Just like Chinatown

Published by

Aalok Wadhwa

June 14, 2018 5:49 pm

No, this is not desi chinese. this is close to the experience you might have in hong kong or new york, where entrails are served as delicacies

I first came across this restaurant on Zomato. A look at the menu got me rather excited — for it had some unique dishes to offer, like the ones I had enjoyed immensely in Hong Kong and in New York’s Chinatown. I landed here along with some friends with all intentions of having a bizarre food adventure. And we did just that — choosing the most challenging dishes to order, especially those containing offal (the entrails and internal organs of an animal used as food).

The first dish to arrive was chilled Pig Feet (half portion, R300). For the uninitiated, pig feet are low in fat and (the edible parts) are very high in protein, particularly collagen in tendons and skin. This is considered by many to be very good for joints and skin health. Taste wise, I prefer feet/trotters to be cooked more, but these were a novel eating experience.

Duck’s Blood and Tripe Soup (half portion, R450) would have been a super delicious dish, had the chef not gone overboard with the use of mouth- numbing Sichuan pepper. Once the peppers were taken out from the soup, it was enjoyable and rather hearty. Pig’s Ears red oil (half portion, R320) was served in salad. The ears were chewy and even for my adventure loving palate, it was not a dish I would order again.

The first dish was somewhat sensible. We ordered Pork Momos (R350). The momos arrived hot on the table and were pleasant, though we would have liked more filling. Mapo tofu (R480) was a disappointment because it was a too much tofu and too little pork.

A meal here can be quite an experience. I have just tried some of the exotic/bizarre dishes and I do intend to try more. It is definitely an authentic Chinese experience not to be missed.

Aalok Wadhwa