Six weeks ago, it emerged that Francis Road’s former sushi joint Nasi Isda, opposite Yardarm, was to be rebooted by a trio of chefs led by local streetfood visionary Paula Cheung (better known as Dumplings By Paula). A dim sum queen, her pop-ups have roved everywhere from Wanstead Tap to Dreamhouse Records, The Arch and even the recent Francis Road Jumble Trail.
So what’s it all about? “The concept was born from a chance comment from a friend who came for dinner one day,” Paula said. “She was awed that I had cooked a Chinese dinner. For me it was an ordinary affair — there must be a soup, at least a dish of poultry, a pork or beef dish, a seafood dish, and a vegetable dish. This makes a complete and balanced meal to share. But she was speechless and said it was the first time that she had had proper home-cooked Chinese food.”
Paula began to think about what her friend had said, as well as the “abomination coming out of many Chinese takeaways,” and also “the dishes that I missed from my mother. And so the idea of this restaurant formed in my head.”
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Leytonstone-based Paula has previously talked about how her father immigrated here in the 1960s and had two restaurants. Brought up in Newcastle, she worked in them part time as a school kid, helping out in the kitchen.
Her family are Hakkanese, “sometimes called the nomads of China,” she said. “The name literally means guest family. We moved about in many different areas of China, picking up influences from all the regional cuisines along the way. Our food uses pickled vegetables and steaming as a main way of cooking, and is not something you find ordinarily on a menu. I wanted to open a place that sold real Chinese home food like this, with no bells and whistles. Something that every transplant from Asia thinks about.”
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Paula is keen to emphasise that Home Kitchen is a joint project, hence the acronym. “CCP stands for Calvin, Cody and Paula. We all met whilst working at an Asian-style bakery in South London, and they were both excited when I explained my home-from-home concept.”
Calvin is a keen baker, born in the UK to Chinese parents. “His father was a chef and has passed his expertise to his son, who actually graduated as a renewable energy engineer. He’s also a fan of Vietnamese cuisine and makes an amazing bowl of pho.”
Meanwhile, Cody is from Hong Kong. “She’s an expert on how our food should taste, and all the variations of HK street food. She’s also an avid cake baker, and her specialty is chiffon cakes, a sponge lighter than air.”
Intrigued? On Substack Paula gives us a tour of the intimate space, explains exactly what the bakery will be selling, and the lowdown on the cafe’s forthcoming daily set lunch and dinner menus — not to mention the small issue of BYOB. CCP Home Kitchen is open now Wed-Sun, each morning only, for bakes. @ccphomekitchen
