Khushbu Kirti explores Mamagoto’s fresh cocktail menu, ‘Shanghai Nights’
The Asian look of the age-old Mamagoto (which literally translates to ‘to play with food’), is an atmosphere that attracts all its customers. The colourful imagery and quirky abstractions catch the eye. I spotted the Japanese and Chinese paintings at my first look, and was especially impressed by the impressionistic nature of the Taking Tiger Mountain of the Chinese cigarette cards. The whimsical semblance of the manga movement could be distinguished in the cafe’s varied pictures.
Since 2010, the pan Asian cafe is renowned for its street hawker cuisine and its urban art. The food is supposed to be a fusion of street food of various places like Hong kong, Seoul, Bankgog, Tokyo, and so on. Hitherto, I had only heard about its popularity, but now was the time to test the waters. We were supposed to try Mamagoto’s newly inducted menu ‘The Shanghai Nights’. The name Shanghai in the 1920s denoted the hedonistic liberal metropolitan in China which was filled with a plethora of jazz clubs, gambling dens and, of course, gangsters. Through their new cuisine, I could sense their attempt to evoke nostalgia for the tradition.
We were treated with rice crackers as hors d’oeuvre, which were basically fryums but tastier and better cooked. They also came in colourful patterns that quickly captivated the eye.
I was In The Mood For Love, no, don’t get me wrong. That’s the name of the first cocktail that was served to us. I can easily claim it was what love would taste like in a cocktail: strong, bitter-sweet, enthralling, hot and cold at the same time. It looked enchanting in its appearance, with a huge bubble fixated magically on the top of the glass. Instead of creating butterflies in the stomach, the tequila, beguiled by rose vermouth, formed this sensation in my _ , something I had never experienced before. After trickling down the food pipe and creating chills along the way, the drink softly hit. I could taste the apricot puree, mixed with vanilla syrup differently. The muddled strawberry and lime juice proffered the bitter-sweet taste that lasted on the tongue for a while.
We were worried the first drink itself would give us the high most cocktails in a row cannot provide. Thus, the Chicken Dumplings were a major saviour. The soft dumpling dissolved in our mouths, the moment we tasted it. The chicken was perfectly cooked, and steamed just the right amount.
The Le Shanghai cocktail was up next. The excitement level, along with the expectations, of my friends and mine was high, since the start was so impeccable. True to their name, Mamagoto didn’t fail us. The drink was brought inside a glass dome kind-of structure, filled with smoke. The base of whisky blended well with the sweet taste of maple and hazelnut. It was only enhanced with smoke. While the drink was light and sweet, it was a good pre-appetiser for The Smuggler’s Paradise, a blend of dark rum plus brandy. We were told that this was the very drink Shanghai originally became known for. While it was garnished with the local pudina, it gave a certain hit well appreciated by the tasters around me. The minty taste was only augmented by the angostura bitters. The only additional lime juice and sugar syrup gave it, yet again, a sweet taste.
This was followed by Lentil Chicken With Peanuts, as the name suggests, a spicy mixture of delicious pieces of chicken with peanuts. The dish was the perfect combination of spicy, chewy and soggy.
We were served with Wild Dance, a bourbon, grenadine, lime juice and honey concoction, the taste of which was supplemented by fruits, especially orange. It was garnished with an ‘okay’ sign of orange peeling, signally the fine drink we were going to have. We were informed of the allusion of Wild Dance, which was supposedly the first jazz band of Shanghai in the 1930s. We were surprised to hear that the band was actually commissioned by a gangster named Du Yuesheng (Big-Eared Du).
The last cocktail of the evening was Paris Of The East. With the base of relaxing rum Old Monk, the fusion of juices escalated the tangy flavours. The amalgam of pineapple, pomegranate, lime and coconut juices gave it a sweet fruity taste — a flawless ending to a pleasant night.