Review: Cuisine, Craft, and all Things Creative Come Together at this Unique Pop-up in Mumbai

A cavernous warehouse space is hung with striking portraits of the Kachin people, an ethnic group that inhabits Northern Myanmar, Northeast India, and Yunnan, China. The ambient Tibetan music, the black-and-red table setting, and the five-course meal take you on a journey through the borderlands where food is both anthropology and art. ‘Highland Crossroads’ sees Chef Bawmra Jap of Bomras Goa and renowned photographer Pablo Bartholomew trace their respective Burmese ancestry in a one-of-a-kind collaboration. “It’s my take on the way we cook using bamboo and banana leaves, steaming, grilling, or smoking,” says Chef Bawmra. Case in point is the Singh Po-style chicken cooked in bamboo leaves and served with the pungent axone sauce, or the melt-in-your-mouth banana leaf-wrapped river fish with fiddlehead fern and machinga leaf — all complemented by a looped slideshow of Bartholomew’s stunning photos across the countryside and markets of Myanmar and Northeast India.

This is just one of the five chef and artist-led pop-up restaurants that you can experience at The Gathering. After debuting in Delhi last year, the second edition comes to Mumbai, reimagining the heritage Mukesh Mills in Colaba as a multisensory backdrop for food, art, ideas, and performance. Sushmita Sarmah, founder and festival firector of The Gathering says: “Each edition is a once-in-a-lifetime experience, never before, never again. This is where we come together to celebrate our shared stories through flavour, art, and ideas.” The restaurant pop-ups are anchored around three curatorial ideas: the Conservators, Chef Niyati Rao (Ekaa, Bombay Daak, and more) and couturiers Abraham & Thakore translate India’s textile traditions into a sensory dining experience where a pachadi served on a bed of mogra channels the white and gold of Kerala’s Kasavu while Maharashtra’s vibrant Paithani finds expression in a Bombay sandwich sorbet with kokum gel.

As the Explorers, while Chef Bawmra and Bartholomew highlight cross-border culinary identity, mother-daughter chef duo Doma Wang and Sachiko Seth (The Blue Poppy Thakali and Popo’s) join hands with architect Udit Mittal to explore memories and inheritance. Amidst a dream-like noodle factory installation, savour dishes like mung bean noodles with tofu or pork belly roast and sundried jackfruit strands with churpi (Himalayan cheese made from yak or cow milk) cremeux. The third curatorial direction highlights the Innovators, where we have Chef Priyam Chatterjee (the first Indian chef honoured with Chevalier de l’Ordre du Mérite Agricole) and Chef Rishabh Seal along with artist Two Odd (Akshita Garud), expressing the idea of home and belonging through imaginative plates. Meanwhile, Chef Ralph Prazeres (Padaria Prazeres and Praça Prazeres) teams up with landscape designer and sculptor/installation artist Ankon Mitra to meld Goan flavours with the finesse of European fine dining — think jackfruit croquettes, red amaranth lasagna, and xacuti gnocchi.

Beyond the theatre of food, there are dedicated spaces like The Studio where you have the rare opportunity to observe the process through which chefs and artists enact and refine their disciplines. At The Salon, listen in as distinguished voices host engaging talks, using food as the compass to navigate diverse territories such as politics and culture. From Naresh Fernandes, Gresham Fernandes, and Meher Marfatia discussing Bandra’s changing neighbourhoods through the lens of food to Sri Vamsi Matta, Shahu Patole, and Rajyashri Goody delving into the politics of food and caste, there’s much food for thought.

Elsewhere at The Warehouse, join one of the 15 hands-on sessions where renowned professionals lead explorations from sake tasting to zero-waste cooking techniques. Beyond the pop-ups, there are other food and drink experiences: The Moveable Feast where some of the top restaurants in the city (Cacio e Pepe, Kari Apla, The Silver Train, etc.) have set up food stations; the relaxing seaside lounge dubbed The Interlude offering a curated menu of cocktails and tapas; and The Mills, an exclusive speakeasy where the textile history of Mumbai’s mills is the core design inspiration. There’s also The Shop where you can score some cool stuff from emerging indie makers and creatives. Finally, The Arena is the loud, energetic soul of The Gathering where acclaimed artists like Your Chin, RANJ X Clifr, Boombay Djembe Folas, and more deliver the perfect soundtrack to your culinary discovery.

_{Also Read:
Review: Akina has always carried a story
Review: Roxanne’s Bar & All Day Diner: Retro Comfort and Food You Linger Over
Review: Ammakai and the Joy of Eating With Your Hands}