Bowled Over!

Known for its wholesome appeal and colourful components, the meal-in-one bowl is fast becoming one of the hottest international food trends—from its savoury to sweet avatars. Smart Life brings you a few such bowls from across the country.  

By Raul Dias

Almost instantly spelling out the words ‘Comfort Food’ in big, bold alphabets, the one bowl meal has a certain easy-going, pretence-free vibe about it and one that has achieved popularity and hipster-chic credence over the last couple of years. Not only are they a convenient and clever way to mix all of your favourite ingredients together, but for whatever reason food just seems more interesting when served from a bowl!
Be it an Asian-style Buddha bowl, a Korean bibimbap-influenced bowl or a fruit and oats-laden breakfast bowl topped with the very fashionable and au courant sliced avocado and chia seeds, the bowl meal is here to stay.
We’ve compiled a list of a few such bowls here in India that have left us, well…bowled over with their brilliance.

Hot Pot Bowl
At Pra Pra Prank, Gurugram
A hot pot is a classic Mongolian rice dish that is served with various vegetable and meat toppings which come sizzling hot in a stone pot. One gets fantastically browned brunt rice at the bottom of the pot, making this dish extra delicious. In this version of the one bowl meal, wok tossed Schezwan-sauced rice is topped with chicken, water chestnuts, roasted peanuts, sweet corn kernels, chives, mushrooms and fried garlic. What makes this dish even more special is that it gives the diner the unique experience of eating from a sizzling stone bowl into which all the ingredients are mixed in front of them. “I came up with this idea because when we were preparing for our new menu, winter was approaching. And so, I thought that I should present my guests with a memorable experience,” says Chef Aryav, the Executive Chef at Pra Pra Prank. “And I thought that there can be nothing better than a sizzling hot meat and rice dish which stays hot till the last bite!”

Morning Glory Bowl and Tokyo Pork Bowl
At Shibuii, Mumbai
Offering two distinct bowls—one vegetarian and one pork-based—this new Pan-Asian restaurant champions this food trend. To begin with, the morning glory bowl is composed of a serving of morning glory leaves tossed in garlic and chilly and then bathed in yellow bean sauce. This is complimented with steamed aromatic jasmine rice. To complete the meal, the bowl also consists of delicately hand rolled vegetable spring rolls drizzled with a tangy hoisin sauce, which gives the meal that extra something. To add to it, the bowl also includes some starch in the form of finger potatoes in a sweet and spicy sauce.
On the other hand, the Tokyo pork bowl is made up of delicious and succulent chargrilled pork belly slices glazed in a spiced curry broth made with the stock of pork, herbs and vegetables. All this is perfectly paired with steamed jasmine rice with prawn crackers and a hand-rolled spring roll adding some crunch to your meal-in-one bowl.

Chilli Tossed Tuna Poké Bowl
At Toast & Tonic  Bengaluru
Generally, this Hawaiian-origin one bowl wonder is a delicious concoction where soy- and sesame oil-marinated raw tuna cubes are served atop vinegared sushi rice. Predominantly a lunch dish, poké (pronounced poh-kay) has taken over the world as a healthy, highly nutritious and fun way to eat fish and rice. Dishing out one of the yummiest iterations of the dish in India we’ve had the pleasure of eating, Toast & Tonic in Bengaluru’s Ashok Nagar does things a little differently with their Chilli Tossed Tuna Poké Bowl. Here the traditional sushi rice is substituted for the short-grained and sticky Gobindobhog variety from Bengal, with the bowl topped off with a passion fruit and pineapple vinaigrette, a halved, beetroot-pickled boiled egg and fresh avocado cubes. All of this is then sprinkled with micro mustard greens, shards of nori (dried Japanese seaweed), fried onions and a sprinkling of the very fashionable chia seeds.

