singh Sokhi is an expert on Hyderabadi
cuisine, and Sanjeev's respected friend and colleague.
But what is Hyderabadi cooking? It will be a mystery to most
Westerners, who are very unlikely to have encountered it, and it is
revered by Indians, who might also have trouble tracking down authentic
dishes. It’s truly courtly, special and grand but at least this volume
makes those dishes more accessible to the home cook... and what home
cooking that would be!
Royal Hyderabadi Cooking is an elegantly presented volume with stylish
photography by Bharat Bhirangi illustrating every recipe. The book has
a modern feel with the food being the rich focus in a minimalist
setting. Although the ingredients look a lengthy list for some dishes,
it’s mostly spices that are commonly found in the domestic larder.
Apart from being a striking cookbook, Royal Hyderabadi Cooking is also
something of an archive for a style of food preparation that is
disappearing. The authors have been lucky enough to recruit the
indispensible aid of two national culinary treasures who have lifetimes
of expertise. Begum Mumtaz Khan is considered a living legend and is a
member of the Jagirdhar families of the last Nizam, and has actually
tasted the food from the Royal kitchens. She has conducted cooking
classes and hosted Hyderabadi food festivals.
Ustad Habib Pasha has a passion for Hyderabadi food and a wealth of
experience. He has worked in Hyderabad’s most famous restaurants and
has been generous to our authors with his knowledge, revealing the
secrets of aromatic blends of herbs that help to give this cuisine its
There are so many striking recipes to discover here but I have a few
favourites. Murtabuk is a layered stack of chapattis with a filling of
minced chicken, eggs and spices and is served in wedges as you would a
savoury birthday cake. It was Begum Mumtaz Khan who taught the authors
how to cook this to perfection.
Thikri Ki Dal is a delicious and comforting dal which contains amongst
the spices, onions and ghee... 2 three-inch pieces of earthenware! The
thikri are heated till red hot and then plunged into the food. They are
removed before serving to avoid damage to either guest or crockery.
This method is said to impart a distinctive and earthy flavour. Truly
Double Ka Meetha is a sweet and syrupy dessert that would be a fitting
end to a Royal Hyderabadi meal. It’s a confection of bread, nuts, cream
and saffron and simple to make. I wouldn’t reserve this for just
Hyderabadi meals, this would be welcomed anytime by those with a sweet
The title suggests something sumptuous and rich and that is just what
this food is all about. Royal Hyderabadi Cooking presents recipes that
are regal and festive but accessible to the home cook. Amazing!
Asian cookbook review: Royal Hyderabadi Cooking
Author: Sanjeev Kapoor and Harpal Singh Sokhi
Published by: Popular Prakashan
You should expect something special when you are presented
with a Sanjeev Kapoor cookbook. Low Calorie
Vegetarian really is something a bit different and this could start an
exotic diet trend.
Sanjeev is probably the most celebrated of Indian chefs, presenting
Khana Khazana on India’s Zee TV. It’s been airing since 1993 and its
600th episode is now just a memory. He has won several awards such as
the Best Executive Chef of India Award and the Mercury Gold Award at
Geneva, which has earned this man international as well as home-grown
Low Calorie Vegetarian Cookbook is just one of many cookbooks from this
charming, handsome and charismatic man. Each book is welcomed by an
adoring audience who have been impressed by the author’s skill on the
small screen. It’s said that Sanjeev never repeats a recipe and will
not need to for several decades; such is his volume of work.
Low calorie carnivorous and low calorie vegetarian recipes have often
seemed to fall into one of two categories: boring or boring with
vegetables. But Sanjeev’s book will strike the right chord with many
readers who want a low calorie diet that offers food with taste and
texture. If you don’t enjoy the food that does you good then you will
fall back into the same old unhealthy eating habits which got you into
your chubby mess to start with.
Low Calorie Vegetarian Cookbook is about flavour, and Sanjeev has a
collection of recipes that will tempt even those with no health or
weight issues. This is good food with intriguing combinations of spices
and fresh ingredients. There are Nutrition Information charts with each
recipe to enable the home cook to make the best choices to achieve a
The recipes are broad-based and you don’t have to be a lover of
traditional Indian food to appreciate the dishes. Sanjeev has French
onion soup but his version raises the bar with French Onion and Garlic
Soup. Spicy Pineapple Boat is light and refreshing but with a little
kick from green chillies. For those who want a cool and summery salad
then Minted Mushrooms should fit the bill. This is a dish of mushrooms,
tomato, cucumber, mint leaves and a dressing of low fat yogurt, and the
addition of lemon juice provides a tang.
