On 10 February, chef Abby Lee will open the doors to Mambow, a home-style ‘mama’s kitchen’ in the heart of Shoreditch.
Mambow – standing for ‘Mama’s Bowls’ – will serve Lee’s signature bowls with seasonal vegetables as the star of the show, as well as a relaxed weekend brunch.
Lee gained her diploma at
Le Cordon Bleu
in London, honed her skills growing up in her family’s bakeries in Singapore and Malaysia before moving to Italy to cook at Michelin-starred Pashà Ristorante near the city of Bari.
Located on Commercial Street, Mambow will open first thing, catering to early birds with a line-up of seasonal frittatas, a coconut yoghurt bowl with house turmeric granola and rhubarb & ginger compote, and a spiced vegan porridge bowl with maple caramel, dried cranberries and mixed seeds. Diners can take their pick of pastries and buns from the counter, while coffee beans come from The Roasting Shed in Hackney Wick and fresh juices are pressed to order.
At lunchtime, Mambow will dish up seasonal signature bowls such as the Chick Flick with black rice, za’taar sprouts, roasted beets with orange miso, spicy green grilled chicken, salsa verde, and leftover pickles; or Beet It, with farro tabbouleh, raw and grilled fennel, charred spicy broccoli, beetroot patty, mixed tamari seeds, and creamy harissa.
Guests looking to build their own can take their pick of bases such as black rice with crispy shallots and sesame oil, or Hodmedod’s farro, preserved lemon and winter tomatoes.
This is then topped with a protein such as mixed bean rendang, five spice crispy pork belly with Shaoxing wine and vinegar, or fried Burmese shan tofu with garlic chips and coriander, and salads such as za’taar brussels with black olives, and curly kale with carrot top pesto & semi-dried tomatoes.
Punchy toppings include Mama’s kimchi, furikake and seasonal pickles made with leftover veg, and flavourful dressings such as mustard vinaigrette and miso ginger.
Through the colder months, there’s a daily-changing soup made with yesterday’s veg such as spiced carrot, crispy chickpeas; and for something sweet, Lee will be using up any unused fruit and vegetables for her winter loaf cakes such as beetroot & chocolate and spiced apple with cardamom.
To drink, there’s JARR kombucha on tap and cans of craft beer, while Abby brews her own iced rooibos tea with lemon peel and agave. Guests can take a seat, or simply grab a biodegradable bowl to take away.
At weekends, brunch is a leisurely affair that draws on south-east Asian traditions: there’s Nasi Lemak: Malaysian fried chicken, coconut pandan rice, fried anchovies, sambal, achar pickles and topped with a fried egg; a sourdough toastie packed with house kimchi, taleggio and cheddar; and Super Green omelette with goats feta, Swiss chard, and pickled chillies.
Mambow will also be hosting a series of evening supper clubs, where diners sit elbow-to-elbow for a feast of Abby’s family-style dishes themed around different world cuisines.
Lee said, “Growing up in Singapore, I spent lots of time at my family’s bakery – one of the first organic bakeries in the city. It was there that I learned the importance of beginning every recipe with quality ingredients, and cooking nutritious food with soul at its heart. I wanted to open somewhere welcoming and homely, whether you’re stopping by for a bowl to go or settling in for weekend brunch.
'It was also really important to me for Mambow to close the loop as far as possible: I’m working with local suppliers, using any leftover produce for soups and cakes, and making sure that the interiors are sustainable.”
Mambow will be open for breakfast, lunch and weekend brunch.
