Fatt Pundit

This buzzy two-floor space doesn’t look like much at first glance, with its plaster-washed walls and olive-green tram chairs. But if you can overlook the basic surrounds, Fatt Pundit is a lot of fun, serving up competitively priced, tasty small plates from the far north of India and the Himalayas. 

Cheery waiters recommend starting your meal with a selection of momos, which are springy, steamed dumplings stuffed with your choice of filling. We opted for the intensely meaty and tender kid goat, pepped up with flashes of ginger and, like all the momos, accompanied by tongue-tingling chutney.

Other top shouts include crunchy deep-fried spinach slathered with natural yoghurt, plum sauce and bursts of pomegranate, while moreishly crispy chicken lollipops are given extra spice by a fiery Szechuan chutney. Don’t forget to order a portion (or two) of buttery bing bread to mop up all the sauces.

From the two desserts on offer, we’d recommend skipping the rather forgettable mango mousse for the decadent chocolate brownie served in an iron skillet. It arrives topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream, which melts away when the waiter drizzles a piping hot chocolate sauce over it. Drinks wise, there are beers and a Euro-centric wine list, while anyone abstaining can make the most of a selection of fruit coolers.  

Fatt Pundit is a restaurant with roots in Kolkata, where a unique cuisine was created by the Hakka people when they migrated to India from the Chinese province of Canton. The menu at Fatt Pundit is dotted with new and yet familiar favourites, that combine traditional Chinese cooking techniques with Indian flavours to create something truly special.

Momos begin the menu, as in Tangra all meals begin with these steamed dumplings that are served with a variety of chutneys from various parts of India. Choose from chicken with soy, garlic and spring onions, beef with leeks, red chilli and coriander, the kid goat with garam masala, cardamom, ginger and garlic and last but not least, the mixed vegetables with spinach, mushrooms, courgette and tofu. There are some wonderful vegetable dishes, including the purple and white popcorn cauliflower with smoked and soya garlic dip, and the crispy okra salt and pepper with burnt garlic. There are other fantastic options such as the crackling spinach with sweet yoghurt, date and plum sauce and pomegranate and sticky sesame vegetables.

Seafood options include the malabar monkfish curry with saffron butter and coconut, Bombay chilli prawns with celery and crunchy pepper soft shell crab with wok blistered sweetcorn, charred scallion and Szechuan pepper. Then there are the impressive meat, game and poultry dishes, such as the Kolkata chilli duck strips, lollipop chicken with a Szechuan chutney and shredded chilli venison that was made famous at the Leopold Cafe of Mumbai with its sweet chilli reduction and mantou bread. We'd make sure to order plenty of sides to mop up sauces and enhance flavours, such as the burnt ginger rice, bing bread that is buttery, crisp and crunchy, and sweet potato fries with smoked paprika, black pepper and a Szechuan mayo dip.