Hot Stone Bowl
At Molecule Air Bar, New Delhi
Drawing in great inspiration from the classic Korean dish called bibimbap, the super colourful hot stone bowl served here consists of warm jasmine rice accompanied by various ingredients like water chestnuts, broccoli, peanuts, sprouts, tofu, spring onion, peppers, chicken, with a fried egg sitting atop it. One also gets to choose a sauce of your liking. Here all the ingredients are mixed in a heated stone bowl in front of the guest at their table and served piping hot. “This dish has very warm flavours which are just right for the winter season,” says Mohammed Anas Qureshi, the Brand Chef. “And as it is served in a hot bowl, the dish stays warm for a longer period of time. The whole idea of this dish is to serve our guest something which brings warmth to their dining experience this season.”

Kiwi Banana Smoothie Bowl
At The Daily Bar & Kitchen, Mumbai
We’ve truly saved the ‘sweetest’ bowl on this list for last with the fruity, all-day breakfast treat that is the yummy kiwi banana smoothie bowl at Mumbai’s The Daily Bar & Kitchen. This bowl is made by blending fresh kiwis and chopped bananas with yogurt that is perfect for people following a healthy diet. Coconut powder is incorporated into this mixture for added flavour, post which it is kept in the refrigerator to chill for a couple of hours. The dish is then served in a bowl and topped with slices of both fruits, delicious toasted granola and some chia seeds to add the right amount of texture. “Banana and Kiwi are my favourite fruits and I usually choose these when I am on the go. Being my staples, I decided to incorporate these two in a smoothie bowl allowing my breakfasts to be super healthy and easy to make,” says Liton Bhakta, Head Chef, The Daily Bar & Kitchen. “Since it worked so well, I decided to add this to The Daily’s menu and ever since it has been the most ordered smoothie bowl!”

(A differently edited version of this piece was first published in the March 2020 issue of The Week's Smart Life magazine)

A Serving of BKC, Please!

As Mumbai’s most popular commercial super hub, the Bandra Kurla Complex—or BKC to use its trendy moniker—is a vertiginous warren of glass and steel buildings where business booms all day long. Interestingly, it is also one of the city’s premier dining destinations, offering a plethora of options for those after work dining and partying needs. We bring you a serving of BKC’s top 10 hot spots.

By Raul Dias

O Pedro
Fast becoming the go-to place for some fun, fusion-forward Goan nosh and imaginative
drinks, is this whimsically decorated bar-cum- restaurant. Here, one can expect drinks that
bring back the fun of tropical living along with simple, yet sophisticated food that reflects
Goa’s stunning culinary diversity, going back to its Portuguese influences and further
beyond. The food at O Pedro sidesteps Goa’s touristy flavours to evoke all this rich, complex
culinary history. But that’s not to say that a meal here is a meat lover’s feast alone. The menu
includes a host of vegetarian renditions of Portuguese and Saraswat classics. So, expect to
dive into a stuffed charred cabbage foogath and the breadfruit rawa fry with as much gusto as
a serving of the sublime chicken baffad curry or Aunty Braganza’s crab rissois!

Unit #2, Ground Floor, Jet Airways-Godrej BKC Building, BKC
Tel: 022-26534700/01/02


Nara Thai
Think flavourful Bangkok-style street food—über reasonable price et al—in a jazzed-up
setting and this elegant restaurant, replete with an al fresco sitting area, pops into mind. Done
up with hints of royal Thai purple with carefully manicured topiaries and flower beds, this
place is a calm spot amidst BKC’s humdrum. Perfect for a quick lunch is the express business
lunch that gives you a brief sampling of the authentically Thai menu. Here, you can expect to
tuck into everything from dishes like crispy fried morning glory and the refreshing yum som
o pomelo salad to gai tord samunprai (crispy fried chicken and Thai herbs) and an authentic
north-eastern Thai spicy chicken salad called larb gai. But save space for Nara Thai’s
signature dish like the khao phad samunprai that’s made with the brilliantly blue butterfly pea
flower that also finds itself in drinks like the butterfly pea sour.

