Mainland china - for siu mai and wontons!

When you crave for authentic Chinese cuisine, there are very few establishments that have the ability to cater to your need. Mainland China is a place that wouldn't disappoint you! The condition is - you need to go for their la carte menu.

I had been to their lunch buffet many times and I feel that its most of the times average than good. An opportunity came my way to try out dishes from their menu when wife wanted to go to a Chinese place for dinner, and this being the nearest to my home was the obvious choice.

We went in quite early for dinner, the place was literally empty and so we were seated promptly and at a table of our choice(great thing! with so many "reserved" boards dotting tables in restaurants these days). The ambiance is quite ethnic with dragons and all the embellishments around.

Jasmine tea is a way of greeting your guests, and while we were being served a hot cup of tea, I quickly ran through the menu selecting dishes. The steward was capable enough to understand my palate through a few quick questions and aptly guided me through the menu. A dimsum platter, Keong's Chicken, sweet and spicy crispy chicken, roast lamb in black pepper sauce and prawn soft noodles(forgot the exact name).

The jasmine tea has a very soothing effect. Its flavor or rather taste, is very faint yet distinct. For me it kind of acts as a palate cleanser between courses. The tea served to us perfectly complimented our meal.

The kimchi served as a side on the table was the only disappointment that evening. I really didn't feel any typical flavors associated with Kimchi apart from the fact that it was quite spicy due to an overdose of red chilli. I did leave a feedback about not being satisfied with it.

The staff is courteous indeed. My toddler was was served a glass of juice even before I asked for it!

Moving on, the dimsum platter was a superb thing to start our meal with. The platter had two pieces each of crab cake, siu mai(prawn) and chicken wontons. The crab cake was the star on this plate, with a spicy flavor and hints of garlic aftertaste. The prawn siu mai had a good balance between the faint flavor of prawn and ginger and scallion. The chicken wonton(or rather a siu mai) was quite good, slightly more ginger to taste and tender minced chicken meat. but if I would compare it with the prawn siu mai and crab cake, it lacked that punch to equal or overpower others in taste. Nevertheless, it was a very satisfying dimsum platter that I have had in a long time!

I wanted to order something devoid of heat(spicy) for my daughter and I was suggested Keong's chicken with green chillies and spring onions, sans the green chillies. I must say, even without chillies, it tasted quite good. I am at a loss to explain the exact taste, but it definitely was not bland. I can call the flavor to be "soft" on all spices, or rather delicate. There was a hint of garlic aftertaste which lingered for a while. I felt, if I were to add sauces or have it with something else, the taste would get overpowered easily. A good dish, and would definitely taste great with the usual amount of green chillies the chef garnishes it with.

The crispy sweet and spicy chicken was  kind of sinful. You actually have to be receptive and open to ideas that are not conventional(read - not present in our cuisine generally). The bold honey-sweet taste was in contrast with the sharp spicy flavor and their fight made the chicken merrier(literally!) We loved it! For me, it would be an ideal dish to enjoy sitting out near the window watching rain!

As mentioned earlier, we had ordered prawn noodles and roasted lamb in black pepper sauce. The noodle was indeed a whole meal in itself taste-wise. It really didn't need any main dish to go with. The meat(prawns) portions were generous and again, the chef had done a good job in properly balancing taste of individual ingredients like prawn with the overall dish. The roasted lamb in black pepper sauce was a little beyond good in my opinion. The lamb was perfectly cooked and tender and carried the flavor of the sauce well. To taste, it starts off with a kick of the black pepper flavor, but settles down quickly and you get to feel the meat finally. The veggies added a crunch to the whole dish. It indeed gives you an option to exercise your control over the spiciness. You probably can request the chef the level you want it at and he would do it that way.

At around Rs 2600(incl of taxes) it is a premium priced dinner for two, but definitely worth the money. I would definitely recommend this place for those who venture out in search of some good authentic chinese.

Ambiance - 4/5

Food - 4.5/5

Service - 4.5/5

VFM - 4/5

Strength - they know their dishes pretty well!