Mahesh Lunch Home to K. Rustoms & Co, Chef Kunal Kapur talks about his love for Mumbai food and his connection to the city

The pop-up series at Neuma kickstarted on April 23 and will conclude on April 28

The city is currently basking in the warm presence of Chef Kunal Kapur, one of India's most loved celebrity chefs, while he is busy tantalising the taste buds of foodie Mumbaikars with his delectable dishes at Karan Johar's Neuma in Colaba.

Chef Kunal Kapur hit the bay for an exclusive pop-up series - ‘Pincode to Plates: Neuma Edition'. Pincode is a restaurant by the chef which was first opened in Dubai followed by a second branch in Delhi.

Although the chef's trips to the bay are rampant, he seems to never get enough of Mumbai's vada pav like all other Mumbaikars. In a quick chat with Mid-day.com, the chef shares, "I know it is a cliche, but it is equally true. I don't just love eating vada pavs, I also enjoy making them back home."

Talking about his love for Mumbai street food and his favourite food joints in the city, the culinary maestro tells us, "I love exploring the streets of Bombay for its street foods. It is from these spots that I get ideas for new dishes or even projects. One always tends to discover something new whether it's the style of plating, a combination of ingredients used to make a dish, or the style of presentation."

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On a typically hot day, the chef says, "I would love to try some kulfi at K. Rustoms & co. Ice Cream Parlour. They are very famous and their ice-creams taste delicious. Now that I am in this part of the world, I will surely get my hands on Maharashtrian cuisine. In Bombay especially, there is a community called Pathare Prabhu (whose food often features seafood, such as Bombay duck, crab, lobster, and prawns, as well as meats like mutton.) I love their dishes. But you need to know somebody from the community to relish their special dishes because there is no special restaurant. That is how beautiful and niche their cuisine is."

Kapur's connection with the city goes way back to his youthful days when he first stepped into the city at the age of 21. "By 21, I was working in hotels and I'd always heard about Bombay and how life was different in this city. I had only seen the city in the movies, but I had never visited it till I was 21.

Sharing his fondest memory of the city, he says, "I had planned a solo trip to Goa and I was to head back home but I took a seven-day detour to this city of dreams. I knew nobody and had no hotel bookings or anything. I had my small rucksack and I just enjoyed roaming around the entire city, going places. There was no Google to guide or recommend places which made exploring the city more fun. I rented a car and explored all the locations like Mahesh Lunch Home, Juhu Chowpatty and others. These are some of my fondest memories of Mumbai. I think they are etched forever. Since then, I knew there was something for me in the city and that one day, I would come back."

Banking on this belief, the chef is now thinking to launch Pincode in Mumbai. "Currently, we are scouting for different places. We have seen a couple of places and if everything goes well, then fingers crossed."

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Until then, Kapur is serving a taste of his specials from Pincode via pop-ups. Kapur says, "Many people have been asking me about my plan to bring Pincode to other places. That inspired me to come up with this pop-up concept where I and my team bring our signature Pincode dishes to plates in various cities and neighbourhoods."

The pop-up series at Neuma kickstarted on April 23 and will conclude on April 28. At this pop-up, the chef will showcase his mastery in fusing regional Indian ingredients and merging them perfectly with the delicate subtleties of European flavours straight from Neuma's kitchen. The specially curated menu for the pop-up includes signature dishes from Pincode.

The menu features vegetarian options such as textures of mushroom featuring Kashmiri Morels and Porcini Soil, Baby Potato Aloo Tuk accompanied by Green Apple Salsa and Truffle Bechamel, and Surti Khavsa served with Farsaan and Chilli Oil.

The non-vegetarian delights include Chilean Sea Bass or Lobster in Kudampuli Curry with Curry Leaf Rice, Tandoori Salmon paired with Gujarati Chundoo Chutney and Pickled Mooli, Goan Chorizo served with Brown Onion Curry and Goan Poee, and Lamb Chops complemented by Bhatti Masala and Raan Korma.

For desserts, the chef has offered Pincode Chennai Tiramisu, Elaneer Payasam Panna Cotta and Mango Sorbet, ensuring a sweet finale to this pop-up series.

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The chef tells us, "Now that we are here in the city, especially to Neuma which is located in a prime spot like Colaba, has a perfect vibe and is progressive, we have taken the liberty to play around a little to make the menu more entertaining. For example, the humble Elaneer Payasam has been given a twist and made into a panna cotta. Additionally, you must try our Pincode Chenna Tiramisu,' a signature dish made from Madras filter coffee flavoured Chenna with some mascarpone served together. This allows you to relish a classic Italian tiramisu, but it's 100 per cent desi!"

"My favourites from the newly curated menu," Kapur shares, "are curry momos (vegetarian and non-vegetarian). I love the Harissa Paneer Tikka. In Mumbai, Dal Tikka is pretty popular so if you want to try our version of Dal Pakwan, then you should try it. The Burnt Garlic Prawns with Kalonji Malai too, is to die for."

Details:
Date: April 23 - April 28
Venue: Garden Chalet, 4/6, Mandlik Rd, near Regal Cinema, Apollo Bandar, Colaba, Mumbai, Maharashtra 400001
Serving: Lunch and dinner
Reservations: 070314 93333