Chap Chay at The Raintree has a dim sum and noodle festival. And we can't stop eating! 

Don't miss the hand-pulled Biang Biang noodles touted one of the 'eight strange wonders of Shaanxi'
Fried turnip cakes
Fried turnip cakes

Wheat flour, salt and beetroot. That’s all you ‘knead’ to whip up a chunky log of pink noodle dough. This, we discover with much fascination as we peek into Chap Chay’s show kitchen upon the invitation of their new Chef de Cuisine Shrestha Kumar. After stints at the ITC Maratha, Mumbai and the Four Seasons in Egypt — all the while honing his expertise in Chinese cuisine — he turns the spotlight on the ‘hand pulled’ La Mian noodle over a festival this March. The latter is a type of soft, wheat flour noodle that can be made a number of different ways. This afternoon at The Raintree, St Mary’s Road, we are privy to the Biang Biang style — which gets its name from the sound it makes as the chef slaps it on the counter to stretch the dough. 

<em>Biang Biang noodle bowl</em>
Biang Biang noodle bowl



Contrary to the thin strips one might associate with noodles, these are broad and belt-like. And we watch with fascination as chef Srestha plays with the dough  — stretching it as wide as four feet and then ripping them through the middle, almost like string cheese. Now, you know why these are called one of the eight strange wonders of Shaanxi.

Later, we are served a bowl, as it is traditionally made, with a base of broth, plenty of vegetables including broccoli and mung bean sprouts, five-spice minced pork and a liberal drizzle of chilli oil. You could also opt for Shredded Rice noodles and pick from other toppings like prawn in a butter garlic sauce or wild mushrooms, for vegetarians. 

<em>Assorted dim sum platter</em>
Assorted dim sum platter
<em>Pork bao</em>
Pork bao



Yum cha or the Cantonese tradition of brunch over dim sums and tea is the second segment of this festival. And so, we also explore about eight different variants of dumplings between sips of warm Jasmine tea. Our top picks are the Edamame and Asparagus with a dab of truffle paste on top, the Crispy Prawn Jian Jiao and the Chicken and Yellow Cheddar Sui Mui. Succulent and juicy, we suggest you up the flavour scale by dipping your dim sums in the green onion sauce. The crisp turnip cakes and spicy pork baos made with a flour derived from lotus root, are also not to miss. 

On till March 27. For lunch and dinner. Noodle bowls at INR 545; four dim sum pieces at INR 395 upwards.

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