Braving the dreadful weekend traffic in Hyderabad, we reached Chowman on a late Saturday evening to try out their authentic Chinese delicacies. We stepped into a quintessentially Chinese haven, complete with calming oriental music, bright red décor and plush seating as families dined at the cosy space, giving it a friendly neighbourhood restaurant vibe.
Our meal began with Prawn Tom Yum soup that provided instant respite to our hunger pangs. With a lean broth spiced with galangal, coriander stems, and kaffir lime, the prawn soup set a spicy precedent for the meal. We moved on to a portion of Exotic Vegetables and Chicken in a supremely flavourful oyster sauce that made the dish stand out. Next in line was one of the bestsellers, and our favourite, the Korean Chicken Wings topped with sesame seeds. The sweet-spicy marinade ensured we polished off the entire portion within minutes. After calming our palates with a Cucumber Limeade, it was soon time for mains.
A hearty portion of Rice with Asian Greens was brought in. Sautéed with fresh broccoli and bok choy along with other veggies, the rice-based dish paired well with Kolkata Style Chili Chicken tossed in a secret Chowman sauce. We also got to try the Stir-fried Seafood Noodles, tossed with coriander, eggs and exotic seafood like squid and prawn. The stand out dish from the mains was the Chilli Wine fish — a marinated Basa fish preparation with diced bell pepper and red chillies flavoured with sauces and cooking wine. The velvety texture of the gravy based-dish paired well with both the stirfried noodles and rice. We noticed that none of the dishes were overly spiced and used ingredient-focused clean flavours.
Over a brief conversation with the chef, we learned that all the spices used in the dishes are brought in from China to ensure the authentic taste profile of the dishes. Use of artificial colours is completely avoided as well. “Hyderabad has been known for its mandis and biryanis and I plan to break this norm with Chowman. Opening our very first outlet in Hyderabad is a milestone for us,” says Debaditya Chaudhury, managing director of Chowman. Dessert was Crunchy Choco Balls with Ice-Cream, a dessert that completely pandered to our inner child. With crunchy caramel-chocolate balls layered with ice cream and chocolate sauce, the sweet dish was a complete delight.
Rs 1,100 for two.
At Kukatpally.