First in mid-day: Inside Tham brothers’ new Asian gastropub in Lower Parel

Step into Koko, a new Asian gastropub in Kamala Mills, and we now symbol a beautiful, yellow high-back chair. It acts as a time appurtenance bringing behind lustful memories of Henry Tham’s, Colaba’s renouned restaurant, famous as most for these iconic chairs as a Chinese fare, that close down a few years ago. “When we lay on something like that, we feel royal,” smiles Keenan, as elder hermit Ryan creates himself gentle in a two-seater cushy seating. The Chinese-Indian Tham brothers, who began their career in 2005 during their father’s eponymous fine-dine after completing studies in Australia, and have left an memorable symbol on a city’s food and nightlife stage with Trilogy and The Good Wife, will launch their latest try this weekend underneath Pebble Street Hospitality. The 3,500 sq-ft, 80-seater KOKO, that means elder hermit in Cantonese (“That’s what we call Ryan,” says Keenan), mostly offers Cantonese transport with Japanese varieties too. “While many offer Asian fare, most of it is for a mass market. The thought is to benefaction reward offerings in a stand-alone space, yet we don’t wish to be overly fancy. The gastropub is a lifestyle opening some-more than only a dine-in, given today, guest are penetrating to bite a whole night-out experience, churned with celebration and music,” observes Keenan.

Ryan (left) and Keenan Tham seated on a high-back chairs during a soon-to-be launched KOKO. Pics/Shadab Khan

From Hamachi to Hoisin
Helmed by Eric Sifu, a Chinese prepare from Malaysia who has worked with Michelin-star grill Din Tai Fung’s Singapore branch, a menu facilities soups, sushi, low sums, tiny and vast plates, baked with many of a chef’s signature salsas like Kompo and Koko Special, along with informal flavours in Assam sauce. While a meats on a menu embody pork, sea bass, Hamachi and New Zealand lamb chops, we also symbol several vegetarian options like Broccoli With Bird’s Eye Chilli low sum and Chai Poached Dumpling (made with a Chinese chard veggie). “Vegetarians are a outrageous marketplace now. We’ve also combined a black rice dish, that is healthier too. There’s a lot of sharp Indian Chinese transport charity in a marketplace yet a varieties are some-more authentic. That’s compulsory currently given a Indian ambience has turn some-more cultured, given it is unprotected to general cuisines,” says Keenan. His hermit chips in, “Since a time a grandfather ventured into a grill business, we have never charity a non-authentic restaurant. We are stability a same tradition, charity identical flavours with improved presentation. We’ve also regenerated some of a dishes from Henry Tham’s, like a tenderloin varieties and a bestselling Aromatic Prawns. The recipes were combined by my father.”

The stylish interiors, that underline a wall of wooden blocks embellished with eclectic, geometric designs, have been designed by Sumessh Menon and his group of architects

Father figure
Interestingly, comparison Tham was also actively concerned in a venture. “It’s always sparkling to lay together as a family and rebound ideas off any other. He fine-tuned a flavours with a chef,” informs Keenan, giving due credit to his father for mentoring them, when they assimilated a business during a age of 21 and 23 respectively. “From how to purify a building to formulating a menu and training a staff, he ensured we knew each thing in a restaurant. It was like an all-in-one course,” he says. As if on cue, Ryan adds, “He taught us how to emanate a right ambience and make each guest feel comfortable. We concentration a lot on that.”

Tom Yum Cup cocktail

Tom Yum in my cocktail
The pub facilities a 100-foot prolonged island bar charity Asian-flavoured concoctions, infusing mixture like seaweed, soya sauce, Matcha tea, parmesan and white chocolate too. The drinks menu has been combined in partnership with a world-renowned UK-based mixologist Dimitri Lezinska, who is a co-host of a TV array Cocktail Kings. “He also curated a cocktail menu for The Good Wife. He has brought in a lot of flexibility to a bar,” says Ryan, egging us to try a Tom Yum Cup, a pleasant vodka-basil cocktail infused with sour Tom Yum flavours.

Move over, molecular
When we ask if they’ve jumped into a molecular gastronomy fray, Ryan is discerning to react, “No, we will not see dishes in boxes and on dry ice. We concentration quite on a taste. Molecular gastronomy is on a approach out and soon, everybody will go behind to relying on a farm-to-table system.” Keenan adds, “It’s already function in America. Once a supply sequence gets better, it will be a pivotal during restaurants here too.”

Small bytes with Tham brothers

We grew adult on…
Ryan: We grew adult on a lot of Indian and home-cooked Chinese food with pointed flavours, that are not served in restaurants. Dad and mom prepare unequivocally well.
Keenan: Home finished duck soup is a series one plate for me.

Comfort food
Ryan: Indian food, especially mutton curry.
Keenan:  Japanese cuisine. we can’t do yet that.

How we work
Ryan: We don’t unequivocally have a lot of tangible roles yet between a both of us, we make certain we get a work done. We have opposite tastes yet we both know what’s indispensable on a menu and what’s not, irrespective of a personal likes.

Favourite Asian culinary destination
Keenan: Japan, yet we have to try a lot of it.
Ryan: Singapore.

OPENS ON Jul 17, 7 pm to 1 pm
AT Trade World, Kamala Mills, Lower Parel.
CALL 61053999

Also read…

When Fatty Bao, Bengaluru’s renouned Asian gastro-bar, non-stop a doors to Mumbai (Read more)

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