Clique Cafe: A delectable cuisine

The owner of Islamabad’s ‘Russio-Pak’ Clique Cafe discusses her unique recipes.

ISLAMABAD:

Russian cuisine, much like its region of origin, boasts diverse and cross-cultural textures. A characteristic of Russian culinary arts is a tendency to produce filling meals (blame the equitable meats-to-dairy ratio so high in protein and carbs) — hence, most Russians will eat one big meal daily. As so many of Russia’s traditional dishes stem from the old roots of peasant food (the emphasis here falls on foods easy to produce and store, to weather the harsh, glacial winters), the general flavour is smoky and perhaps a tad bit bland by metropolitan standards. In fact, the genre of Franco-Russian cooking emerged in the 18^th and 19^th centuries at the request of Russian aristocrats hankering for flavours that complimented their international lifestyles.

In Pakistan, where the idiosyncratic palate is defined by a fondness for the extremities of spice, Russian cuisine is patently difficult to serve without a bit of tweaking. Clique Cafe’s busy co-owner and head chef Marina Kuznetsova has become quite the pioneer in the fusion department, adding a spicy, desi kick to the grub from her motherland. “Our borscht (vegetable soup) is very popular. We make it with red beets but add spices — so Pakistanis and expatriates can also enjoy and appreciate the dish.” Other examples of fusion food at Clique Cafe include cucumber boats, Red Square Salad, Siberian Pelmeni (dumplings), and whole smoked snapper (smoked with a variety of ‘secret’ herbs and layered with spice and flavour to make it accessible). These comprise of Marina’s unique blend of ‘Russio-Pak’ cuisine. Recently, they’ve added desi options to the menu after a string of complaints (“Sometimes people come in and ask for biryani and tikkas!”)

Moreover, the food Marina puts out is a direct reflection of her unique, bicultural identity: she officially moved to Pakistan from Moscow in 1983, gabs converses in Urdu like a native and learned how to apply spices by mastering desi cuisine. “My mother sounds like a Pathan,” says her daughter, Rimmel Afghani, the other half of Clique Cafe’s ownership. Kuznetsova comments endearingly, “English, I still learning.” “She’s more Pakistani than Russian,” Afghani asserts. “She felt out of place in Moscow, especially when she returned after 25 years for an extended visit.”

Equally endearing is Kuznetsova’s personal narrative: although passionate about cooking, Kuznetsova was forced to consider a career in engineering at her mother’s insistence. Even Kuznetsova’s mother refused to teach her traditional recipes, so many of which are handed down over the generations. “I had to learn everything myself,” she explains. “Some of my friends taught me; my grandmother gave me a lot of secret recipes, which caused a lot of fights between her and my mother,” adds Kuznetsova, laughing.

It was the move to Pakistan that fanned her passion for cooking. She started out catering for two years, under the aegis of Marina’s Kitchen, after which she branched out to Khaas Art Gallery and trained under Tony, Khaas’ head chef: “She’s wonderful,” says Kuznetsova, “and because of her I learned how to run a cafe, a kitchen, make continental cuisine and provide satisfactory service.”

“I’m always inspired by the food in Pakistani villages, especially near Multan,” says Marina Kuznetsova, adding, “I’m always looking for something special and extraordinary to add to my collection of recipes.”

Published in The Express Tribune, September 15^th, 2011.