Experience an exciting gastronomic extravaganza with Chefs Kunzes Angmo, who hosts curated local culinary dining experiences in Ladakh, and Vanika Choudhary, who runs one of Mumbai’s experimental new restaurants, Noon, at a 10-course meal pop-up.
One mentions cultural genocide and momos in the same breath. The other — while maintaining that she’s not a trained chef — knowledgably holds forth on varieties of miso and fermentation techniques. Meet the dynamic duo: Chef Kunzes Angmo of Artisanal Alchemy, which curates gastronomic narratives and experiences, and Founder and Chef Vanika Choudhary of Noon and Sequel in Mumbai.
Image: Courtesy Noon, BKC.
Their fortuitous meeting has given Mumbaikars Noon x Artisanal Alchemy — an exclusive pop-up at Noon — between November 10 – November 13. The first-of-its-kind collaboration will offer a dining experience that showcases Angmo’s remarkable repertoire of Ladakhi dishes and Choudhary’s house-made ferments and foraged Himalayan produce.
It’s all about Ladakh’s culinary heritage
Image: Courtesy Noon, BKC.
For entrepreneur Kunzes Angmo, food forges a connection with her people. Having grown up in boarding schools across India, she moved to Ladakh after her marriage and soon discovered a passion for authentic Ladakhi cuisine and a burning desire to showcase the same. Currently, she offers her unique food with a narrative at The Jade House — her parents’ home where her sister runs a boutique home stay in Leh — and The Stok Palace, Stok.
For Angmo, a dish is not merely a dish. It has a history, a significance, a story. It is a gastronomic journey into where specific ingredients are cultivated — and by whom, how they are preserved and added to a dish to get that flavour, their interplay with the weather conditions, and of course, the burst of memories and associations that they punctuate your palate with.
“Food, any food, and recipes, are not documented,” she says. “It’s all oral history. So it’s so important to know exactly what you are putting in your mouth and not call everything ‘authentic’ cuisine from a particular place.” Rather vocal about the “bastardisation of Ladakhi cuisine”, she bemoans the increased tourism and resultant commercialisation of food from her region.
“It’s easy to do what sells, but that’s not real Ladakhi cuisine! It’s not all about noodles and momos. That’s the touristic version of ‘Himalayan food’,” she explains. And that’s what spurs her on to curate her meals with an honest narrative of indigenous food culture.
Food that’s all about memories and philosophy
Image: Abha Srivastava.
For Vanika Choudhary, food is about traditions and techniques. It is about conserving heritage. It is about slow-cooked dishes and fermentation. It is about trekking down hills and coming across a berry variant which she decides will be a wonderful additive (and it is, trust us) to a dessert.
Having grown up in Srinagar, the taste and influence of the hills is evident in her menu at Noon. Seasonal and indigenous ingredients are her mainstay, and she doesn’t tire of promoting the farm-to-plate experience. “Noon doesn’t have any cuisine as such, as the idea is to promote indigenous produce from across the country. You cannot look at food in a progressive manner unless you understand its history,” she emphasises. According to her, it is all really about “different textures, flavours, and techniques” that’s at the core of everything at Noon.
And that is the commonality between Choudhary and Angmo. Both refuse to view food as just a means to an end. For them, food is laced with stories, anecdotes, and meaningful interactions with not just those who enjoy their creations but also those who actively produce them.
When niche is nice
Authentic cuisine from any region often busts some myths about that very fare. For instance, the oft-held belief that Ladakhi cuisine is only for non-vegetarians. “That is so not true,” scoffs an indignant Angmo. “I turned vegetarian, though I cook non-vegetarian fare. Yes, because of the altitude, Ladakhi cuisine is meat-heavy. We need that for warmth, and it’s also in accordance with what’s available. But there’s plenty of vegetarian food available for those who choose that.”
Image: Courtesy Noon, BKC.
In fact, choices are big with Angmo. So much so that she is known to direct people who come to taste her three-hour-long curated fare to nearby establishments, as she wants them to “taste different aspects of Ladakhi cuisine”. Of course, it at times also boils down to when she suspects that some people only want the much-propagated ‘Mountain Food’ and not the authentic fare that she is known for.
Choudhary is also cut from the same cloth. Though Noon now does see repeat guests, and she acknowledges that people are “more open to experimenting”, she is quite happy with the niche crowd that she knows comes in only for the authentic and indigenous fare that she serves them.
A 10-course Ladakhi cuisine-inspired supper that you’d want to sing for
Yes, if the words ‘10-course’ send you reeling, you’ve got company. However, trust us, every morsel will be a lesson in novelty and authenticity. Whether it’s the Liver, Pumpkin Kasundi, and Summer Savoury or the Beef Tartare with Thangyir Chutney, and Buckwheat Sourdough, each course is a revelation of how technique and creativity coupled with complete thoughtfulness towards maintaining the legitimacy of the cuisine can make magic.
You may want to rest a bit between courses as by the time the Yarkhandi Plou (as spelt on the menu) is presented (eighth course), you don’t want to regret not doing it justice. And we’d advise you to not even think about leaving the slightest bit of the Dark Chocolate Mousse with Apricot Kernels, as the flavours tango on your tongue for quite a while.
The meal transports you to a different realm as both Angmo and Choudhary explain the finer nuances of each dish, including a detailed description of where the ingredients are sourced from, the thought process leading to each dish, and which textures and flavours to pay particular attention to. As a meal, this is an experience to beat them all.
Image: Courtesy Noon, BKC.
Last but not the least, enjoy sipping on the Apricot and Apple Arak distilled at the Stok Palace and Barley Arak from Sham. Much like the food, this is another example of Trans-Himalayan produce in all its traditional glory.
At a glance:
Where: Artisanal Alchemy x Noon pop-up at Noon, BKC
When: November 10 – November 13
Dinner: 7 pm onwards
Cost: 10-course menu at INR 5000 + taxes
For reservations, contact: 075066 77720
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