Just like many Limburg restaurants, a pop-up restaurant in Los Angeles also serves sour-fried meat to its guests during carnival weekend.
rightsour meat‘ may not sound very appetizing to some. “But it’s a typical Dutch name: straight forward,” laughs Pearl River Deli chef from England, Kitty Lam.
Fusion
At first glance, the sour beef fries don’t always go well with the restaurants where British-Cantonese Lamb works. Pearl River Deli serves Cantonese food and is located in historic Chinatown. However, this weekend, Lam is serving up fusion dishes, such as British pies with a Chinese twist. Due to a carnival party, Lam saw the perfect opportunity to add another international delicacy to the dish: tamarind fried potatoes. “I have many different cultural connections in my life, and I wanted to share them.”
Lam, who once worked for an international company in Frankfurt, said she goes to Maastricht every year for the main event. “A friend from Maastricht introduced me to the party. I’ve been going for at least ten to twelve years, it’s been a unique experience.” Due to the coronavirus, the UK is unlikely to come to Limburg in 2021 and 2022. It’s a shame, as he calls it an ‘annual highlight on the calendar’.
‘Belonging to Carnival’
Why sour meat, and not other typical Limburg dishes? For Lam, stew is a dish included in the carnival. “It’s not really a carnival until you get your share. Late night on the street with the party mood still in the air and the steam coming out.” The recipe the cook uses comes from the mother of a friend who introduced Lam to the folk festival years ago. rightShouts to Gemma Bollen‘ laughed the Englishman. ‘It made sense for me to opt for a recipe as traditional as possible, and then I went straight to it.’
Unique taste
In addition to the unique french fries topping in the United States, the way the potatoes are served is also unusual, according to Lam. “Americans are used to thin McDonalds fries, not Belgian style.” Nevertheless, the cook expects positive reviews of dishes that make him nostalgic. “Truly Dutch taste, with gingerbread. It was really interesting to introduce! I don’t think anyone in LA has ever tasted this unique flavor.”
“Typical tv ninja. Pop culture lover. Web expert. Alcohol fan. Wannabe analyst. General bacon aficionado.”