Ground Floor, Raheja Towers, Opposite SIDBI, BKC
Tel: 022-61378080


Masala Library
Responsible for bestowing a certain classy cache on to Indian cuisine thanks to the brilliantly
conceptualised and plated out dishes on its menu, Masala Library by the legendry Jiggs Kalra
has been at the very vortex of the whole BKC dining scene for a few years now.
Experimental, yet retentive of the traditional technique and flavours that go into making the
perfect Indian meal, here equal emphasis is placed on both substance and presentation. And
though the a la carte offerings represent the restaurant’s food philosophy perfectly, it is the
16-course degustation menu featuring dishes like the wild mushroom chai and the charcoal
bhajia that take fine dining to a whole other level and that truly makes dining here a highly
recommended indulgence.

Ground Floor, First International Financial Centre, G Block, BKC
Tel: 91-8454900900


Toast & Tonic
The easy, languid vibe that this restobar projects is perfect for a post-meeting unwind session
over well-made drinks and sophisticated food, in a setting that is effortlessly chic and refreshingly minimal with its Scandi-chic décor accents. It borrows heavily from the East Village, in the south of Manhattan which is easy going and irreverent. At Toast & Tonic expect to find small plates like lightly poached kokum shrimp in a kokum and coconut broth, prawn pickle and prawn crackers and the tuna tataki tostada with jalapeno cream, ginger and sesame oil. Sip on a host of tonic-based drinks like the spiced vanilla tonic, the flower power tonic (jasmine, elderflower and grapefruit) and the yummy star anise and pear tonic.

Unit #1, Ground Floor, Jet Airways-Godrej BKC Building, BKC
Tel: 022-26534722



CinCin
This trattoria-style Italian restaurant’s approach is stylish yet casual where you can enjoy a
post-work drink with some cicchetti or small plates that are typically served in a traditional
Venetian bacari. Featuring arched windows connecting the main dining area with the al
fresco section via an open bar, this is the place to grab a table or sit by the bar and enjoy the
lemon trees and shrubbery. CinCin draws inspiration from the potent flavours of regional
Italy to deliver seasonal, ingredient-driven plates of food like strozzapreti, a slow cooked
chicken ragu. But for those who prefer to graze, you can choose from 30 odd cicchettis to
hand rolled pastas, meat specialties and Napolitan style pizzas. And for dessert, don’t miss
the tre latti, a luscious milk-saturated cake.

Ground Floor, Raheja Towers, Near Dena Bank, BKC
Tel: 022-69956666


Hello Guppy
This cute and whimsical restaurant offers a range of Japanese food in an easy-to- eat format,
within an approachable, friendly space. Packaged perfectly to appeal to the office-going
crowd seen in the BKC area, the menu includes soup, salads, sushi, soba and udon noodle dishes, donburi rice bowls and yes, the ubiquitous Japanese favourite ramen as well. The space is an explosion of Japanese pop culture with every corner of the compact space covered with vintage robots, Japanese transistors, wall art and posters. But once the sun sets, Hello Guppy undergoes a transformation, with neon lighting, a crazy disco ball, and an emphasis on innovative drinks, as it becomes time to let loose and party the night away.

Ground Floor, Jet Airways-Godrej BKC Building, BKC
Tel: 022-26534720


SodaBottleOpenerWala
Despite this zany eatery clocking in almost three years of existence, it is still a die-hard
favourite of the BKC crowd. And why not? SodaBottleOpenerWala is your quintessential
Bombay Irani Café and bar with all its idiosyncrasies pat in place. It truly is a modern tribute
to the dying legacy of a Bombay Irani Cafe bringing with it typical Parsi cuisine, some Irani
specialties and Bombay street food in a fun, quirky and contemporary avatar. Nostalgia
warms your heart as you navigate through the menu that has on it specialities like dhanshak,
paatra ni macchi and their version of the famous berry pulao. Drinks like the iconic raspberry
soda and Parsi ‘choi’ infuse a bit more nostalgia and fun into your post business meeting-
saturated day.

