Damien Ettish | Fetty’s Street Food

I met Fetty early last winter, when he extended an invitation to come to an afternoon of Indian cuisine he was hosting at the 1400 Food Lab. And y’all, this man is passionate about food, hosting, and entertaining. No detail is left untouched. It was phenomenal.

Fetty started his culinary voyage as a market stall in Cape Town, South Africa. Now he operates a food truck, roaming the streets of Columbus, ticked dinner parties, along with offering private hire and in home catering services, which, if you need catering, this is the guy you need to be talking to.

Since that cold winter Sunday afternoon, I’ve had the distinct pleasure of talking food, and getting to sample other recipes that he’s come up with. Every last mouthful, freakin’ phenomenal. First thought I had when Fetty and I met, and I was a guest at his table, was “this dude is to Columbus & Indian cuisine what Andy Ricker is to Portland and Thai.”

I stand by that 100%.

Dinner at the 1400 Food Lab

Walking into the 1400 Food Lab that cold fall Sunday, I had no idea what to expect, either from the venue or the menu, and I was blown away on all counts. As we walked in, the first thing that struck me was the table, with the banana leaf running down the middle of it, appetizers laid out and waiting, lassi at the ready. It was in that moment I knew it was going to be real good.

Rather than attempting to recreate the details of the days menu, I’ll let Fetty’s menu and description do the talking.

Fetty’s Street Food at Sideswipe Brewing

This spring Jeff and I spent a Saturday afternoon at Sideswipe Brewing, hanging out with friends, drinking beer, talking and eating some seriously flavorful and perfectly balanced dishes. Before that day, the only other time I’d tasted Fetty’s cooking was at an authentic Indian lunch at 1400 Food Lab, so I knew it was gonna be good, but lemme tell ya. I had no idea.

General Tso’s Chicken | Fetty Style

Light and crispy chicken tossed in their signature garlic and soy sauce, served over steamed rice.

When you think of General Tso’s, what most likely comes to mind is the heavily breaded, thick & sticky sauced, overly sweet dish of the mall food courts from our youth. This ain’t that.

Fetty’s chicken is light, and CRUNCHY, and crisp and soooooo flavorful on its own. The rice it sits on, fresh and fluffy. And the sauuuuuuuuuce. It’s tangy and sweet and light and amazing without being overwhelming, and has the perfect tease of spice.

Crispy Panaeng Chicken

Crispy chicken coasted in an authentic Thai Panaeng curry sauce, served over steamed rice. 

What’s Panaeng curry you ask? Usually a dryer style of curry, Fetty makes his version with ample coconut milk to make it a creamy sauce boosted with a fragrant paste of lemongrass, galangal, chili, thai lime, coriander, cumin, shrimp paste and cilantro root. If (hopefully when) Fetty decides to sell it by the bottle, I plan on putting it on everything. Yup. Everything. It’s that good.

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