Mumbai Food: Boston-based chef Ting Yen is in city with week-long pop-up menu

Boston-based chef Ting Yen, who is in Mumbai for a week with a new pop-up menu, talks about reinventing Jap nosh and offers a quick tutorial

"To create Japanese food for Yuuka, I had to eat a lot of Indian food to understand what flavours Indians like," says Boston-based South Korean chef Ting Yen, who is in the city for a week to helm a new pop-up menu at his Lower Parel restaurant, Yuuka.

Taro tempura with purple sweet potato

Those expecting traditional Japanese flavours on the new menu will be disappointed, as chef Yen has no qualms about mixing things up. "Over the weekend, I made salmon tacos [with a Japan-inspired filling] for a sit-down dinner, and people loved them so much that we ended up making 200," he says.

Chef Ting Yen with salmon tacos, stuffed with salmon, avocado, tobiko, cherry tomato and a citrus soy reduction. pics/Falguni Agrawal

Seeing our faces light up, he makes a batch for us. "They're good, right?" he asks. They are, indeed. We also sample other whimsical but delicious preparations like curry basil shrimp on fire, taro tempura with purple sweet potato, and seared salmon fresh orange, all novel and colourful creations we had least expected to find at a Japanese fine-dine. Before we head out, we ask chef Yen to teach us how to put together a simple dish for our next house party.

Till November 19, 12 pm to 3 pm, 7.30 pm to 11.45 pm
At Yuuka by Ting Yen, Level 37, The St Regis, Lower Parel.
Call 61628422

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