02, Ground Floor, The Capital Building, G Block, BKC
Tel: 022-40035678


​Hemant Oberoi
As perhaps Mumbai’s only restaurant that’s named after a person, Hemant Oberoi is the
culmination of 40 years of culinary mastery by chef Hemant Oberoi. Perfect for a celebratory
dinner with the team, the large, 3,000sq ft property is done up with plenty of rich golds, reds
and dark wood. The menu is primarily European fine dining, but one can often find bursts of
whimsy like in the Asian style Chilean Sea bass served with orzo pasta and spinach. For
those on the go and desirous of a quickie, the 2- and 3-course lunch menus offered here are a
perfect way to get a glimpse into the mastery of the legendary chef. But for those with time
and yes, money, do indulge in the super-indulgent a la carte dinner service and thank us later!

Unit #5, Ground Floor, Jet Airways-Godrej BKC Building, BKC
Tel: 022-26534757


Taftoon
Inspired by the food that can be found along the Grand Trunk Road, that runs from
Chittagong to Kabul, this bright and airy restaurant offers up an exotic taste of everything
from Kashmiri to Rampuri cuisine. Named after the leavened, milk, yoghurt, and egg-
redolent Persian bread that has a mere whisper of saffron anointing it, we see Taftoon paying
homage to it in myriad ways across its vast menu. Try it in the taftoon pe harissa, which is a
mix platter of three, coin sized harissa-smeared taftoon disks—each topped with different delicacies like a divine mushroom paté and a spicy pulled chicken. This is also the place to sample the more robust Bihari cuisine staples like litti chokha that’s best chased with the fragrant Kashmiri kahwa tea, or with a saffron cocktail, perhaps?

Unit #2, Ground Floor, Naman Centre, G Block, BKC
Tel: 022- 26530253/65656100


The Good Wife
Ignore its borrowed-from- a-TV- show name and hang out with your colleagues on a Friday
night at this buzzing hotspot that’s somehow always packed to the rafters. But there’s a good
(pardon the pun!) reason for that. Famous for its reasonably priced drinks and food, a night
out at the wood panelled and be-chandeliered restobar won’t put in a dent in anything… least
of all your wallet! Taking its business district location very seriously, The Good Wife’s
signature drink is called The Wolf Of BKC. Team this one with a host of nibbles like the
three-peppercorn grilled chicken and the soy ginger prawns and kiss the past week’s blues
away.

Ground Floor, The Capital Building, G Block, BKC
Tel: 022- 40109433


(An edited version of this article first appeared in the May 2018 issue of Jetwings International in-flight magazine of Jet Airways http://www.jetairways.com/EN/IN/jetexperience/magazines.aspx)

Open Season!

Taking inspiration from the Swedish open sandwich—the smørrebrød—are a host of city cafés and restaurants that have decided to send out their sandwiches topless, giving you less carbs, more topping and the same amount of yumminess…

By Raul Dias

Soft Eggs and Fresh Andouille Sausage on Sourdough Toast
With its play on textures and flavours, from the runny egg to the smoky hit of the Bandel cheese, this open face sandwich is both complex and paradoxically simple at the same time. Here, poached eggs, fresh Louisiana-style Andouille sausage (choice of pork or chicken) sit on a sourdough toast slice that’s spread with green mustard, smoked Bandel cheese, cream cheese and finished off with a drizzle of gin mustard Hollandaise sauce. “At Toast & Tonic, each dish is comforting, yet gastronomically curious and the food—artisan inspired to modern. This, our signature open face sandwich is a perfect representation of our food philosophy. It’s inspired by the concept of eggs on toast with sausages, but with a completely different and refreshing take,” says Manu Chandra, Chef Partner, Toast & Tonic.
At Unit#1, Ground Floor, Jet Airways-Godrej Building, BKC, Bandra East
Call 26534722/7777049774
Cost Rs 400

