The evolution and fusion of Hakka food on the table was an appealing sight when we went over to AM PM as they hosted the ‘Not a Noodle Night’ with Chef Katherine Lim and Gormei. Coming from a Hakka tradition, Chef Katherine put down all her traditional and culinary heritage to curate an extravagant menu for the three-day pop-up lasting till February 10. Celebrating the arrival of the Year of the Dragon in Chinese New Year, the menu was also inspired by the same. What more, the drinks prepared by master mixologist Pankaj Singh Gusain also had influences of Hakka ingredients, especially many made by Chef at her home.
As the night commenced surrounded by live music and the winter chill, we started the course with Moneybag Wontons which signifies wealth. A blend of carrots, Chinese cabbage, garlic chives and served with chilli oil, the wontons were perfectly fried and had an oh-so-yummy outer crust. A perfect way to start the course, we paired it with PM Takeout. An interesting non-veg cocktail made with lap cheong fatwash. It had a nice meaty flavour to it derived due to the fat wash and the caramelised mushroom garnishing added a touch of sweetness to the drink.
Next in line were the Hong Kong Curry QQ Fish Ball Skewers. A street food specialty, the smooth fish balls were cooked in Chinese curry sauce. They had a bouncy and savoury texture and almost melted in the mouth. The ‘Good Fortune’ Lo Bak Go was an interesting take on radish cake with the chef’s homemade lap cheong sausage and dried shrimp. The pungency of the radish was reduced to having a subtle effect on the palate while the freshness of the shrimp took the limelight away.
The spicy mutton cube made our day as we bit through the Chinese burger. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon was an interesting take on a bao and the juicy mutton chunks marinated in spicy xinjiang mix did the trick. A sip of the Dragon’s Breath, a light cocktail with a strong kaffir lime flavour and a beautiful dragon rice paper elevated the flavours.
Of course when Chef Lim took over the kitchen we had to taste one of her signature dishes- Roast Crackling Pork with miso mash and kasundi. The pork chunks were brilliantly portioned with the sides made to crackle. The combination of miso mash and traditional Bengali kasundi gave the much-needed spiciness which tingled the tongue long after the dish was devoured. We paired it with Fortune Fire. The scallion salt rim gave the Sichuan pepper-infused cocktail an elevated spicy high.
The crispy Nam Yu Fried Chicken Wings with an umami-rich red-fermented beancurd gave the dish its looks, colour and taste. The slightly spiced-up wings were very welcome. Innovation worked best with this Prawn Toast Sandwich which had minced prawn in fried bread with sesame coating. The Huangjiu highball made with Chinese rice wine, pear cordial, and topped with a sweet glass pear slice would definitely have us come back for more.
For desserts, we were indulged with Fried milk custard with vanilla ice cream and soy caramel. While the outer crust was crispy the insides of the fried milk custard were extremely smooth. The best part was the caramelised soy, which greatly reduced the soy flavor and incorporated a heightened sweetness of the caramel.
To conclude, we would recommend you to drop by this limited edition pop-up seeped in Hakka tradition with modern influence. The pop-up is on till February 10, 2024.