Kolkata, Hong Kong

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I was surprised when Gaggan told me that he was doing a pop-up in Hong Kong during the week of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants. He hasn't done a pop-up or collab at Asia's 50 Best since Singapore in 2023. I was even more surprised - pleasantly, of course - when he told me that it will be Indo-Chinese. He knows of my fondness for "Chindian" cuisine, so I was really looking forward to tasting what he and the team would come up with. Now, knowing that he was doing this at the Kerry Hotel - the host venue for the awards ceremonies of Asia's 50 Best Restaurants - I naturally dialed down my expectations...

Due to limits on work visas, Mr. Bongwater wasn't doing service tonight. I had originally planned to take him somewhere and open a few nice bottles together, but I would have a tough time passing up the chance for some fun with Gaggan, so Mr. Bongwater ended up sitting with us at dinner tonight. Foursheets and Bong Girl also joined us to make it a foursome.

The event is called Gaggan Tirreti Bazaar, after the Chinatown neighborhood in Gaggan's native Kolkata. I know my friend loves Chinese food, and maybe one of these days I'll have the opportunity to explore the Chinese restaurants in the area with him.

Henriot Brut Souverain - this was rounded on the palate with good acidity balance.

We started with a series of dim sum bites:

Momo paneer peas - I enjoyed how creamy this was, and it's always fun when it's both spicy and has acidity to balance out the richness of the paneer (पनीर).

Truffles and methi spring roll - I love these Vietnamese net spring roll (bánh tráng rế) wrappers, as they get really crispy on the outside but are still sticky and stretchy on the inside.

The spicy filling inside had mushrooms, pine nuts, fenugreek seeds, kudzu, and crunchy water chestnuts. Pretty easy to like.

Shakarkandi chaat (शकरकन्दी चाट) puff - the shape is instantly recognizable to many of us in Hong Kong, as the puff pastry is often filled with shredded radish for 蘿蔔絲酥餅. The color, though, recalls Gaggan's dish of "charcoal" as a black, round lump.

Tonight this was filled with spiced sweet potatoes with some pomegranate seeds, and there was plenty of acidity. Not what I had expected at all, but pretty interesting for sure.

2023 Chapoutier Condrieu Invitare - sooo floral as expected, and as with Condrieu these days, incredibly ripe and sweet on the nose as well as the palate.

King crab chettinad pepper fry - this may look different, but I definitely recognized the flavor profile. Loved the curry leaves, and the finger lime pulp on top brought a little tangy kick. I guess the heat has been toned down for the local palate and not as intense as the traditional chicken dish.

Kolkata hot and sour fish maw soup - hot and sour soup would be something familiar with many Indians, with Manchow soup (মাঞ্চো স্যুপ) being a well-known Indo-Chinese dish. I've drunk a lot less Chinese hot and sour soup (酸辣湯) since I moved away from 'Murica and cut down on my visits to Shanghai, but I do love it once in a while.

We've got some of the usual ingredients like crunchy back fungus, bamboo shoots, shiitake... but also crab meat and fish maw. There was lots of vinegar so the soup was definitely pretty sour as well as very spicy - for me.

Rice roll with chili pepper char siu - a little unusual to see diced veg like carrots, chilies, and ginger with char siu in a cheung fun (腸粉), but then again, this isn't classic Cantonese.

Cod paturi in black bean sauce - I've had Gaggan's paturi many, many times, but this one was pretty close to miso cod... and 銀鱈西京焼き is something I can eat often, as it's so familiar and comforting.

Crispy chow mein with abalone, morels, and spiced X.O. sauce - FAIL. Gaggan told us that the kitchen staff at the hotel cooked these noodles very early on and left them lying around for hours, so of course they weren't crispy. At all.

2017 Bouchard Beaune 1er Cru Clos de la Mousse - lots of ripe fruit and plenty of sweetness on the nose, but this was a little like old school bubble gum...

2016 La Rioja Alta Viña Arana Gran Reserva - the nose was so fragrant and so woodsy. Sweet with a little coconut butter underneath the woodsy notes. A bit smoky, too. Very nice.

Gaggan was not happy with how things went in the kitchen, so we sent us this extra dish of sweet and sour chicken...

Chilled mango and pistachio sago with cardamom milk ice cream - this was pretty creamy, but I liked the cardamom ice cream. A variation of the classic 楊枝甘露, which Gaggan loves very much.

2021 Dr. Loosen Ürziger Würzgarten Riesling Spätlese - classic nose of petrol and white flowers. Just enough sweetness to make me happy.

Lick It Up - OF COURSE a Gaggan experience has to end with some variation of this. Tonight it was raspberries and passion fruit.

This was a lot of fun. I got to get a glimpse of my friend's take on Chindian cuisine, and also got to spend more quality time with Mr. Bongwater. While the team has been busy in the kitchen, at least I got to see Rydo and the other guys for a little while after service. The good news is that I'll be seeing them a little more tomorrow.