However delicious the European-inspired dishes might be, most of us
will be looking for that unmistakable taste of the subcontinent and
it’s here in glorious profusion. Spinach and Cabbage Parantha is a
flatbread with aromatic cardamom and spicy red chilli powder to
complement the vegetables incorporated into the dough.
Desserts are not forgotten. Kesari Phirni is a lovely dessert of
Pistachio nuts perfumed with saffron and cardamom. The sweetness comes
from a sugar substitute such as Equal or Splenda so you can indulge
with no guilt.
Do I have a favourite recipe? Well, you know I do and its Mushroom Dum
Biryani. This is a rice dish made with the traditional method but have
no fear, it’s not difficult and the results will impress both Western
and Asian friends. I’ll make this dish often, not because I have a low
calorie diet (although perhaps I should) but because it’s delicious and
A Western cook will have no problem finding the spices in local
supermarkets or from one of the many online Asian stores. The cooking
techniques are not taxing and you don’t have to take a trip to Mumbai
to kit out your new Asian kitchen. This is a fascinating book with
recipes that will encourage you to make, eat and enjoy flavourful and
Low Calorie Vegetarian Cookbook is the first of Sanjeev Kapoor's books
that I have had the pleasure to review, and there are more to follow.
This volume is bound to be a success with readers from every continent.
Asian cookbook review: Low Calorie Vegetarian Cookbook
Author: Sanjeev Kapoor
Published by: Popular Prakashan
Price: Rs.250.00, £11.69, $25.00US
The Asian Grill
Yes, it’s a BBQ book but one with a difference. This will
capture the imagination of those who long for
something more exotic. There are those fire-extinguisher-wielding,
burnt-offering-offering culinary pyromaniacs who think that charcoal
adds flavour. No, my little Webber warrior, my Hibachi hero! The
charcoal is the fuel and not the food; add flavour by thoughtful use of
marinades and condiments.
Corinne Trang is an international chef and food authority. Her heritage
is Asian and European, and she is one of the few who are truly at home
with both genres; but more importantly she loves food. Might sound a
strange and rather obvious statement but there are many chefs and
food-industry gurus who are just doing a job, but Corinne is a chef, a
food professional, and a foodie with all the passionate enthusiasm that
I am not a lover of Fusion food as it is so often a compromise. Some
chefs have built reputations on marrying ingredients which should never
even have been introduced. Corinne’s food is easily described as good
food with Asian flavour. There is nothing here that will bring the cry
of horror, nothing that jars, but plenty that looks good on paper and
even better on a plate.
The Asian Grill will gently lead you away (you can return from time to
time) from ketchup, mustard and liquid smoke and will playfully nudge
you in the direction of soy sauce, sesame oil and mirin. All the
ingredients are available in a supermarket near you or via mail order.
The cooking techniques don’t require a training course and you probably
already have the equipment, so you are ready to dazzle.
Back-yard grilling isn’t famed for having a sophisticated meal as its
end-product. It’s more often burgers like hockey pucks and flavourless
chicken. It’s rarely the food that is the centre of attention but
rather the grilling process that encourages conviviality. We marvel at
the “skill” of (mostly) men who only don an apron when the smell of
lighter fuel is in the air. Grilling is simple and was the first
cooking method. Cavemen didn’t say “I’ll rustle up a nice
soufflé for lunch” or “How about a delicately toasted English
muffin with passion-fruit jelly?” No, dear reader, it would likely be
“Pass me the pinny, Unk, I’m grilling tonight.”
Corinne has a flair for flavour, not only for the dishes that are
grilled, but for all the associated breads, rices, noodles, and even
sweets and drinks. There is everything you will need in this one
vibrant and attractive volume. You will be able to compose meals around
the grill that will be elegant but still fun both to cook and to eat.
