PomPom Catering's Indian Takeaway 2019 review
An authentic homemade Indian feast to take away
PomPom Catering is a new private chef and catering service that started operating in the Chamonix Valley this year. The head chef and owner, Roo, moved to the valley at the beginning of the season, bringing her Indian heritage to this corner of the French Alps with her.
Roo's well versed in the art of Indian cooking thanks to her Indian father but, especially, her grandmother who let her into the secrets of the spices that make this cuisine unique. Lucky for us Chamonix dwellers and visitors, she has decided to share her delicious recipes with the whole valley, organising an Indian feast takeaway once per month. As soon as I heard of it, I knew I had to try it.
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The ordering process cannot be simpler. You just need to visit PomPom Catering's website where you can choose what you want to eat, pay and choose a time to pick up. Roo's communal approach to dining means that her takeaway is perfect for sharing. In fact, it's been devised as a 'Thali' – a selection of dishes all served together. Her feast includes a curry to choose from chicken, lamb or beef and vegetarian, plus a 'daal', a 'subji', a side of Basmati rice and a selection of homemade chutneys and dips. Extras such as papadums, samosas, chapati and sweet kheer are also available.
As I didn't know what to choose and I wanted to review as many options as possible, I decided to have a bit of everything... one has to sacrifice herself for her readers sometimes, right? After adding everything to the cart and paying, I got an email confirming my order as well as the time and place where I could pick it up.
So, on a cold and snowy Friday evening, right after getting out of the office, I drove to Les Bossons, the small neighbourhood right outside of Chamonix where Roo has her kitchen – and her house. It was almost impossible to miss, located on the ground floor, Roo had opened her kitchen window onto the street and decorated it with lovely fairy lights and a handpainted sign. As soon as I got out of the car, I could smell the spices wafting through the air, guiding me to where my delicious takeaway was awaiting me. I could also hear the sounds of soft Indian music coming from the kitchen perfectly setting the mood for an Indian feast.
As I approached the window, I was greeted by Roo, busy stirring four of five pots, who offered me a cup of hot Chai. I readily accepted and sat down one of the chairs outside, warm under a blanket, waiting for them to fill in the biodegradable containers that would keep my food warm all the way home. The Chai was deliciously sweet and incredibly aromatic. After only a couple of minutes, and a bit more to finish my beverage, I was on my way with a huge paper bag filled with treats.
As I said, the food kept warm all the way home and me and my partner only had to carefully unwrap the chapatis and papadums, just like fragile late Christmas presents, lift the containers' lids and our Indian feast was ready. And what a banquet it was! There was more than enough food for the two of us. Even though there are a couple of pretty decent Indian restaurants in town, this felt completely different. You could see that it had been lovingly homemade – it was deliciously fragrant, the flavours were perfectly balanced and it was definitely spicier than what we usually get in French eateries – just scrumptious!
We started with the chutneys and dips, which we had with the crunchy and salty papadums, the perfect combination. It was a selection of mango and pineapple, coconut and coriander and raita – all of them finger-licking good but especially the mango and coriander chutney, probably the best one I've ever had. They also provided a fresh counterpart to the rich curries. The Tarka Daal was very aromatic thanks to Roo's secret spice blend, while the buttery yellow lentils had acquired a smooth, silky texture. The Bindi Bhaji, a veggie stew made with okra and tomatoes, was one of my favourite dishes of the night, light and fresh but with potent flavours.
As for the curries, all inspired in South Indian cuisine, they were incredibly moreish. I'm particularly partial to a good veggie curry and Roo's Mixed Vegetable Avial, originally from Kerala, was just out of this world thanks to its rich coconut flavour which still let the vegetables shine through. My partner particularly loved the Chettinad Chicken in which the spices and acidity of the yogurt were particularly well balanced. Finally, we had Roo's grandma's very own Beef Karahi recipe, the meat cooked to perfection. We ate our curries with Basmati rice and homemade chapatis.
So, if you're craving a homemade, authentic Indian feast in the Chamonix Valley, PomPom Catering has got you covered. Roo is organising another takeaway next Friday, February 1st, and you can check our Events Calendar for upcoming dates as we will be updating the listing as soon as she announces the next events. This week, she will have a selection of all the classics: Butter Chicken, Lamb Nihari and Chana Masala to choose from, accompanied by Tarka Daal, Sag Aloo, Basmati rice, chutneys and dips – she's even throwing in one of her amazing papadums for free! There are only 30 slots available, so start booking now.
