Chef Anumitra's weekend-only ramen pop-up aims to capture the essence of traditional Japanese ramen. (Supplied)
When life took a sharp turn for Anumitra Ghosh Dastidar, she found solace in a hot bowl of ramen. The comfort soon turned into passion and now, her profession.
“I became a chef because of Japanese food,” says Anumitra, who runs the Asian restaurant Bento Bento in Bengaluru, and curates an ingredient-driven menu at her Goa restaurant Edible Archives.
Following a bad break-up, it was ramen that made her feel alive. And when she realised that a routine of physical activity could be therapeutic, Anumitra asked for work at the Japanese restaurant which she frequented. Though she was rejected, the manager was familiar of her daily visits, and offered her a job as a diswasher.
“I took up the job,” she shares.
Ghosh was consistent and hard-working. “I wouldn’t take breaks or even check my phone. It was very Japanese/Korean behaviour. The chef would notice. One day, he called me and said I could chop vegetables in the kitchen,” she recalls.
It was garlic chopping for a long time, then spring onions. She was given all the difficult steps. And gradually, he took her under his wing and mentored her.
Japanese food is not a fancy meal but an everyday thing for Anumitra.
“After I finished my PhD, the chef sent me to Japan to work with some of his friends. There I would work all day and end the night with a bowl of ramen,” shares Anumitra adding, “My landlady was my favourite chef. She used to make me breakfast every day and I would look forward to it. Braised vegetables, fried fish, rice…a lot of our Bentos are inspired by what I used to eat for breakfast when I was there.”
Ghosh wanted to bring all her learnings back to India.
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When Anumitra’s team put out the poster for Ramen Rush, their first-ever ramen pop-up last month, it sold out in a matter of days. “For us, the first pop-up was an experiment to see how people responded. It was not just about the food but also the culture and where it comes from,” shares Anumitra adding that she wanted to make ramen accessible to all.
“In Japan, ramen shops are fast and busy. We wanted to create that experience here. The Japanese people have other food items even after finishing a bowl of ramen. So we also offer small plates of Karaage, Onigiri and such besides drinks and dessert,” she informs.
The Temple Ramen, offers vegan ramen, adhering to Bushist vegetarian principles. (Instagram)
After multiple requests, the team is now set for the second edition of the pop-up this weekend.
For the pop-up, Anumitra offers three kinds of ramen — Samurai Pork Ramen, Yakei Chicken Ramen and Temple Broth Ramen, a vegan option.
“The first time I tried the Temple Ramen was at a temple in Kyoto. I tasted it several times and had conversations with the locals to understand the broth and the ingredients. That’s how I figured out the recipe,” says Anumitra. She prefers keeping her dishes as authentic as possible.
“A lot of people tend to work with a preconceived notion about how people here would react to certain food. I didn’t want to do that,” she notes.
Talking of her learnings from her time in Japan, Anumitra says the main insight was how to treat ingredients right.
“In Indian food, even if we use the best quality mutton to cook a dish, you won’t get to taste that mutton because we put so much masala in the dish. What I learned in Japan is that every food item has its unique taste. You can notice it only if you pay attention. If, as chefs we don’t do that, who will? Asks Anumitra.
“Once I became aware of these flavours, I could segregate them. So here in the ramen, you can taste the spinach, the corn, the mushroom, everything separately. It’s a philosophy borrowed from Japan,” she details.
Just like in India, we have different varieties of dal chawal, there are many kinds of ramen in Japan. But in India, you only see one kind of representation where the broth is very heavy and the pork is fatty.
“I’m doing a lighter version which is more dominant in Japan. Heavy fatty ramen bowls are for winter and not throughout the year. It’s not suited for the Indian weather. All of that’s important to me. I don’t see food in isolation but as a part of our body, nature, the season etc.,” she elaborates.
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As for her future plans, Anumitra wants to go to the countryside and explore the simple home-cooked dishes.
“Those are the ones that will get lost in time. As homes are becoming lost, I want to learn more about the simplicity, and the nutrition of home food,” she shares.
In the coming years, Anumitra plans to promote the culture of having a well-balanced meal, just like her Bentos offer. “I want to discover interesting concepts, create restaurants around it and in the process, educate people,” she signs off.
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