This March, Pakistani supper club Empress Market is popping up at West London’s Next Door Records for a one-off evening of Pakistani soul food and poetry, certain to leave you empressed…
It’s happening in celebration of Pakistani Independence Day, on the exact day, back in 1947, Pakistan finally rid itself of British rule. Owner and head chef Nurma Siddiqui has crafted a multi-course, flavour-filled feast inspired by Pakistan’s prestigious Karachi Club, aimed at both bringing people together to enjoy the pleasures of South Asian cooking, but also to learn about Pakistan’s rich history and to open up discussions about important ongoing issues like multiculturalism and more.
You can expand your mind at the same time as expanding your belly, which is how we think all learning should be.
Turn up alone or with friends and you’ll be invited in with warm cup of fragrant chai before sitting down to kickstart the main event. Together you’ll enjoy dishes like spiced pink grapefruit and radicchio salad, braised chicken in a cumin and coriander rub, and spring green and wild garlic saag, all mopped up with flaky, hand-made rotis. For sweets there will be baked cinnamon figs with jaggery cream, madeira cake, maple candied pistachios and rhubarb compote. All of which will be interspersed with live poetry readings and first-hand stories from Nurma and friends about Pakistani independence and what it means to be Pakistani today.
Of course, taking place in one of West London’s best bottle shops and bars there will also be plenty of wine for you to try should you want to. It’s mostly natural stuff – beautiful bottles handpicked by people with a genuine passion – so likely to leave you pretty darn impressed too.
Details: Empress Market: The Pakistan Day Supper Club will take place on 23rd March, 7-11PM. Tickets are £37. For more information, or to book, visit their website here.
Next Door Records | 304 Uxbridge Rd, London, W12 7LJ
You’ll also find a whole of pop ups in our monthly agenda…