Event time
6:30 to 10:00Event date
28 FebHosted at Port Lympne
Exclusive dining experience
Karan Gokani, celebrity chef and co-founder of the celebrated Sri Lankan and South Indian restaurant group, Hoppers, is coming together with Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve for an exclusive dining experience, on Friday 28th February.
Set in the stunning Garden Room Restaurant at Port Lympne, the special evening will transport guests on a culinary journey through the toddy shops of South India and the spice gardens of Sri Lanka, blending South Asian flavours with the finest local produce from the Kent countryside. Together with Executive Chef Lee Edney, Karan has created a menu that will offer a unique twist on some of Port Lympne’s classics.
To book please call us on 01303234101 or email us at restaurants@portlympne.com
The one-off evening will begin with a welcome cocktail, the White Ruby Punch, a Hoppers’ signature, accompanied by a selection of canapés including coconut and onion Pol Rotis topped with a caramelised onion and Kentish Apple Sambol, as well as Kadala Cups filled with Cashew Hummus and Spiced Chickpeas. To follow, the starters will showcase the best of local seafood, with Rock Oysters dressed in buttermilk and Mussels in a silky coconut curry sauce topped with samphire sambol and served with delicate String Hoppers.
For mains, guests will be served a Banana Leaf-Wrapped Seabass, followed by a Kentish Roasted Lamb Shoulder in a Jaffna Curry, accompanied by Tamarind Rice, Lamb Fat Potatoes, Kithul Mustard Carrots and Parsnips. Vegetarian alternatives of Banana Leaf-Wrapped Aubergine and Jaffna Roasted Celeriac Curry will also be available. The meal will conclude with a delectable Pineapple Tarte Tatin served with a Vanilla and Cardamom Ice Cream. To accompany the food, friends at Romney Marsh Brewery will be supplying their new Bohemian Craft Lager, alongside refreshing Pentire cocktails, for a non-alcoholic option. (Full vegetarian menu available on request).
About Hoppers
Hoppers was founded by JKS Restaurants and Karan Gokani in October 2015. The first Hoppers in Soho was inspired by toddy-shops, home cooking and roadside stalls of Sri Lanka and South India, serving its namesake Hoppers alongside Dosas, Kothu, Short Eats, Rice and Roasts. The award-winning Sri Lankan and South Indian restaurant group went on to secure its Michelin Bib Gourmand in its first year. Following the success of Hoppers Soho, a second Hoppers at Marylebone’s St Christopher’s Place opened in September 2017, themed around the iconic Tropical Modernist movement of the late Sri Lankan architect Geoffrey Bawa. Hoppers King’s Cross, the third and largest of the three restaurants opened in February 2020 inspired by the much-travelled coastal journey from Colombo, the island’s capital, to the historical Dutch town of Galle.
About Karan Gokani
Karan grew up in Mumbai and moved to England in 2005 to study law at the University of Cambridge. Even as a practising solicitor, Karan’s passion for food and hospitality never faded and he spent time in professional kitchens in his spare time. In 2012, he left his legal career at a Magic Circle city law firm to pursue a career in hospitality, travelling across India and Sri Lanka to immerse himself in the food and culture of the countries. JKS Restaurants and Karan opened Hoppers, a Sri Lankan and South Indian restaurant on Frith Street, Soho in 2015. This was followed by a second site in Marylebone in 2017 and a third in King’s Cross in 2020. In Autumn 2022, Karan released the hotly anticipated and well received, Hoppers: The Cookbook. Over the years Karan has written travel features and recipes on Sri Lanka and southern India for major national and international publications as well as appearing on BBC’s Saturday Kitchen; MasterChef UK; Jamie’s One Pound Meals on C4 and US show, NBC’s Today.
Executive Chef at Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve
About Lee Edney
I’m a great advocate of cooking honest, unpretentious food that speaks for itself. I like to create dishes that become a memory and ones that you’ll want to order time and time again. Being from Kent, it’s fantastic to have a variety of fresh produce on our doorstep. By keeping it local, we’re adding a story to each dish, enhancing the flavours and supporting our own communities.
How to book
Tickets for this feast are priced at £70 per person and include a welcome cocktail, multi course meal, beer and non-alcoholic drinks. Limited spaces are available. Guests that book a table for the Hoppers x Port Lympne dinner, are entitled to a 20% discount off accommodation at Port Lympne Hotel & Reserve if they wish to make a weekend of it.
To book please call us on 01303234101 or email us at restaurants@portlympne.com
