Leela marks its third anniversary this year with a collaboration that brings two traditions built around fire together for the first time. Executive Chef Manav Tuli joins Chef Ryu Shunsuke of Taipei’s Fumée for a four-night exchange across Taipei and Hong Kong, exploring an unexpected meeting between contemporary Indian cuisine and Japanese yakitori.
The collaboration began at Fumée in Taipei on 17 and 18 October before travelling to Leela Hong Kong on 18 and 19 November, where the menu will be priced at HK$1,280 + 10% per guest.
For Leela, the collaboration celebrates three years of exploring India’s regional cuisines through a contemporary lens. For Fumée, the Taiwan sister restaurant of Osaka’s MICHELIN-starred Yakitori Ichimatsu, cooking revolves around charcoal, smoke and the transformation of ingredients through fire. Led by Chef Ryu Shunsuke, Fumée applies the precision and philosophy of yakitori to Taiwanese chicken, manipulating heat, distance and timing to create textures ranging from gently steamed and smoked to crisp, grilled and fried.
Rather than placing Indian dishes and yakitori alongside one another, the two chefs have developed a menu that brings their respective approaches together dish by dish. Indian spices, chutneys, pickles and curries meet Fumée’s precise charcoal techniques, while ingredients central to yakitori are reworked through the flavours and culinary vocabulary of India.
PLAYING WITH FIRE: INDIA MEETS YAKITORI
Fire provides the common language for the collaboration. At Fumée, the philosophy of hi-asobi, literally “playing with fire”, approaches charcoal cooking through an understanding of how heat, distance, timing and different tools can transform an ingredient. At Leela, the tandoor and open-fire cooking are equally integral to Chef Manav’s approach, making the grill a natural meeting point between the two kitchens.
The menu begins with Fumée’s Chicken Broth Chawanmushi with Mozzarella & Grilled Corn, followed by a collaborative Black Garlic and Tamarind Chicken Skin Chaat. The latter combines crisp chicken skin with the tang of tamarind and the savoury sweetness of black garlic.
Yakitori takes several forms throughout the meal. A Chicken Neck Skewer with Green Guava Chutney introduces a bright Indian accompaniment to the grill, while Fumée presents its Quail Egg Skewer and Chicken Pâté Sandwich. The two chefs also collaborate on a Tandoori Chicken Meatball Skewer with Indian Spices, bringing tandoori flavours to a familiar yakitori preparation.
Another highlight is the Wood-Fired Chicken Wing with Gunpowder Spice, a collaboration built around Fumée’s charcoal-grilling technique. At the Taipei restaurant, the wings are cooked with oak smoke and finished over high heat for crisp skin and juicy meat; here, Indian gunpowder spice adds another layer of flavour.
A Matcha Lassi brings together the Japanese green tea and India’s yoghurt-based drink, before Fumée serves its signature Chicken Liver Monaka. The chefs then present Deep-Fried Pigeon with Persimmon Orange Chutney, pairing the richness of the bird with a fruit-forward accompaniment.
The savoury progression concludes with Fumée’s Chicken Broth Ramen. For dessert, the two kitchens reunite for Masala Chai Warabi Mochi with Jaggery Ice Cream, combining Japanese confectionery with the warming spices of Indian chai and the caramel notes of jaggery.
