Wasabi in my ice cream

For a list of weird things to put in ice cream — and some juicy pork — head to Tao of Peng near Mamallapuram

You read that right. Wasabi has made its way into ice cream at Tao of Peng. And it isn’t even the most shocking thing on the dessert menu at chef de cuisine Tenzin Phuntsok’s weekly Pan Asian brunch. You can try out the black bean vodka ice cream too, if you dare. If you like your desserts to be bereft of sweetness.

“Not many people have liked that last one,” admits the chef, chuckling, “When they order it, I usually give them a serving of a more conventional ice cream as well, just in case.” But Phuntsok has stuck to his guns, as he has with his other creations for the weekly pan Asian brunch, at his otherwise Chinese — “only Cantonese, Hunan and Sichuan” — restaurant.

Some of Chef Phuntsok’s creations are being received quite well, however — like his 12-hour pork belly. “Three methods go into it: first we braise it, then fry it, and then steam it with our in-house sauces,” he says. The effort shows: the soft and succulent pork looks firm on the plate, but gives way to knife and fork with surprising ease, retaining the same taste on its stringy inside as it does on the glazed outside, as a testament to its thorough cooking. Pork is brought in from Thailand — “the meat to fat ratio is much better in pork there” — as is duck, edamame, Chinese broccoli, baby bok choy, lotus root and fresh shiitake mushrooms.

Another thing he is proud of is his grill section “with Asian marination, like Korean chilli paste made with fermented beans, and in-house Teriyaki sauce for the Japanese grill items.” But before we get to the grills, we start with dumplings and sushi. The former comes in a number of varieties — crispy veg, chicken, sea bass, scallop and prawn, to name a few — while the latter, consists mainly of an impressive range of fish. A three-in-one sushi of concentric sea bass, tuna and salmon rolls, for instance, is soft and simple to taste, quite unlike the sweeter, somewhat crisper and much more delicious cured and grilled eel served over a rice cake. “I also make chicken versions for new diners who are trying out sushi for the first time, to ease them into it,” says Chef Phuntsok, adding, “Those who know their sushi, however, are open to trying everything.”

With that, we move to the main course. The star of the show, of course, is the 12-hour pork. Jostling for the spotlight with it are pork ribs, chicken negima, grill prawns and a range of paneer, zucchini and mushroom preparations. The ribs are well done and firm, and the slight bit of effort that it takes to prise it off the bone is more than compensated by the bittersweet, saucy taste.

As for dessert, unless you are in a particularly self-flagelatting mood, I suggest you skip the black bean and vodka ice cream. Choose between mandarin (served with chocolate-filled sesame spheres), a mild wasabi (ironic, yes) and a lemon and mint sorbet that is best described in the chef’s own words — “a frozen, crushed mojito”.

The pan Asian brunch is held every Saturday from 11 am onwards at Tao of Peng, Intercontinental Mahabalipuram. Prices start at ₹1,999. For details, call 71720101.