Our three course 'peace' meal was cooked by Burmese born chef Debbie Riehl,
and was based on the meals her mother had cooked her as a child. Debbie
moved to London when she was five years old, and cites her dedication to
Burmese food as the constant in her life that has allowed her to keep a
cultural attachment to her home country. Riehl runs Burmese supper club HushHushDining,
which brings Burmese food to London and Surrey and aims to increase the
cuisine's profile in the UK. There are currently only a handful of other
Burmese restaurants in London, notably the popular Mandalay in Edgware Road.
Riehl hopes that now Burma's borders are opening, Burmese food will become
more of a feature in the Western world.
The food was fresh, subtle and perfumed, showing influences from nearby China,
Thailand and India while remaining distinct from each of these cuisines. We
began with a traditional Burmese starter and were each given small,
individual bowls of Hincho – a clear soup, similar to miso in appearance but
with a strong, peppery kick. Alongside this was a range of sharing bowls for
the group to pass around the table. There was a creamy stew of pork belly
and sour bamboo that held an incredibly unusual, fragrant taste that hit
right at the back of the mouth. We also had a delicately soft tofu salad, a
sharp, sweet 'whet thar myitchin hin' tomato salad, and crispy Burmese
'balachaung', a dried shrimp relish. The Burmese tradition of sharing many
dishes around group tables served to relax the crowd, who were made up of
young professionals and Burmese Londoners – by our main course, people were
even swapping seats.
We moved on to a main course of chicken and coconut curry on silky, flat egg
noodles. This had similar flavours to traditional green Thai curries, but in
the place of intense heat was a softer, more complex range of aromatic
flavours. The curry was served with a selection of garnishes including fresh
coriander, boiled eggs, shallots, chili flakes, lime juice and rice crackers
to layer up and add a fresh kick to cut through the wholesome, rich
creaminess.
Chef Debbie Riehl [PHOTO: JEFF GILBERT]
We finished off with a shwegyi sanwei makin, a fluffy coconut and semolina
cake with mango coulis, coriander cream and fresh mangoes. This reminded me
of the light, milky deserts of Indian cuisine, and was a refreshing finish
to the meal.
Phil Champain later talked more about the thinking behind the meal. He finds
food to be such a central part of many peace making processes that a 'peace
kitchen' in London seemed to be the perfect idea, he told me. In setting up
the restaurant he was heavily influenced by the sulh (translated as 'peace')
ritual, a Middle Eastern ceremony that is used to reconcile the families of
the victim and perpetrator involved in serious crimes. As part of the
ceremony, the offender's family will host a meal for the victims, as a peace
offering and a chance to sit together and fix bonds.
There are a hoard of pop up dining places and immersive experiences offered
around London, but few hope to achieve such worthwhile goals. Peruvian food
will be on the menu from September 24-27, before the kitchen packs up for
the end of Talking Peace. But the potential to run further with this idea is
endless.
DETAILS
Tickets cost £35 for a three course meal, not including alcohol. All proceeds
go to International Alert.
Conflict Kitchen, Monikers Restaurant, 16 Hoxton Square, London N1 6HT.
Book tickets at grubclub.com/conflict-kitchen
http://www.information.myanmaronlinecentre.com/conflict-kitchen-whats-it-about/
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