Goa is barely an hour away by air from Mumbai, and as the summer draws to a close, families are returning from its sunny beaches and inviting coastline. As the temperature rises, there are a number of restaurants and bars shutting down for the off-season, allowing their chefs and proprietors to escape the crushing heat. Goa’s loss is Mumbai’s gain -- at least for one long weekend -- as chef Bawmra Jap, of acclaimed modern Burmese restaurant Bomra’s, pops up at Byculla’s Magazine Street Kitchen for a series of three dinners.
Jap, who is of Burmese heritage, is known for dishing out food that combines traditional recipes with local ingredients. He describes his food as, “Burmese inflected contemporary Southeast Asian.” Having spent time in kitchens in London (in fact his wife and three children continue to live there), Jap brings his international experience to his cooking.
Mumbai beckons
“I heard about Magazine Street [Kitchen] from various sources, some from my friends, and [other] people who come to tell me that you should do a pop-up,” says Jap. With tourist season coming to an ending in Goa, Jap decided to take the plunge and cook for city diners. “Although I've been in and out of Mumbai frequently, this will be my first cooking experience [there],” he informs, expressing his excitement.
Jap is also looking forward to navigating the city’s markets and suppliers, guided by the able hands of chef Alex Sanchez, the executive chef at The Table. Gauri Devidayal, one of the co-partners of the restaurant, relishes the prospect of bringing Jap’s distinctive food to diners in Mumbai. “It started with thinking [about] the chefs that I love in Goa, and wanted to bring to Bombay when Goa shuts down, in a manner of speaking,” says Devidayal. “So that’s when the conversation started.”
When asked about plans to expand from Goa, and set up an outpost in Mumbai, Jap says, “There’s always a plan, but when it comes to realise it, its always very difficult. But we have some sort of a plan, yes.” The chef however was tight-lipped about saying any more on this front.
While off-season is usually when Jap ends up, “spending time with family and [doing] a bit of travelling,” this month, he’s been convinced to cook in Mumbai and churn out his distinctive fare. But he does have plans to visit Sicily this summer with his family. Jap also keeps busy during the four months the restaurant is closed with private catering events and travel.
As the owner of a restaurant that is frequented by locals and tourists alike in Goa, the dinners are bound to sell out, so move quickly.
The Bomra'spop-up will be atMagazine Street Kitchen on May 18, 19 and 21 at 7.30pm. The meal is priced between Rs 4500 to Rs 5500. Tickets atinsider.in.
