In the prime locality of south Mumbai, nestled between Hotel Ambassador and Salt Water Cafe, Kamling belongs to an era when Chinese food in India stood for Cantonese food cooked by Chinese settlers here in Mumbai.
The Chinese community, settled in south Mumbai, has adopted Chinese food as a medium to integrate with the Indian community. Restaurants like Lings Pavilion that are run by Chinese ethnics have carved a niche for themselves. Kamling was established in 1939, wherein the only international favours amongst Indian restaurant patrons was Chinese. This is before Nelson Wong invented the barbarian dish called Manchurian Chicken and so born was era of Indian Chinese.
The restaurant sports a décor similar to Chinese restaurants across the globe — dim lights, dragon painted walls, teak wood furniture, Chinese lamps, bamboo curtains, Chinese stewards and managers. First impressions would feel like people have landed on the sets of a Bruce Lee movie.
The food reminds you of Calcutta Chinese instead Indian Chinese. The Chinese first settled in Calcutta during British India and then migrated to various parts of the country. The food was unreal and had a nostalgic value. Their Chicken American Chopsuey made with fried noodles and shredded cabbage and capsicum tossed in Chinese tomato sauce, is to die for. Crispy onion pancakes with spring onions and vegetables remind you of era before spring rolls came into existence. Kamling fried rice with mixture of barbeque sweet pork, chicken, prawns and egg is a dish can’t be resisted. The highlight of the dish was the addition of green peas in the rice.
Kamling is a Chinese food mecca thrilling the whole of Mumbai with their Chinese food in eighties till mid-nineties. A legendary restaurant that won’t die out of fashion.
Ashay Desai is a general manager at Kapco Banquets and Catering
