Fatt Pundit review: Chinese-Indian fusion food in the heart of London
A small plates restaurant in the heart of London, Fatt Pundit specialises in traditional hakka cuisine, an Indian-originated style of cooking from a region of east Kolkata that leans into Chinese flavours and ingredients. It’s a culinary crossover that’s a little more special than your typical Asian-fusion food, and while it’s been knocking around for centuries, Fatt Pundit is bringing it to the Instagram masses.
Where is it?
77 Berwick Street in Soho, in a busy and narrow dining room that smells of incense and ginger.
What’s on the menu?
We ordered everything on the vegan menu, which is about as much as two people could reasonably eat. Momos are the traditional starter of hakka meals, and where the fusion is most on the nose. They’re steamed dumplings filled with curried stuff from across the continent: kid goat, beef and chicken; or spinach, mushroom, courgette and tofu. A highlight is the sesame veg fritters in manuka honey, which is so sticky you could hang wallpaper with it. The vegetable manchurian is a delight too. A staple of hakka street food, it’s crispy veg balls with shallots in a spicy curry sauce.
What about drinks?
There’s a cocktail menu inspired by Indian fruit vendors, which all helpfully all correlate with the classics. The kala kattah mojito is a particular treat, mixed with blackcurrant and pungent black salt.
Do you need to make reservations?
It gets very busy in the evenings, so visit fattpundit.co.uk or call 020 7287 7900 if you want to make a reservation.