A talk with a chef-couple in Lower Parel on Korean food

A chef-couple talks to us about the nuances of Korean food ahead of a pop-up

When you say Korean food, people think of kimchi, which is essentially just an accompaniment. That's equivalent to saying Indian food is all about achaar," says Ronak Nanda, one half of The Omakase Kitchen, which was a brick-and-mortar space in Bandra till August last year, but has now shifted focus to catering and pop-ups.

Nanda and Jahan Bloch, the other half of the venture, are gearing up for a pop-up next weekend. After executing a Japanese-only extravaganza at a members-only space, in August 2018, the duo are looking at authentic Korean fare this time.

"We have always tried to make food that we enjoy eating when we travel. So, the idea was to create flavours that would be suitable to the Indian palate because we cannot sell a product that only we like. We were inspired by people who were taking a progressive route in Japanese and Korean cuisine [like Corey Lee of the three Michelin star San Francisco restaurant, Benu]," says Nanda.

At the meal, you can expect dishes like ban chan, a collection of small sides made with cucumber, spinach and radish; mandu guk, which are Korean pork dumplings; budaejjigae, a soupy broth with noodles, prawn and tofu; and jeju island, a dessert made with chocolate, orange and black rice.

Speaking about the spread, Nanda says, "It's like you're trying to justify a 1,000 years of a country's cuisine in nine courses, which is very difficult. But that is where the challenge is, and Jahan and I both like to be challenged."

ON: February 24, 1 pm to 3.30 pm
AT: The A, One IndiaBulls, Lower Parel.
CALL: 8879042509
COST: Rs 3,000 and Rs 3,600 (with unlimited gin and tonic)

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