Mag Street Kitchen (aka Magazine Street Kitchen), well-known for its cafe, serving wholesome food, also works as an experimental private kitchen that hosts several events like guest chef meals, bespoke experiences, and hands-on workshops, with a prep kitchen. They've had events like Supper Club— a tasting menu with Nāvu; A Naga State of Mind— making attendees indulge in the flavours of Nagaland with Chef Alistair Lethorn; Everyone Say Cheese— a cheese-making workshop with Chef Addie, and many more! Open to attendance with a price— recently, we experienced the Layered Dining Tables, experiencing the art of layering! Here's a look into what the event entailed.
Layered Dining Tables: An Event To Remember:
About the Event:
A bespoke 4-course experience worth ₹ 3,500, the Layered Dining Tables was in collaboration with Hapusa cocktails curated by Evgenya— the drinks director at Hapusa, with the mountains as inspiration. The chef who prepared the delectable food is one of Delhi's famous underground chefs— Kaushik Ramaswamy of Bela Gulab. He came forth with an eccentric mix of modern-day Indian cuisine, each dish a surprise to eat. Cooking Indian food is about blending various cultures, something Kaushik accomplished flawlessly, working with an ever-evolving cuisine. Each meal had different layers (hence the name), every culture bringing in a dimension of newness.
Let's take a deeper look at the "layers" served:
Layer 1
Drink: Foraged Cup
Hapusa Gin being the star of the evening, this cocktail was a delicious highball with a hint of homemade Foraged Cordial, topped with apple cider, a mix of absinthe mist and aromatic bitters, with a little garnish. The drink was refreshing and a great start to the 4-course meal ahead.
Dish: Pomelo Kaju Koshambir W/ Prawn or Avocado
A traditional Maharashtrian dish having different varieties, the Koshambir is said to be one of the few Indian salads following Western norms, consisting of a delicious dressing of gondhraj lime and coconut jaggery that works as the connecting bridge with the Foraged drink. With pomelo as the base, the dish involves prawns/ avocados (for the vegetarians) blended with mint leaves, roasted cashew, red hibiscus flower, fresh coconut, cucumber, green and red apple, red mint shallots, and brined raw mango.
Layer 2
Drink: Ruby Sour
The cocktail is a beautiful blend of Hapusa Gin combined with Cranberry-Rhododendron— a Buransh Liqueur, citrus, and topped-up with Rhubarb Foam, properly representing the Himalayas, a common theme of inspiration for the drinks that evening.
Dish: Prawn or Broccoli Medu Vadai w/ Mirchi Thecha
The second-course dish combines South Indian and Maharashtrian cultures, using ingredients that allow the citrus and floral palette from the Rhododendron in the drink to shine! The Medu Vadai, a black gram fritter stuffed with prawns, was originally from Singapore, was paired with Mirchi Thecha— made with garlic, mild green chilli, peanut, and tamarind chutney. For vegetarians, the Vadai stuffing was with broccoli, everything else remaining the same!
Layer 3
Drink: Hapusa Picante
Picante is a delicious drink many love, falling on the slightly savoury side with a hint of spice and a smokey taste. The cocktail combined Hapusa gin, Tree Sorrel Juice (Biml) serving as the acidic role, Brined Pahadi Chilios, Charred Pineapple Cordial to give it a smokey taste, and a handcrafted Zesty crust which enhanced all the flavours.
Dish: Laal Maas Lamb Shank or Gunning Paneer
Lamb Shank is a traditional Rajasthani Lal Maas made with ghee, red chillies, coriander seeds, and asafoetida (hing). It came on a bed of poached sweet pumpkin representing the North Indian cuisine nowadays, with buttered green peas. The vegetarian variation was one with cottage cheese, a.k.a. Panner, in steak form with gunpowder and curry leaves, marrying North and South Indian cuisines.
Layer 4
Drink: Maria Teresa
With a Goan cookbook as its inspiration, the cocktail takes on the challenge to exude nostalgia with ingredients like Almond Milk Whey, Porto Wine, Citrus, Hibiscus Cordial, and Pineapple mixed with the Hapusa gin. The drink works as a clarified cocktail, washed with Almond Milk, giving it the transparency, falling on the slightly sweeter side.
Dish: Seabass or Goan Shiitake Mushroom W/ Puliogare Sticky Rice in Moringa Rasam
The base for the non-veg and vegetarian options remains the same, featuring a puck-shaped puliogare sticky rice with a tropical flavour palette, tasting nutty and tangy, drenched in Moringa Rasam. The dish was made by picking up the Horchata's tropic elements and building it around that!
Check out Mag Street Kitchen's Instagram to stay updated about any upcoming events that might catch your eye, allowing you to indulge in unforgettable experiences.
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