Ma La is one of the recognized flavour profiles of Sichuan cuisine. Ma denotes numbing and La, spicy. For most of us we have experienced Sichuan food under the guise of Szechuan/Szechwan/Sichuan food.” Sichuan is a province in southwestern China and the just-opened Ma La Kitchen Supper Club claims to bring its traditional flavours to the palate. Here is the inside story from our tasting.
Initiated with a mild floral Chrysanthemum Tea served in the gaiwan, we were ushered to the dining table. First, we were presented with the Garlic Three Threads Salad. It came as a small heap of noodles, sticks of carrot and cucumber with soaked raw garlic and chilli sauce. Give it a mix and the bite brought a combination of flavours. Initially, you taste the garlic, the crunchy vegetables and then the ‘ma’ of the Sichuan peppercorn shines. We would call it a pleasant tingling. The heat is mild, leaving a subtle trace in the end.
Onto the Mouth-Watering Chicken, the appetizer. In front of us was a bowl of slices of poached chicken on the bone with skin in a pool of deep reddish-brown liquid (soy, sesame and chilli oil sauce) and dotted with sesame seeds and coriander leaves. Dig in and the mixture of flavours — sweet, sour, salty and benign heat came through. The chicken was succulent and nicely supported by the gentle flavours of the sauce and the freshness and the crunch of the cucumber. Our understanding of Sichuan began to change. And then came the well-known Dan Dan Noodles. Wheat noodles topped with minced pork with fermented mustard greens, spring onions, coriander leaves and the sauce at the bottom of the bowl. It was nothing like the Dan Dan Noodles we have had. It is savoury with a touch of citrus from the coriander leaves. Do note that the ‘la’ had not caught up to us yet.
Next up, Duo Jiao (pickled chilli sauce) Steamed Fish. Steamed Tilapia covered with the sauce along with garlic, scallion and finished with boiling chilli oil. Bird’s Eye Chili is in this dish. The fish was nice and tender, accompanied by the piquant sauce that coats the mouth. A few bites in and the heat from the chilli got us. Reaching for the Chrysanthemum Tea, the palate was cleansed quickly. Finally, we had Sweet Corn Mochi, a baked glutinous rice flour sweet treat with jaggery syrup and fresh melon.
The Supper Club is run by Aditya Ramakrishnan, but his wife Dongli Zhang, a native of Chengdu, is the prime mover behind the food. Presently operating from their home in the heart of the city, they offer a model menu showcased to us. Availability of booking slots is solely announced on their Instagram page.
INR 3,000 onwards. At Ali Asker Road.