Manipuri cuisine is a gastronomic confluence of Southeast and South Asia. In the Far East, people use turmeric leaves for cooking and here in India, we incorporate both the turmeric powder and the leaves. The magic lies in this fusion,” said Poirei Yambem, co-owner of the The Categorical Eat-pham restaurant, a contemporary Manipuri outlet in the city that has become quite a hit.
The two young entrepreneurs — Poirei Yambem and Ashok Mutum — have set one of the finest examples in the culinary circuit by promoting a rich cultural experience for a livelihood. Though coming from different professional backgrounds, they bonded over their love for food. They started a home delivery service from their rented accommodation in 2013 and have now expanded to owning a full-fledged restaurant at Safdarjung Enclave.
Said Mutum, “The pressure is really high in the hospitality industry but we enjoy the drill. It is just not about the money we are getting but mostly about people liking the food and giving us great reviews.”
In metro cities undergoing cultural adaptations, authentic cuisine of the northeast is rare. So, people from the region, especially students who are new in the city often find themselves adjusting to local north Indian-styled spicy food and crave for a taste of home. The two have been their saviours. These young entrepreneurs provide an employment opportunity to five other youngsters from the region to earn their livelihood and improve their skills eventually. “We don’t really get Northeastern food that easily. It is quite rare and outlets like this allow for an enhanced multi-sensory experience,” said a regular customer.
While there, try out their traditional salad, popularly known as Singjui, smoked pork blended with fermented soyabean and river snails. Do not forget the duck curry. For appetisers, choose from lemon grass, Garcinia green and the fruity roselle teas.
Sourcing the ingredients mostly from Manipur, the outlet strives to provide organic food to the customers not only for authentic taste and aroma but also for healthy living. “Most of the items that are not available in the city such as fermented fish, soyabean, snails, bamboo shoot and other local ingredients are got from Manipur at least once or twice a week,” added Mutum.
Apart from running a full-fledged restaurant, the duo is also experimenting with catering and pop-ups to promote Manipuri cuisine on larger platforms. Next in line is a series of outlets.