This new restaurant in town serves old school Chinese dishes

Singular is the world of food, where one can take any cuisine and put a twist on it to make the food more to their liking. Indians are guilty of 'Indianising' several cuisines, but none has suffered as much as Chinese cuisine. But there are a few restaurants in town that serve authentic Chinese food, and the chefs there go to great lengths to give Indians a taste of China.

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At the newly opened Mahjong Room, people can savour food from the Hunan and Sichuan provinces of China, and boy, oh boy, is it a nice place to dine! The decor is modern, and features portraits of four of the most beautiful women who lived in ancient China, and even the plates and cutlery are all in spec.

While we were still taking in the beauty of the place that can seat around 50 hungry guests, the first dish — Garlic-flavoured clear soup with vegetables — arrived. It was a very mild soup with carrots, broccoli, and a few other vegetables, and we were told that it is commonly had in the Hunan province.

Then came the Crackling Spinach, which was one of the best dishes that were served to us. The crispiness of the spinach and the way it literally melts in one's mouth is almost beggars belief, and we thoroughly enjoyed it. It is definitely a must-try in our books.

Up next, we tried the Fried Prawns which had a lovely golden brown colour and came with dried chilli and garlic. The prawns were soft, and they had a nice spicy flavour, which we appreciated. The Diced Chicken, which was also served with dried chilli, was good too. But, it did not stand out like the Crackling Spinach we had earlier.

No Chinese meal is complete without dumplings, and the Prawn and Chive dumplings we tasted were very warm and slid down our throats smoothly. The fact that the tasty dumplings were shaped like old Chinese money was a bonus.

While we also tasted a few other dishes like Mapo Tofu, Sautéed Chinese Greens and Veg Fried Rice, the dish that floored us was the Pan-fried Noodles. Served on a large plate with tonnes of vegetables and doused in sauce, the dish looks intimidating, especially after having tried quite a few dishes earlier.

However, as soon as one takes a bite, their perception of the dish changes. The noodles were soft and the smoky flavour they had amazed us. Also, the crunch that each vegetable gave with each bite of the dish was nice, as was the flavour of the sauce. All in all, it was a standout dish, and we would definitely head to the restaurant once again to savour it one more time!

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Of course there were desserts on offer, but since we were hell bent on finishing the Pan-fried Noodles, for a lack of tummy space, we gave the desserts a pass. The Date and Coconut Pancake with Vanilla Ice Cream did seem delicious, though. Until next time, then.

INR 3,000++. 12-2.30 pm and 7-11 pm. At Welcom Hotel by ITC Hotels