Spiced Omelette, Feta and Fried Peppers Sandwich
With a whopping 10 versions of the open face sandwich on its menu, the new Café at The Quarter seems to have embraced this trend with a vengeance! We particularly liked the spiced omelette, feta cheese and fried peppers iteration that also has marinated mushroom and avocado slathered over a single slice of artisanal sour dough bread. “We are so confident about the ‘farm to table’ ingredients that we use at the Café, that we thought why not hero such fresh and healthy ingredients? That’s how we come up with the concept of the open face sandwich that features sour dough bread as its base with free range eggs, locally sourced feta cheese and farm fresh veggies.” says Executive Chef, Ajinkya More.
At Café at The Quarter, Royal Opera House, Mathew Rd, Opera House, Girgaon
Call 8329110638
Cost Rs 425

Open Face Avocado Toast  
This all-vegetarian salad bar—that makes an exception for the occasional egg preparation—serves up a heavily loaded open face sandwich. This one’s the yummy, and not to mention healthy, sum of its avocado, jalapeno, rocket leaves, flax seeds and beetroot shavings parts, that balance precariously atop a slab of multigrain bread with a smear of cream cheese to jazz it up a bit. “My personal love for avocado made me come up with this amazing fusion of something healthy, tasty and on trend at the same time,” explains the developer of this open face sandwich, Akansha Saigal, Head Chef, Ministry of Salads.
At Ministry of Salads, shop no 4, opp Tata Garden, Bhulabhai Desai Road, Breach Candy
Call 9769823777/9769802777
Cost Rs 230

Beet Hummus Toast
This open face toast sandwich at 212 All Good is the perfect example of how a handful of simple ingredients can result in something so exotic, tasty and not to mention beautiful to behold! Just beetroot hummus, topped with beet slices over a piece of gluten free bread are its components. Nothing more, nothing less. “When we started building 212 All Good, we made ourselves a promise – everything that goes into the plate has to be good for you. I wanted to create an appetiser that is light, bright and good for the gut, so we decided to make an open face Beet Hummus Toast. The crumbly texture of the gluten free bread blends perfectly well with the smooth beet hummus. Topped with pickled beet slices, makes it pleasing to the eye. Perfect to have before a meal or as a hearty snack!” says Chef Paul Kinny, Culinary Director Bellona Hospitality.
At 212 All Good, Grand West Zone, Ground Floor, High Street Phoenix, Lower Parel
Call 62216020
Cost Rs 295


Goat Cheese Avacado Toast
​A virtual meal in itself, this one at The Clearing House sees the pairing of luscious avocado chunks mashed with sweet and spicy fresh salsa verde on gluten-free, homemade sorghum toast and topped with goat cheese and cherry tomatoes. Best enjoyed with a perfectly poached egg on top, with a decadent splash of truffle oil. “Our menu is all about keeping it simple, and the avocado toast is one such simple, yet delightful dish loved the world over. We have spruced the good ol’ ‘avo toast’ by adding sweet and spicy salsa verde for an extra kick. The homemade sorghum bread and truffle poached egg makes this a perfect gluten-free brunch/lunch option,” explains Executive Chef Nitin Kulkarni.
At The Clearing House, 13-15 Calicut Street, Ballard Estate
Call 22683030
Cost Rs 650 

(An edited version of this article appeared in the 12th January 2018 issue of the Mid-Day newspaper, India https://www.mid-day.com/articles/mumbai-food-eateries-serve-swedish-inspired-topless-sandwiches-with-fewer-calories/18925177) 

Bowled Over!

Perfect for tucking into on a rainy day, we bring you a serving of a few all-inclusive meals-in-bowls offering exotic treats with everything from black noodles to Chinese fungus to suit your many monsoon moods  

By Raul Dias

Stay indoors and make take-away Tuesdays fun with…
Fatty Pho Ramen
A hearty and substantial meal, this ramen is the sum of its aromatic chicken broth, smoked chicken, ginger, fried onions, scallions and soft-boiled egg parts. Giving it a bizarre countenance and exotic appeal is the coil of black noodles that gets its hue from charred eggplant powder!
At The Fatty Bao, Oasis Complex, Kamala Mills, Lower Parel
Call 62371500
Cost Rs 425

