Everything we ate at the ongoing Meghalaya cuisine pop-up at this luxury hotel in Kolkata

As we entered for lunch at Kava at Fairfield by Marriott, the aroma of freshly smoked food wafted in the air. From fresh salads to lentils, rice, and a variety of meat; and of course bamboo shoot and lotus stem were all greeting us at the buffet. Specially curated by Chef Ahmedaki Laloo, chef and founder of A’origins, this Meghalayan pop-up was screaming out be a feast not only for the eyes but also for the taste buds. A quick chat with the chef unraveled several details about the types of cuisines in Meghalaya which primarily consists of Garo, Khasi and Jaintia courses. She went on to discuss the different local ingredients, ingredient sourcing and preservation processes which can be heard and viewed in details on our Vlog at Indulge Express Youtube. And then it was time to finally grab our plates for the day.

Check out what we ate at the on going Meghalaya food pop-up at this luxury hotel in Kolkata.

We started off with a sweet potato and honey appetiser called Phankaro Bad Ngap. For those who love sweets this double dose of sweetness would be an apt starter for the course. Next was the Pashor Sdieh or Banana Stem cakes. These little roundish balls of banana cakes were savoury and diffused the sweetness of the previous course.

Next on our plate was the Phan Bad Tungtap which was potato pieces with fermented fish chutney. What was very interesting about the dish was how the savoury potatoes suddenly came alive with the spicy fermented fish chutney. For anyone who wants shock flavouring on their palate can definitely go with this one. And our personal favourite appetiser would be the Dohsniang Taang or the Charred Pork. If pork chips had a face, it would definitely be this one. Dry, smoked and charred these bites were wholesome and very satisfying. The smokey flavour was elevated even more with the sprinkle of chilli powder on top. Also, not only could we hear the crunch coming from our own mouth but also we could hear the crunch coming from everyone around us.

We decided to move on to the varieties of salads on display, after a very satisfying and crunchy beginning. The Dohsniang Khleh or Pork Salad caught our attention in the first glance. Delicious succulent pork bits with cabbage, and veggies stole our heart. The next choice was a more refreshing summer-perfect Orange and Pomelo salad called Soh Khleh. We felt it was quite citrus heavy but the subtle mix of flavours – sweet, sour, bitter after-taste balanced with the cabbage and dressing made it a good salad to binge on.

The main course we gorged on two of the Meghalayan staples- Red Rice and Lungsiej Sboh or Bamboo Shoot Curry.  The rice was very different from what we are accustomed to having in the plains and that gave it a different shape, texture, colour and taste. The Bamboo Curry on the other hand was savoury and went perfectly well with the rice.

For any sweet lovers who would be expecting desserts after the main course, it is important to know that traditional Meghalayan meals do not have a dessert course and thus we left the meal at a very flavour high main course. We loved the fact that the curated menu had several options which highlighted the essence of Meghalayan cuisine and more so that each dish and the ingredients behind them had a story to tell.

Available till March 30 at Kava, Fairfield by Marriott, Kolkata

Price per person (Weekday Dinner) Rs 1649+ / (Weekend Lunch and Dinner) Rs 1699+