A pop-up community restaurant held its launch event on Saturday with fusion food from Maurituis and across the world.

Newham Recorder: Fusion Foods Chef Manzoor, centre, and his team of volunteers Shae Daudia, left, Jay Diaz, and Noreen Kosur at the Newham Community pop-up restaurant's launch in The Well, East Ham.Fusion Foods Chef Manzoor, centre, and his team of volunteers Shae Daudia, left, Jay Diaz, and Noreen Kosur at the Newham Community pop-up restaurant's launch in The Well, East Ham. (Image: Archant)

The event at The Well in Vicarage Lane on February 15 was East Ham’s first pop-up restaurant, and gave residents a chance to sample a variety of homemade dishes.

Newham Recorder: Volunteer Shae Daudia prepares a classic Mauritius dish at the Newham Community pop-up restaurant's launch in The Well, East Ham.Volunteer Shae Daudia prepares a classic Mauritius dish at the Newham Community pop-up restaurant's launch in The Well, East Ham. (Image: Archant)

The pop-up is a joint venture from Fusion Foods and the lottery-funded Grow together, Be together project run by Bonny Downs Community Association, which promotes a healthy lifestyle.

Newham Recorder: Fusion Foods Chef Manzoor presents a classic Mauritius dish at the Newham Community pop-up restaurant's launch in The Well, East Ham.Fusion Foods Chef Manzoor presents a classic Mauritius dish at the Newham Community pop-up restaurant's launch in The Well, East Ham. (Image: Archant)

It aims to encourage people to enjoy home-cooked meals of restaurant quality inspired by recipes from far away parts of the world on a tight budget.

Ola Rug, food growing project coordinator at Grow together, Be together, said: “We are creating new opportunities for people in the area by giving them skills to cook and be part of professional growing business run by experienced local Chef.”

Chef Manzoor of Fusion Foods plans to hold pop-up restaurants regularly, and has over 40 years experience in cooking.

His speciality is in Pothwari Cuisine, from the Pothwar region of Punjab in Pakistan, but he also uses a range of new and innovative flavour combinations from Middle East, Mauritius and the Caribbean.

The three course menu was £15.00 per head and includes a starter of stuffed mushrooms, beef biryani or a vegetable option and a Rasmal’ai dumplings for dessert.

For more information visit www.bonnydowns.org and www.fusionfoods.org.uk.