The ultimate romantic meal for two…
Asian Poké Bowl
This cooked take on poké—the raw fish meal-in-a-bowl from Hawaii—is made up of a starchy base in the form of steamed jasmine rice. Onto this, fresh organic vegetables like avocados, green onions, coloured peppers and cucumbers are layered along with nuts. All this is topped off with either lamb meat or vegetable balls.
At Jeon, Hotel Sea Princess, Juhu Tara Road, Juhu
Call 26469500
Cost Rs 599

Craving some Asian comfort food? Then chow down on…
Taiwanese Aromatic Miso Milk Bowl
Claiming to be the Asian restaurant’s signature dish, this milky-looking broth is made up of udon noodles, tofu and the very wacky, if a tad slimy wakame seaweed. Though Taiwanese in origin, as the cuisine is strongly influenced by the food from China and Japan, this miso broth references by neighbouring countries’ flavours, hence the wakame and udon.
At Shizusan, Skyzone, Highstreet Phoenix, Lower Parel
Call 7045004138
Cost Rs 295

Curl up in bed with your favourite book and a bowl of...
Monsoon Bone Broth
Comfort food at its best and great for that lazy, rainy day, this bowl too uses udon noodles as its base. This along with smoked chicken stock, shredded chicken, sweet corn, mushroom, coriander and Malaysian sambal give it a great depth of flavour, while the rather outré Chinese black fungus lends to it an amazing bite.
At Toast & Tonic, Ground Floor, Jet Airways-Godrej Building, ​​BKC, Bandra East
Call 26534722/7777049774
Cost Rs 295

Perfect for those ‘no carbs’ Fridays…
Mediterranean Veg Bowl
Not only is this one vegetarian friendly, but it is also a zero-carb meal-in-a-bowl. Here, a blushing pink beet hummus meets a chickpea tabbouleh along with pickled vegetables and falafel. This then gets doused with lashings of sour cream and it’s ready to chow down. All guilt-free, of course!
At Theory, Kamala Mills, Lower Parel
Call 66666506
Cost Rs 415

For that yummy rainy-day fusion twist, try the…
Maggi Et Al
Can’t get your fill of fusion? Then this bowl is the one for you. Combining the flavours of India’s favourite noodle snack—Maggi and Mumbai’s street food staple pav bhaji is this one. Served up yin-yang style with the noodles on one side of the bow and the bright red bhaji on the other, this colourful meal is sure to cast all those grey monsoon blues away…
At Door No. 1, Ankleshwar, ONGC Colony, Bandra West
Call 65355355
Cost Rs 191

(An edited version of this article appeared in the 11th July 2017 issue of Mid-Day newspaper, India http://www.mid-day.com/articles/mumbai-food-six-meals-in-bowls-to-suit-your-monsoon-moods-guide/18411164)

Risotto—Desi Ishtyle!

From a chicken cafreal-laced iteration to one that eschews the more the de rigueur arborio rice in favour of gobindobhog rice—the risotto is being re-imagined by Mumbai restaurants and how…

By Raul Dias

Venice to Lucknow
This culinary hybrid is made by infusing the spirit of Lucknow and Venice by marrying ingredients and flavours from the two food capitals of the world. The rice used is basmati and arborio in equal quantities and is delicately flavoured with Awadhi spices like mace, dried rose petals and green cardamom, and then scented and soaked with Merlot. A quartet of juicy galouti kebabs are topped over the risotto with farm fresh veggies and parmesan cheese, with desi ghee to finish it off. The dish is accompanied by a glass of Italian red wine and a spicy flat bread.
At Jeon, Hotel Sea Princess, Juhu Tara Road, Juhu
Call 26469500
Cost Rs 1,099

Sambhar Risotto
While one might argue that this one seems like a jazzed-up version of a humble sambhar rice, let us assure you that this risotto is anything but! Firstly, good quality, perfectly al dente arborio rice is used as its base, to which a tangy, thick sambhar sauce is introduced. Secondly, continuing the desi motif, curry leaves and fried methi (fenugreek) fronds are sprinkled all over the dish, further accentuating its Indian leanings.
At Canto Cafe and Bar, 534, BCMA, SVP Road, Opera House
Call 49711813
Cost Rs 360

