A wok on the yummy side

With its chic ambience and traditional Chinese cuisine, Ch1na looks set to give a few biggies in the 'burbs a run for their money

With its chic ambience and traditional Chinese cuisine, Ch1na looks set to give a few biggies in the 'burbs a run for their money

Mumbai can almost never tire of a new Chinese eatery. It wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that every third roadside stall serves some form of Chinese. So when a new eatery, Ch1na (referred to as China One), opens just a stone's throw away from Mainland China, it's natural to wonder if it is 'just another Chinese restaurant.'

Cashewnut Chicken

The restaurant is warm and welcoming. The tables are set with fancy napkins, the waiters dressed to match, charming us with enthusiastic smiles and prompt service, as we were to discover. Before we decide on our orders from the unending menu, we are told about the buffet. With roughly 35 items, priced at a modest Rs 439, it's a steal on a lazy afternoon. The buffet is an afternoon special only, and the Sunday buffet offers lobsters, alcohol and more starters for a mere 100 bucks more (Rs 539).

While, traditionally, the rules state that only soups and starters be brought to the table, the waiters gladly bring you every item on the buffet to your table. In the buffet, the Cheung Faan Vegetables were silky-smooth rice flour rolls encompassing crunchy deliciously steamed vegetables.

The dish is a tad bland, but goes well when mixed with the accompanying Schezuan sauce. The Chicken Dumplings were soft and melted in the mouth rushing the mixed flavours of the ground meat inside. It's ideal for the calorie/health conscious. The Spicy Chicken Soya Coriander Thick Soup was a downer.

The soup was neither spicy nor thick. Fried Fish Hot Bean Dry is a treat for fish lovers. This fragrant, simple dish is another tasty wok tossed and pan fried dish, garnished with chopped ginger, garlic and hot bean paste. It hits the spot with the zesty Fresh Fruit Margarita (Rs 279) The Chicken with Cashewnuts teases the taste buds with perfectly chopped pieces of chicken and cashew nuts tossed in a wok full of sesame oil.

Crunchy to the last bite. The Prawn in Chili Oyster Sauce offered fresh and luscious prawn shrouds, deliciously smattered into thin and light gravy and had the just the right amount of bite. Next, the Fried Baby Pomfret Sichuan Chili had dazzlingly crisp skin and an appealing measure of fat. This also goes very well with the rice, or can be enjoyed by itself. The redeeming factor was the tangy sauce that came drizzled atop, that took our pomfret to a new level of deliciousness.

Fried Crab In Black Pepper had an appealing measure of heat and flavour, perfectly maintained, on funky-looking digital stoves. Vegetable Dumpling in Chili Garlic Sauce was the only weak link. This dumpling soaked in chilli oil was a tad peppery and stuck to the skin. The Chicken Three Flavoured Noodles were regular noodles; one couldn't taste the three flavours. The Chicken With Burnt Onion Fried Rice was smooth and tasty with the perfect smidgen of Burnt Onions that gave a delicious twang to the fragrant rice.

Despite an extensive desert menu, this was a downer. The Chocolate Mousse was average and came in a small cup-like shape; it was neither sweet nor smooth. Ditto for the White and Brown Brownie. Despite having their bakery a floor above, the brownies weren't fresh or soft; even the Choco Sticks were limp and soft.

At G-05, Morya Landmark 1, Plot B-25, opposite Infiniti Mall, off Link Road, Andheri (W), Mumbai. Call 42723333 Ch1na didn't know we were there.u00a0The Guidu00a0reviews anonymously and pays for meals

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