Cornwall LivingIssue #148
Food From Flame
A collaboration with Josper brings a taste of fire to Kota Kai’s new menu
As I am half Chinese/Malay and half Mãori, cooking on fire is perfect for the Asian dishes that I am heavily influenced by. I draw on the whole of the South East Asian countries for inspiration for new dishes so when I had the opportunity to have a Josper grill in Kota’s new kitchen, I jumped at the chance.
Josper is one of the leading pieces of charcoal cooking equipment in the hospitality industry. It is essentially a charcoal oven that reaches temperatures of up to 400°C, giving food a distinct charred and caramelised flavour. Although it is very hot inside, the outside is cool to the touch as it is so well insulated. We’ve been getting on so well with it that we’re now looking at getting Josper’s Basque Grill as well. This charcoal open grill has a winch to move the grill closer or further away from the hot coals we will cook on. The grills are real centre pieces in our open kitchen where diner’s can see the fire and flames from us cooking, as well as smelling the food coming from the grills.
The Josper Grill brings that really fantastic smoky flavour you get from barbequed food, adding that extra layer we’ve been after. We use it for cooking lots of different types of meats, seafood and vegetables, and it can also be used for cold smoking. The new Kota Kai menu was written around the Josper Grill, and the charcoal flavours have allowed us to cook beef with Asian green sauce; a grilled Thai chicken dish called Gail Yang; crispy pork belly called pork char siu; grilled fish with curry mussel leek sauce; grilled scallops with XO sauce; and other heavily Asian influenced dishes that really suit being cooked over coals.
This summer will see a lot of other grilled items coming on such as lobster, whole fish, squid, octopus, and a hot-grilled seafood plate… mackerel will be fantastic on it too.
We’ll also be serving hot-grilled peaches and apricots with vanilla ice cream and raspberries that will surely be a hit in the summer weather. We’re busy designing even more new dishes and have been really pleased by the feedback so far from our new menu concept; there are very exciting times ahead.
The Josper grill installation was part of Kota Kai’s big revamp that we undertook earlier this year. Along with the kitchen, the bar benefited from a completely new installation designed around functionality. This has allowed us to hone our cocktail offering, and we have been working with Chris Jarrett who, along with my team, has designed some brilliant cocktails that really suit what we are doing at Kai. A great seasonal wine list and plenty of local beers and ciders have also been well thought out. In addition, we have a little bar being built downstairs just in time for the summer that will service the outside area.
It’s not been all about Kai though… Kota has also had a kitchen revamp. We have invested in induction cooking that has given us more firepower than we have ever had as we look to build on what we established 18 years ago when I first opened Kota in 2006. Kota saw a change last year with the return of one of my old chefs Ross Sloan, and we now offer seven-course tasting menus alongside an à la carte version. Our produce remains local where possible and is sourced completely seasonally from the best suppliers we can find. We are continually looking at achieving as little wastage as possible, with every trim of vegetable, meat or fish put into a stock, purée, powder, fermentation or sauce of some kind. It has been really fantastic to see how Kota has developed over the years and I’m very proud of the continued respect we have for our produce.
We are all excited for the year ahead, and especially for the end of 2024 when we get to give Kota her very own revamp, which will include a three-bedroom apartment to add to our existing three bed and breakfast rooms. After 18 years, I think it is going to be a welcome change and shows that there is always something driving us to the next level.
KOTA KAI
Harbour Head, Porthleven TR13 9JY
Kota Kai01326 727707
Kota: 01326 562407
www.kotakai.co.uk
www.kotarestaurant.co.uk