Bobby A.
Yelp
So I'm watching Netflix one day and I see that a few new episodes of "A Chef's Table" have been added. I notice one about an Indian cook and because I am of Indian heritage, I naturally click to look on.
It turn's out Episode 2 from Season 6 is about Asma Khan, a West Bengali cook and restaurateur who runs "Darjeeling Express" in Kingly Court in the middle of Soho, off of swinging 60's headquarters of Carnaby Street, who employs a kitchen staff of only women and presents recipes not normally found in other Indian restos but ones which are largely based on her West Bengali aristocratic background. While watching the episode, all the memories of foods I grew up with came flooding back to me since I too come from a similar West Bengali background given that my dad's side of the family were landed gentry in Murshidabaad, West Bengal, India.
Detour to History lesson: People may forget this but once upon a time, royalty and aristocracy existed in places like India, Bangladesh, Burma, Sri Lanka. And while those empires like the Mughal Empire have disappeared, their jewels, their titles, their riches, their thrones, plundered and taken away, the culture was never fully eradicated and one area it continued was the unbelievably rich and decadent food which the Mughals celebrated and which were passed on into ancient, Muslim families all over the Indian subcontinent, from grandmother, to mother, to daughter, generation after generation with very little changes.
Just to give you an example of how truly decadent the Mughals were about food, specific cows were fed nothing but saffron, which is a tiny and very expensive spice/herb. Imagine how much saffron you would need to have on hand to feed a cow daily. Now imagine that they breed these specific saffron cows, for 10 generations, and all that time, they are fed nothing but saffron daily, the cow from the 10th generation will have the flavor of saffron so embedded in it's meat genetically that that is precisely the one which is served up to the Emperor's table.
There's in a scene in the Netflix episode where Asma is walking through their mango orchards with her father back in West Bengal and discussing the merits of Langra mango vs. Fosli mango (different varieties which you will never find in your local supermarket). Again this brought me back because we also had mango orchards of very rare varieties of mangoes which barely exist now. Like Prince's mango, Queen's mango etc. Again these were varieties developed over time for the Emperor, specific mangoes you would eat in a particular order to cleanse your palate and get your palate ready for the richer varieties which you would eat later on.
Asma makes her mango lassis with some of these mangoes.
Asma really is doing service to history because if these recipes aren't recorded properly, they will disappear forever. Watching the episode and seeing things like Suji Halwa (semolina-based sweet) covered with silver-leaf and real gold leaf or Payesh (rice pudding made with jaggery) or Shamai Halwa (vermicelli sweet made with milk and mixed with spices and nuts), basically stuff I grew up eating in places like West Bengal and Old Dhaka, in areas like Laalbaag, convinced me that I had to come here.
I was surprised that I was able to get a reservation so easily but maybe the Netflix -generated interest hasn't hit yet.
Nonetheless, I had the Tangra-style Chilli Garlic Shrimp, the Prawns Malaikai, the mango lasso and the lemon-scented basmati rice - all of it was amazing. I even saw some of the cooks which were in the Netflix episode. Service is very friendly and it was an overall, great dining experience. My only regret was not seeing Asma or watching the giant pot of sealed biryani being opened up on the premises.
Go now before the crowds come in.
