Immerse in flavourful relishes of pan-Asian cuisine at this quirky cafe

CHENNAI: The impression that Mamagoto Cafe gives us at first glance, is like stepping into the world of Manga comics. The vibrance, the colours and the quirky wall arts give us the feel of sitting at a cafe in Japan. However, contradicting its vibrant ambiance, the cutlery, and utensils used were subtle in colour. “Inspired by Asian cuisine, we offer a range of pan-Asian dishes from cuisines like Japanese, Indian, Chinese, Thai etc,” says chef Saroj.

Started in 2010, Mamagoto was inspired by street hawker cuisine and thrives completely on pan-Asian foods. As the name itself translates to, ‘to play with food’, the cafe has now tried its hand at introducing new dishes to its menu. “We have introduced new dishes like Tacos, Baos and tried experimenting with Sushi as well. But, we did not compromise on the authenticity of the dishes. For a few delicacies, we have added the Indian touch to match the Chennaiites taste buds,” the chef adds.

The newly-curated menu offers a wide variety of soft Tacos, stuffed Baos, juicy Dimsums, and unique Sushi in veg, seafood, chicken, pork, and so on. Of all the newly added relishes, Dimsums and Baos top the list. The Pan fried chicken bao served inside a bamboo basket, is something different from the usual Baos. Unlike the regular Baos, where the stuffings are kept between the bun, the Pan fried baos offered at this street hawker cafe, has its content stuffed inside the bun and then steamed and fried. The Spicy street style dimsums with soft outer skin and flavourful veg stuffings are a perfect treat for Indian taste buds.

The cafe offers a wide range of Sushi, and the Chicken katsu sushi is something unique in their menu. It is basically sushi filled with crispy chicken, cucumber, and sticky rice, topped with sriracha mayo, and served with soy sauce. The Smoked chicken tacos is a fusion of pieces of smoked chicken, with avocado, onions, tomatoes, fried goat cheese, and green chili mayo and wasabi mayo. The savours of these dishes are elevated with the sauces accompanying them. Among them, black pepper sauce and dry red chili oil stand out. These sauces, when added to these relishes, add more to the Asian flavour.