I had no idea Hakka (Indo-Chinese) cuisine originated in Kolkata. My family are from Kolkata, and I loved Hakka food out there, so when Fatt Pundit brought it to London, I had to go check it out. Was it any good? Time to find out…
Ideal for:
When you want to take your mates or date out for an Indian with a twist.
When you want something hearty and spicy to warm you on a cold day.
Large groups, as it was all tapas style dishes that you could all feast on.
Ambience & Décor
The décor of the Covent Garden branch was nondescript. The shabby walls were largely bare, punctuated with 3 consecutive plain, large, Indian-style mirrors, vintage blue Chinese plates on stands and plain shelving with an assortment of trinkets on it. There were some Chinese and Bengali characters on the wall to really hit home the Indo-Chinese fusion further. I think the shabby-chic look worked. The ambience was also quite subdued, which made conversation easier.
Service
Our waiter was quite attentive and was always on hand to take orders of more food and drinks as and when needed. The managers were less friendly, adamant to kick us out in the 2-hour allotted time, which was not appreciated.
Food
I have a disclaimer on the food. The Hakka style was unbelievably tasty but quite spicy, so some dishes were not for the faint hearted. We ordered five dishes and some sides. Taking the three spiciest dishes first, the best was the Kolkata Chilly Chicken (see left). The chicken was beautifully cooked, and the dark soya-caramelised onion combo was a delicious, sweet-salty, antithesis that enveloped the dish. The heat from the fresh chillies added warmth and not burning heat.
The Bombay Chilli Mock Chicken was the genuine surprise, whereby I could not tell it was “mock” chicken, but the spice from the Szechuan chillies were a tad too much so did overpower some flavours.
The Hakka Chilly Paneer Lettuce Cups (see right) was, however, blow your head spicy that came from the chilli and white + black pepper, tempered slightly by the lettuce cups, shallots, and soy sauce, but not much. Overall, was very flavourful and the paneer was perfectly crispy outside and fluffy inside, but I could not have too much because of the heat.
The Crab 65 (see below right) was a perfectly cooked crunchy soft-shell crab that had the overriding flavour of curry leaves that some would not enjoy, giving
South Indian vibes, but I liked it. The spiced mustard paste acted like a thick sauce to add further Indian flavours without being overtly spicy. The healthy dose of minuscule, sweet, crispy, fried puff balls atop the crab counteracted the spice and curry flavours well. The natural crab flavour was not lost despite the strong flavours.
The best dish overall was the Lamb Chops – Black Bean Dust (see left). The stone
flower masala rub on these large, succulent, pink lamb chops was divine without being spicy. The frankly inspired black bean dust added much-needed salt seasoning. This dish was so intricately balanced flavour-wise, that even the smoky aftertaste from the charring process gave a gorgeous flavour depth that I did not originally foresee. These lamb chops were nigh on perfection, with the only black mark being the price in an otherwise reasonably priced menu.
The accompaniments of Bing Bread and Burnt ginger rice (see right) were plain but they needed to be given the level of spice on show, so were welcomed sides. Overall, Fatt Pundit delivered some mouth-watering morsels that I could have eaten all day, and proudly represented Kolkata Hakka cuisine. I will never forget those lamb chops as they rivalled most Indian dishes. Whilst the food was an overall hit, I think there were aspects of the service that needed to be tighter, hence an A rating.
Photos of Fatt Pundit and more can be found on Instagram here.
Final grade: A
Final comment: Brilliant but spicy Indo-Chinese fusion food. Come for the lamb chops!
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