Chef Anumitra Ghosh Dastidar | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
After championing indigenous rice varieties and curating an ingredient-driven menu at her Goan restaurant Edible Archives, chef Anumitra Ghosh Dastidar has taken her love for K-drama upstairs with Bento Bento. The recently launched Asian restaurant in Bengaluru, says Anumitra, came about because she felt good food could be good in other ways – to our bodies, the farmers who grew it, the city – but without sacrificing convenience or taste But. On his choice of city, the chef calls Bengaluru “a city full of interesting people who care about what they eat, both in terms of their own health and its impact on the world”. City that seems to be predicated on delivery apps!”
a bento box | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Anumitra’s culinary experiments during lockdown aside, her love of K-dramas inspired her to go the Asian route Answer 1988, crash landing on you, Hotel Del Lunaand food related shows like midnight diner tokyo, Kylie Kwong Tour, “I lived in Japan for a while, and traveled to Thailand, China and Vietnam. Wherever I go, I make a beeline for the nearest local market or wet market, try new ingredients and of course , eat everywhere: from street food to people’s home food to Michelin-starred restaurants,” says the chef. When Anumitra looked up recipes online, she wondered how difficult it is for the average person to find such food “I was convinced that there would be a market for authentic Asian food in a contemporary incarnation. I am a huge fan of Indian Chinese, having grown up in Kolkata, but people want to explore beyond Schezwan and Manchurian.”
Telling us about the process of setting up Bento Bento, Anumitra explains that they launched very quickly – six months to be precise. The team went backwards, she shares, “We first made sure our rice, seafood, vegetables and sauces from Hanoi, Seoul, Shanghai were in place before we were sure of our exact location . Once we were sure that we could serve quality ingredients that we liked, we found a place in Indiranagar,” she says, adding that it all coincided with the launch of Yo Colombo!, a Sri Lankan delivery -The only restaurant that opened in September. , “Yo Colombo’s signature dish is inspired by the Sri Lankan everyday food, rice parcels. A meal in a leaf parcel, this combo of rice, curry, meat/seafood and vegetable sambol can be relished every day. In the evening we serve Lankan-style biryani, known as lamprey from the time of Dutch burgers,” she says.
A dish in Yo Colombo! , Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The dishes at Bento Bento and Yo Colombo! May be on two ends of the spectrum, but Anumitra says their core values of “ingredient-driven and sustainable food” put everything together. “As we searched for farmers growing vegetables that we could use for Yo Colombo!, we also searched for menu possibilities for Bento Bento, so we had sweet potato skewers and sweet potato skewers on the menu because of this process. There are items such as pumpkin salad. The chef says that after traveling to the Northeast several times this year, he sourced rice, chillies, herbs and tea for his restaurant. “We also work with farmer groups just south of Bengaluru for our fresh vegetables, ginger and oils; We source excellent Mushroom, Tofu and Roasted Sesame Oil from Indian suppliers.
One of her favorite things about most Asian cuisine is “the focus on the fresh, clean flavor of each ingredient, and the huge variety of vegetables like gourds, herbs that we don’t normally associate with Asian foods”. “I also wanted to bring the spirit of this type of Asian cuisine to the city,” she says, adding that bento boxes are the perfect way to present a variety of dishes. “I am a firm believer in a balanced diet with rice, vegetables, pickles and of course meat or fish. Bento Bento gave me the opportunity to explore all kinds of combinations and I am not just restricting myself to Japanese food but also serves Korean, Thai and Vietnamese. Her top bento, she says, is galbi jjim in which beef short ribs are traditionally placed on the lid of a wok. “I have a soft spot for one of the desserts – vegan pandan flavored coconut milk with sago, fruit and an absolutely amazing peanut brittle crunch.”
A dish in bento bento | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Anumitra explains that the core premise of “sustainability and care” continues at Edible Archives. All ingredients are fresh, with a focus on local produce and traditional rice varieties championed. “We make our own pickles and kimchi for Bento Bento, using almost no pre-packaged ingredients or condiments for Yo Colombo! Even our packaging at Yo Colombo! Banana leaves and newspaper Uses up.”
Bento Bento is at Paramahansa Yogananda Road, Indiranagar, Bangalore. ₹1,800 for a meal for two.