How different can one get when curating a Chinese menu? As the cuisine is ubiquitous in Bengaluru, it can be a little underwhelming. But ITC WelcomHotel’s newest restaurant Mahjong Room, with decor inspired by the game, comes with a promise of a short but well thought-out assortment of Cantonese, Hunan and Sichuan dishes and it is this assurance that lured us to the restaurant on a Saturday afternoon.
We started with the Vegetable Crystal Dumpling. The translucent wrapping stuffed with finely chopped mixed vegetables tasted as good as it looked. The smooth and lush wrapping impressed us. From the non vegetarian options, we preferred the Shrimp Har Gow over the Chicken Sui Mai. The flavourful prawn stuffing made this a winner.
The Crispy Lotus Stem with Sesame was a crunchy appetiser. Glazed with honey, flavoured with red chilli and sprinkled with sesame, the distinct sweet, spicy and nutty notes worked well together. However, our favourite appetiser was the Golden Fried Prawns — tiger prawns coated in crisp batter. The texture of the crisp coating in contrast to the succulent prawns was what worked for us.
Nutty affair
The restaurant offers a short but well-curated mains section. We started this course with Broccoli and Baby Corn in Hot and Sour Sauce with Cashewnuts. This dish misleads your tastebuds with its tangy and sour notes, and the spice hits you later. However, the nutty flavour of the cashews balances things out. We then paired the Gong Bao Chicken with Dry Chilli, Peanut Sugar and Vinegar with the Mushroom and Corn Fried Rice. The spicy and sweet chicken went well with the fluffy, aromatic rice. The textures of the chewy shiitake mushrooms, soft corn and tender chicken made this combination a hit. We also recommend the Stir Fried Chinese Greens with Minced Garlic.
Say cheers
Such an impressive meal warranted an equally interesting dessert course, and our eyes fell on the Boozy Sundae Section. We tried the Passion Coconut Lime Shortcake and Hot Chocolate Cookie Over Fudge. The short-cake is a multi-layer dessert served in a glass with a coconut macaroon, tender coconut and passion fruit ice cream and a dash of coconut liqueur. It was the fresh and smooth ice cream that really impressed us. The Cookie Over Fudge is a scoop of dark chocolate ice cream infused with Baileys. Crushed chunks of Dark Fantasy Choco Fills cookies added the finishing touches. Utterly decadent, this was the highlight of our lunch.
With a well-curated menu and unusual dessert options, the Mahjong Room is the ideal place for those who like to try classic Chinese delicacies.
Rs 1,200++ for two. At WelcomHotel Bengaluru, Richmond Road
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