The Hindu Business Line : Say Chinese!

Finally there is a restaurant for the gourmet who wants to try out some lip-smacking Szechwan cuisine. In a country that's stuck in the confines of Chopsuey, Chilli Chicken and Manchurian, China Club, in Gurgaon near Delhi, has brought in a breath of genuine Chinese air.

The recipient of the Best Chinese Restaurant Award 2004, this is a stand-alone fine dine restaurant that serves authentic fare with attention to detail. A speciality Szechwan restaurant it was created with a very simple concept in mind — to give discerning palates a culinary experience away from the confines of five-star pricing.

The first thing that catches the eye is the décor. The place is tastefully decorated with subtle Chinese artefacts that conform to the laws of Feng Shui. There are the three rings of fortune in the shape of coves in the ceiling, the nine Chinese lights hanging from the coves and vases of bamboo stalks.

Ramendra S. Jang, General Manager, Hospitality Division at the parent company Interglobe, says that despite the objects d'art being flown from China, "to create an authentic environment, food is the main element here. The Cantonese setting is just a feeler of what is to come. Our aim is to lure the well-travelled customer who has a keen taste bud and appreciates the intricacies of a good cuisine."

The succulent `Diced Chicken with XO Sauce' and `Chinese Greens With Pakchoy In Oyster Sauce' to the absolutely sinful `Lemon Chiffon Pie' complement the restaurant's Chinese look. Catering to corporate executives as well as families in search of authentic Chinese food, the menu offers over 200 Szechwan delicacies that Master Chef Mike Li Wei calls "a blend of Chinese culinary art to please the eye, nose and palate."

Li Wei's domain can be seen through a thick glass. Though the raw material, vegetables, meats and spices are obtained from India, many ingredients like black bean sauces and Szechwan pepper are imported from China.

The restaurant boasts of an impressive list of regulars from the Capital's who's who. "People from the Chinese embassy are some of our most regular customers," says Jang.

The two private dining rooms afford a sense of seclusion. Mood lighting for a power lunch or a romantic dinner could make the meal in these elite quarters more pleasurable, as do an exclusively designed menu and dedicated stewards. Of course, all these come with a tag! Well-trained and friendly staff offers a helping hand to the customer... recommending dishes, finding out specific eating preferences, offering reading glasses to patrons who forgot theirs at home; the service is out to spoil you.

The restaurant does not close between lunch and dinner as is the norm and instead serves soups, appetisers, dimsums and wine for the `in betweeners'. "A lot of our customers are executives who eat at odd hours and thus the need to be open during the afternoon hours," says Aditya Bhaskar, General Manager of the China Club.

After a sumptuous meal, one can opt for some Jasmine tea or pick out something sweet from an array of delectable desserts — the only unauthentic part of the entire Chinese set-up. "The Chinese don't eat desserts and Fortune Cookies are an American concept. After a great meal, they simply eat some fruit or sip tea," says Li Wei.

But since no meal is complete for an Indian without a dessert, one is sure nobody will complain.

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