I love lamb and The Asian Grill has a recipe that is a joy. Lamb
Marinated in Yellow Spice Paste is flavoured with a pungent mix which
elevates these kebabs into something mouthwatering. Corinne suggests
serving these with Scallion Flat Bread from this same book. Pork
Patties could be an alternative filling for that bread, and this recipe
has a distinct Vietnamese flavour with fish sauce and lemon grass. BBQ
Pork is Corinne’s version of the Cantonese classic, Char Siu, often
seen hanging in windows in Chinatowns the world over. This will always
be a crowd-pleaser.
Perhaps my favourite recipe is that for Spicy Sweet Soy Sauce Marinated
Chicken. It couldn’t be easier to prepare but the resulting bird is a
long way from the usual lack-lustre poultry of by-gone BBQs ...or I
might choose Spicy Squid Salad ...but Asian Clambake is impressive
The Asian Grill is a book stuffed with tempting and flavourful food.
You don’t need to know anything about cooking Asian food, and even a
novice griller should be confident of a lot of compliments; everything
you need to know is here. Corinne Trang has once again produced a book
that will soon be stained through much use, and that’s a fine accolade
for any cookbook.
Asian cookbook review: The Asian Grill
Author: Corinne Trang
Published by: Chronicle Books
Noodles Every Day
To the untutored this might seem an uninspiring
proposition, but it’s perfectly possible to eat noodles every day and
perhaps even several times a day without feeling as though it’s an
Corinne Trang is a US based author, radio and TV broadcaster on the
subject of Asian food. She is a well respected authority on foods from
China and Southeast Asia and has been described as the “Julia Child of
Asian Cuisine” by the Washington Post and me. Corinne has penned
numerous books and has won a raft of awards - her very first won Best
Asian Cuisine Book in the World at the World Cookbook Fair. Not too
Corinne has a passion for food and not just Asian food (a casual
conversation with this lady about anything from bread to breakfast will
have you drooling). Her background, a combination of French and
Chinese, equips her very well to take her place in the culinary arena
of both East and West.
Noodles Every Day is an attractive volume with marvellous photographs
by Maura McEvoy. It’s more than a cookbook – this is an encyclopaedia
of all things noodley. Every possible variety of noodle is considered
and a wealth of recipes is offered. This is the original fast food and
it’s both healthy and sustaining which is more than can be said for
most of the popular western alternatives.
Every noodle type has its recipes but you can mix and match to suit
your own taste. The five noodle categories are Wheat, Egg, Buckwheat,
Rice and Cellophane but there is an additional chapter which covers
Buns, Dumplings, and Spring Rolls. Although these are not noodles they
do fall under the “snack” umbrella as do some of the noodle dishes.
Corinne introduces you to stock making and some typical Asian
condiments, as well as basic ingredients. You will have all you need to
be ever ready, with the addition of a few fresh items, for a quick but
impressive meal... and fast!
Wheat Noodles with Spicy Ground Pork is a Szechuan classic. Dishes from
this region are prized for their robust flavours and this one is no
exception although the stir-fried Napa cabbage (Chinese Leaves) adds
sweetness. Stir-fried Egg Noodles with Beef and Broccoli is another
meat and vegetable recipe and a worldwide restaurant favourite but it’s
easy to make at home. It’s flavourful, rich and comforting.
One of the most striking recipes in Noodles Every Day is that for Egg
Noodle Soup with Five-spice Duck. This would make a smart dinner party
dish with its succulent, aromatic meat and the soup served on the side.
For sheer luxury though, Crab-flavoured Noodles with Velvety Crab Sauce
and Green Peas takes some beating. It’s a simple recipe but has a
cheffy quality about it. The crab-flavoured noodles can be found in
larger Chinese food stores but if you can’t get hold of them you can
substitute regular thin egg noodles.
Noodles Every Day is an instructive and inspiring book. It’s
thoughtfully written with the western cook in mind but Corinne Trang is
never pedestrian in her choice of recipes. This isn’t just another
Asian cookbook but rather a vehicle which will help you to appreciate
all the subtle flavours and textures that Asian food has to offer.
Noodles Every Day will surely be another award winner.
Asian cookbook review: Noodles Every Day
Author: Corinne Trang
Published by: Chronicle Books
Price: $22.95 US, £12.99