Koko

Text: Mohan Krishnan

The roll of honor… Baba Ling, MY Tham, Nelson Wang… the men who led the Long March from Calcutta to Bombay and gave us Cantonese Chinese cuisine with our own Indian twist. Camellia Panjabi brought Szechuan into our vocabulary with the Golden Dragon. They made eating Chinese as natural as eating vada pao, or idli sambar. 
The legacy lives on. Ling’s Pavilion, China Garden and the Golden Dragon are all going strong. 
I spoke to Keenan, who reminisced about how his grandfather Mon Yiu Tham moved from Calcutta in the late '50s, and set up the first authentic Cantonese Chinese restaurant in Bombay – Kok Wah. He was an entrepreneur, who leveraged all the traditional Chinese skills, and also opened a salon.

His son Henry Tham got into the business early, and put his imprint, by rebranding Kok Wah as Mandarin. Which went on to become Henry Tham Restobar, a huge success in its time. He later partnered with AD Singh to open Olive in Bombay. A man of many parts, indeed.

Henry Tham’s sons, Keenan and Ryan have carried on the family legacy, with two signature brands – Foo for Asian tapas, and an Asian fine-dining restaurant Koko, that has carved out an upmarket niche for itself. There are now 16 outlets of Foo, and 4 of Koko, spread out over three cities.

Keenan is clear that Koko is fine-dining, and when you walk in, the décor tells you, that you are in for a treat and the long haul. There are some signature décor cues – the lighting that snakes overhead across the restaurant, and the ‘long bar’ that curls across almost the entire length. He says that Koko is very ‘celebratory’, and guests enhance the experience with premium alcohol, and cocktails.

The menu has many chapters – salad, soup, sashimi, nigiri, carpaccio, sushi, Dim sum, soup dumplings, bao, cheung fun, small and large plates (segregated by new, signature and classic) rice, noodles and dessert. Phew!
Chef Sifu is the Chief Culinary Officer for all the restaurants in the group, and comes with a rich pedigree of having worked at Michelin-starred Din Tai Fung. His domain is both Cantonese and Japanese cuisine, and it shows. He has been in India for about 10 years. Keenan says, "He is keenly aware that 60% of our revenue comes from the vegetarian menu, focused on the small plates, sushi and Dim sum. Cantonese cuisine is not very vegetarian, but Chef Sifu’s skill is that he has been able to please the Indian palate, without “masalifying” the food. Our vegetarian sushi is the top-seller."

I ask Keenan how guests have responded to sashimi and carpaccio. Do they have reservations about eating uncooked, fresh food? "The world has changed. Even 10-year olds are comfortable with nigiri, the old notions have disappeared." 
I have eaten at Koko a few times – the Salmon Sashimi is top class, the sushi rolls are spot-on, the Pork Belly and ribs are sublimely cooked, and the cheesecake and Crème Brûlée were right up there. The lamb, when we had it, was a tad over-salted. The Peking Duck with pancake was a tad overcooked, and I wish the skin had been cut a lot thinner and was more crispy. Would I go back? Yes, when I am in the mood for Pan-Asian cuisine, full of flavour, and in a mood to splurge. Koko is a bit pricey, even the desserts are close to Rs.1000, but the portions are hearty, and the food asks to be shared.

What are the top three dishes you want first-time guests to try? "In veg – the Koko Signature Roll, the Broccoli Creamy Planta, and the Water Chestnut - Sweetpea Dumpling. In non-veg – the crispy Pork Belly, the spicy Hamachi Roll, and the Prawn and Chive Dumpling."
Keenan says, "The bulk of our seafood that is eaten uncooked, is imported. Also, the sea bass and cod. The rest of the cooked fish is sourced locally."

"The main trend is an upswing in people wanting authentic original cuisine, that is true to its origins. In a sense, this is a throwback to grandma’s recipes, but done in a way that is contemporary. Asian food is an evolving space, with new styles of cooking and new flavours. So, we have to always be up to date, and adapt. We brought in soupy dumplings, that you drink up with a straw. We have evolved our own style of sushi – a pure play Japanese offering may not be as palatable."

"What are my non-negotiables? We must always have quality and consistency. It must be the same dish, each time you have it, better if possible. And, we want to stay as young as we can, being on track with global trends."

"We will be in more cities starting this year. Right now, we are focused on our two brands – Foo and Koko. But Ryan and I are entrepreneurs, always with an itch to try something new. Our strength is within the food and hospitality space; we once had a successful nightclub in Bombay. So, who knows."
Chinese food will always hold a special place when the history of Bombay cuisine is told. We all remember where we had our first Sweet Corn Soup, our first American Chop Suey, our first spring rolls, and oh my God, the Sweet and Sour Pork. Dessert was always lychees and ice-cream, and only much later did we get frou frou with date pancakes, and other goodies. Ssi Hai, next to the Regal bus stop, Kamling on Churchgate street, gone but never forgotten.

Chinese may now be a pot pourri that includes Japanese, a bit of Thai some Malay, and whatever the next trend it. But give me a hit of Golden Fried Prawns at the Golden Dragon, or Hakka Noodles at Ling’s, and I will go straight to heaven.

Cacao Boulevardier	Himachi Carpaccio	KOKO Signature Roll	Ryan and Keenan

C Wing, Trade World, Kamala Mills Compound, Lower Parel, Mumbai 400013