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w at er lo oc hr on ic le .c a W at er lo o C hr on ic le | T hu rs da y, D ec em be r 23 ,2 02 1 | 14 GRTFamilyDayPass $8.50 grt.ca/familypass Unlimited travel any day December 18 - January 3. Experience the season, whilewe take care of the driving. A family can be: 1-2 adults and up to four children (17 years and younger). slaed taerg emos rof teltuO ecnailppA ybnaD tuo kcehC FFO %04 OT PU TCUDORP DEHSIMELB DNA DEHSIBRUFER SEDULCNI 9Z6 H1N NO ,hpleuG ,dR waletihW 0705 ?GNIPPOHS YADILOH ETUNIM TSAL Chinese," said Regmi, who studied restaurant man- agement at Bangalore Uni- versity in southwest India. Hem's Hakka is a family business, straight up -- a spouse, a cousin and a son work there -- and they're making some delicious dishes. The dining room is straightforward too, where function is the focus. But the Hakka's the thing. The hot and sour chick- en and shrimp soup is deli- cious -- and without the ge- latinous element of the cornstarch slurry that is sometimes at play. "We have chopped car- rot, cabbage, black mush- room, bamboo shoots and tofu along with the chicken and shrimp. Then it's chili paste and lime juice," Reg- mi said. Sweet corn soup with egg is a staple Hakka dish: it's on the menu here. As is a Manchurian chicken dish and Szechuan chick- en: I might knock some cui- sines, those with a lazy preparation, at least, be- cause their sauces are vir- tually indistinguishable. That's not the case here. These two dishes, though both possessed of reddish sauces, had very distinct flavours and en- joyable ones featuring a controlled use of spice- heat. Regmi's Manchurian chicken is characterized by crushed ginger, onion, green chilies, cilantro and dark and light soy sauces; his Szechuan chicken draws on chopped celery, onions and the expected Szechuan pepper. Enjoyable, too, are veg potstickers -- momos, in the Nepalese vernacular, "a pure Nepalese dish," Regmi said in fact -- home- made with a coriander and lemon grass flavouring and a balance of a slight crispy exterior yielding to a softer, almost creamy, in- side. Their preparation is a process that blends togeth- er a host of vegetables in- cluding carrot, onion, cab- bage, green beans, cauli- flower and broccoli, he adds. A tomato paste-based sauce accompanies and is an excellent foil to the lime and coriander flavours in the momos. The lasting impression of this Indo-Chinese food, after four or so dishes, is the overall freshness of the individual ingredients, prepared a la minute, of Regmi's food, the result of which is balanced and har- monious. "This food is a fusion of Asian flavours," said Reg- mi. Andrew Coppolino is a Kitchener-based food writ- er and broadcaster. Visit him at www.andrewcoppo- lino.com. OPINION Continued from page 10 'THIS FOOD IS A FUSION OF ASIAN FLAVOURS' Top, Chef-owner Hemanta Regmi. Above, sweet and sour chicken. Andrew Coppolino photos HEM'S HAKKA RESTAURANT Address: 4195 King St. E., Kitchener Website: www.hemshakka.ca Phone: 519-650-0666