Chicken Cafreal Risotto
A riff on the tangy Goan cafreal, this colonial-desi-inspired risotto is served with a grilled chicken breast. Adapted from a Portuguese-Mozambican slave recipe, cafreal is a marinade made from fresh coriander leaves, mint, spices and toddy vinegar. The flavour of the toddy vinegar is what elevates the entire risotto, which is then garnished with parmesan shavings and a sprinkling of pine nuts.
At Radio Bar, Hotel New Castle, Linking Road, Bandra West
Call 9769755542, 9769355503
Cost Rs 450

Dal Makhani Risotto
The perfect amalgamation of Indian flavours and Italian techniques in one dish. The richness of dal makhani, cream and risotto rice with a goat’s cheese garnish is not just filling, but comforting too. One bite of this risotto is enough to bring back to you your Dadi’s homemade food memories, reminding you that a little nostalgia is always great.
At The Terrace, Hotel King’s International Compound, Juhu Tara Road, Juhu
Call 9665295999
Cost Rs 445

Mushroom and Asparagus Risotto with Gobindobhog Rice
In this signature dish of the brand-new eatery, they use the famous short grain, aromatic rice called gobindobhog from Bengal in lieu of the traditionally used arborio rice. This is because the former has the right amount of starch to give the risotto its creamy texture. The addition of the sweet potato leaves and the very desi mustard oil is in keeping with T&T’s philosophy of embracing the best of regional produce and locally-sourced ingredients in a dish, yet serving it with a fresh take.
At Toast & Tonic, Ground Floor, Jet Airways-Godrej Building, ​​BKC, Bandra East
Call 26534722/7777049774
Cost Rs 460

(An edited version of this article appeared in the 9th June 2017 issue of the of Mid-Day newspaper, http://www.mid-day.com/articles/italian-risotto-desi-mumbai-restaurants-food-news/18322196)

A-N-A-T-O-M-I-Z-E: Chilli Tossed Tuna Poké

By Raul Dias

Kekaulike Market in Honolulu in Hawaii’s Chinatown may not be anything to write home about, with its dank, smelly interiors that reverberate with the cacophony of fishmonger calls and other assorted sounds. But within its cavernous bowels it holds a secret few outsiders are privy to. Dishing out probably the best poké on the Big Island, Maguro Bros. has a perpetual queue of prospective patrons lining up at its nondescript Formica-topped counter.
And it was there at Maguro Bros. that a few years ago I had an edible epiphany of sorts when I dug into my very first bowl of a traditional Hawaiian poké (pronounced poh-kay). Simply put, a mélange of soy- and sesame oil-marinated raw tuna cubes served atop hot sushi rice, poké is rather erroneously classified as a ‘salad’ on menu cards across the world.
Unable to find a desi doppelganger worthy of comparison, I had almost given up hope of ever tasting anything that came close to that poké. All that changed when I recently chanced upon Chef Manu Chandra’s iteration, which he serves with his own unique twist at the New York East village-style casual eatery Toast & Tonic in Bengaluru’s Ashok Nagar. Eschewing the traditional sushi rice for the short-grained and sticky Gobindobhog variety from Bengal, Chandra risks the poké purists’ wrath with aplomb.

He takes further detours by sending his rather transcendent chilli-tossed tuna poké off to the table anointed with a passion fruit and pineapple vinaigrette, a halved, beetroot-pickled boiled egg and fresh avocado cubes—all of this garnished with micro mustard greens, shards of nori (dried Japanese seaweed), fried onions and a sprinkling of the very au courant chia seeds.

(This column first appeared in the 19th February 2017 issue of The Hindu newspaper's Sunday Magazine section on page 8 http://www.thehindu.com/life-and-style/food/chillitossed-tuna-pok/article17324871.ece)