Savour the flavours of Chinese harvest season at this Autumn Moon Food Festival in Chennai

They say in the heart of every meal lies a story, and at Golden Dragon, Taj Coromandel, that story unfolded under the gaze of the Autumn Moon. As part of their celebration of the Autumn Moon Festival, a Chinese tradition that honours the harvest and full moon, we found ourselves embarking on a culinary pilgrimage.

Autumn Moon Festival is an ode to the Chinese Harvest Festival

“There are no courses in this food festival. We will bring everything to the table, and you can enjoy it one by one, like the way the Chinese do,” announced Chef Shankar Srinivas. What followed was not a meal, but a majestic food parade. Dish after dish marched in like flavourful troops, and before long, our table looked like it was under siege by an edible empire.

First arrived the irresistible Northern lamb dumplings, fragrant with hints of cumin, coriander, and crushed pepper. We have always thought of dim sums as little parcels of joy, and the Mushroom, spinach & corn dim sum proved exactly that. They were warm bites that made time seem to pause.

Our favourite among these bite-sized delights was the Broccoli and cream cheese dumplings, where the fresh flavours of broccoli, ginger, and celery mingled together like old friends at a school reunion even as we shared anecdotes about our own schooling days. The Mantao buns, soft, fluffy, and a Northern Chinese staple, were pillowy.

The wok section looked like a headliner at a sold-out food festival. The La Chu chicken came in hot and packed with flavours of chillies. One bite of this fiery dish, and we were hooked. Then arrived the Boiled pork belly, so tender it practically sighed when we picked it up, and it slid down our throats so smoothly, we barely noticed it was gone.

The Wok-smoked braised duck, on the other hand, was packed with bamboo shoots, garlic, and caramelised onions. We learned the duck was specially flown in from Singapore, and it certainly lived up to the hype. While duck meat can often be a bit chewy, this one was remarkably tender. The Stir-fried lamb, too, held its own with juicy, sizzling flair, courtesy of the smoked chillies, leek, and Shao Xing wine. Things softened a tad with the lotus stem stir-fried with Shao Xing wine, which was elegant and crispy.

Just when we thought we were done, a bowl of Guang dong fried rice and the Zha zha mein noodles arrived, the latter tossed with garlic and soy. We opted for the chicken version, but there are vegetarian and seafood options as well.

A food festival without a dessert would be like a moon without its glow. The final act, the classic mooncake, made its star entry—golden, dense, and filled with velvety red bean paste, baked in-house. We were encouraged to try it with the Caramelised walnut and orange ice cream, and honestly, it felt like the quirky cousin of the mooncake, as it was nutty, citrusy, and delightful.

Meal for one: `2,000++.

Till October 15.

Available for lunch and dinner.

At Taj Coromandel, Nungambakkam.

sangeetha.p@newindianexpress.com

X- @psangeetha2112

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