Warm, full of colours and generous — some words that come up when we think of Asian culture, in all its peculiarities and charm. This week, we headed to a spot that promised to roll all this into one neat dumpling at Lili Cantonese Kitchen.
As the scent of lemongrass wafted through the foyer, a wall with candles and wooden dumplings from floor to ceiling beckoned us in. Waiting for us inside was pure sensory delight, starting from moving art installations, a giant dumpling lamp casually hanging above the bar, and numerous art pieces made by artist Siddharth Kerkar. From beaten metal that creates textures on the bar wall to lacquer moving heads, the space oozes personality.
The ceramic-ware is a conversation starter too, with imagery of a traditional Chinese family on each plate. Gawking at the details, we sipped on White season with clear tomato, peach, apricot, and white chocolate soda. One sip in and we quickly declared our love for the refreshing drink. The Wonderfruit with vodka, Campari and watermelon cordial was delightfully fruity, while packing a sneaky punch.
We recommend visiting the cosy 45-seater space with a group, since there is much to discover from the menu. We started off with a clear Dashi Sichuan soup with seaweed, fennel and water chestnut. The broth was delicious, making us scramble for the tiniest bits in the soup. The pumpkin crackers with Sichuan sesame toum made for a great snack to pair with drinks.
The Oriental taco with a Peking duck is an absolute must try, served with an addictive hoisin plum sauce that we couldn’t get enough of. The Shanghai spring cucumber with a chilli bean dripping is refreshing, and nearly acts as a palate cleanser between bites.
The Sichuan mapo tofu was a delight, with the silky tofu adding depth to the dish. We paired the Miso kung pao with the Smoked chicken fried rice — both bold in their flavours, making it to our must try list. The OG Hakka noodles packed in nostalgic goodness in each bite.
The Seasonal cheesecake with ripe mango was our favourite pick among the desserts (an obvious choice given our Indian palates). The creamy, silky Peanut noir gâteau was a close second, with chocolate fudge, miso caramel and peanut praline cutting through the texture.
One look up, and the dark wood ceilings and walls reminded us that amid all the zing and art, there was warmth at the centre of Lili Cantonese Kitchen.
Meal for two: ₹5,000++.12 noon to 4 pm, 7.30 pm to 11.30 pm. At Jubilee Hills.
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