Hoppers: A seductive, come-hither menu

Fay Maschler finds attention to detail and delight at this Soho hotspot 
The spice of life: Hoppers in Soho
Daniel Hambury
Fay Maschler14 December 2017

The word “hoppers” to describe the pancakes made from fermented rice and coconut milk batter that are popular in southern India and Sri Lanka allegedly came about due to the way the British in the sub-continent pronounced the Tamil word “appam”. Speaking as an English person, however I try saying appam — fast, slowly, shouting, whispering, with a lisp, with a plum in my mouth — I do not arrive at hoppers. It says something disobliging about colonial attitudes of the time.

Madhur Jaffrey describes hoppers as the love child of a crêpe and a crumpet and that effectively conveys the contrasting textures of the bowl-shaped pancakes with their crater-like, spongy base stretching into a lacy, brittle edge.

An egg broken in when they are cooking contributes another layer of filigree thanks to the frazzled white and a poetic effect of reluctant sunrise on a misty morning from the yellow yolk.

In this moment in London catering of favoured ingredients being translated into restaurant concepts, hoppers were surely hovering out there — but it is the Sethi family who realise it. Karam, Jyotin and their sister Sunaina Sethi are the trio behind Trishna and Gymkhana and investors in the talent at Bubbledogs and Kitchen Table, Lyle’s and Bao. They seem almost preternaturally sure-footed. At Hoppers I meet Sunaina’s engaging husband Karan Gokani, who darts between back- and front-of-house. I think he was working in the City just before.

Hop to it: Egg hopper and lamb kari, with pol sambol, seeni sambol and coriander chutney
John Carey

This address in Frith Street has seen in the not too distant past two seminal establishments, the restaurant Alastair Little and Japanese Koya, from which — to much weeping and wailing from friends and fans — gifted chef Junya Yamasaki left to return to his native Japan earlier in the year.

Now, with a rattan ceiling, prettily tiled tables, trailing pot plants, demon masks and Sri Lankan posters we have almost nothing like a Tamil roadside shack where you might find the “short eats” that comprise the first part of Hoppers’ notably encyclopaedic menu.

Bone marrow varuval served with roti is the ideal overture to the rest of the production, encompassing as it does diehard Chettinad spicing in the sauce, soft, buttery, irresistible layered bread for dipping, the very core of lamb and the transporting aroma of curry leaves. Dainty metal marrow spoons allow you to get to grips with the assembly.

Hot butter devilled shrimps, chicken heart chukka and a vegetarian trio of cashew, cassava and ash plantain fry are other delectable ways tried of running up to — indeed, combining with — hoppers and dosas (crisp flat pancakes made with fermented rice and black lentils). Podi dosa, strewn with peppery dry spicing, is my preference. Seeni sambol, a relish based on caramelised onions, takes me straight to Sri Lanka, as does gol sambol with its garum-like inclusion of dried fish.

Good game: Dosa and guinea fowl kari, coriander chutney, tomato chutney, coconut chutney
John Carey

Trios of chutneys are served for £1 but are included in some of the main courses such as the star turn of vibrant, darkly-dressed Ceylonese spit chicken served with a sambol including pennywort (improves memory and increases vitality) and grilled coconut rotis.

On another occasion buffalo biriani served with duck egg kari (curry), yoghurt and brinjal moju (aubergine pickle) is the stunning centrepiece —and that is after a dish of the day of blue swimmer crab kari, a challenge to eat well worth rising to. Customised wet wipes are provided.

Love cake (contains chocolate) with a scoop of yoghurt kulfi prettily presented in a necklace of syrup with shiny wooden spoons for eating is the most familiar dessert. Anyone curious to try the slightly grotesque flavour of durian could order milk hopper with kithul (a variety of palm tree) treacle and jaggery and durian ice cream.

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The attention to detail and delight carries over into the drinks list, where arrack and genever — the origin of Dutch courage — are among the spirits and tropical black pepper cream soda, coconut water and curry leaf buttermilk are some of the soft drinks. Lion Sri Lanka stout and lager will be the obvious choice for many. For those who prefer wine (e.g. me), sommelier Sunaina Sethi has had specially bottled — half-bottled, actually — a Gavi and a Barbera d’Asti from Michele Chiarlo in Piedmont. Even the soundtrack is captivating.

At dinner we eat as a three-course event — anything less seems unthinkable with this come-hither menu — but it doesn’t play well with a no-bookings system in small premises with other parties doing the same. Maybe that needs re-thinking. Another way of using Hoppers would be mutton roll, a dosa, one of the karis at £5.50 — try particularly black pork or guinea fowl — a beer and a bill of under £20.

Hoppers is not exactly something new under the sun — Sri Lankan food is available elsewhere in this town — but nowhere else is it done so seductively. Maybe now we British could even learn to say appam.

Mon-Sat noon-2.30pm and 5.30pm-10.30pm. Three-course meal for two with drinks about £72 including 12.5 per cent service.

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