Like us, if you had been manifesting The Coastal Macha's Chef Piyush Menon to return to Kolkata with his brilliant South Indian coastal recipes, your prayers have been heard. Chef Menon is back, and this time with a bang. And because this time he's looking forward to something even more special, he settles for a pop-up menu for his patrons, as of now. This weekend, the chef is curating a Pothichoru menu, which literally translates to lunch pack!
As per the chef, the City of Joy has given him his identity. "Whatever I am is because of all the praises and encouragement that I had received during the 4.5 years stint of The Coastal Macha. I didn't feel right to take away these laurels and give them in any other city. If I have to give back. It has to be in Kolkata. Me and Kolkata, need to have a better story," adds the chef. When asked about what to expect from the pop-up, he says, "My previous patrons were mostly those who were aware of the cuisine I was serving but the majority who had little to no knowledge were apprehensive to try because of their prejudice. With these pop-ups and via my social media handles I intend to give them the right knowledge about the cuisine and also know about the culture from the South and beyond."
As of now, the chef plans to do a pop-up every week for at least three days a week, and a new menu every week. Pothichoru, basically is a rice meal wrapped up in banana leaf and some love! But for a Malayali, it's much more than that. It's a bunch of nostalgic memories and a whole lot of mother's love. The menu with a veg, chicken, fish and prawn variant will have Matta or White rice, Sambar, Manga Pulissery, Avial, cabbage Thoran, Thenga, Chammanthi and pickle, along with a choice of Veg (Chena/yam fry), Chicken (Hattakuda chicken fry), Fish (Kerala Fish Fry) or Prawn Pothichoru (Kerala-style prawn Roast).
The chef has plans to treat the connoisseurs of Kolkata with staple delicacies beyond the coasts and shift to other regional cuisines, cultures as well as cuisines. "I love doing in-depth research on food and how a particular culture influences it, and plan to get a lot of unfamiliar cuisines as well as familiar ones but with a modern twist," he concludes.
Pop-Up Details
Date: June 3 and 4, Noon onwards
Pre-Order @7595959042 (Call/WhatsApp)
Last Order till Friday (June 2) at 3 pm
Price: Rs 250 onwards