First Impression
You wouldn't think much of the place when you drive by, since there's construction work for Metro in progress. But as soon as you enter the place, the grandeur hits you right in the face! The tall hanging roofs, the shiny black exteriors, the silently flowing water fountains, everything just oozes luxury - one can't help but think, what is life for, if not this! We leave the car keys with the valet, and head to the first floor, where the restaurant is.
Service
As soon as we get out of the lift, we are greeted, very courteously, by the maitre d, who shows us to our table. He then leaves to get us the menus, and lets us know the specials - and seems overjoyed when we decide to go with the specials. Very courteously, he leaves us to ourselves, and goes along to start prepping our meal. Throughout the entire meals, the attendant and all the waiters behaved extremely well and gave us no chance to complain. The service, beyond a doubt was impeccable!
The ambiance
As we came out of the list, we were taken aback by the high ceilings, and the posh-looking interiors. The decor is classy and you can think of just one thing when you look at the interiors - Orient. The decor goes very well with the name, the menu, and the theme of the restaurant. One thing, however, which I noticed is that the lighting is slight dim, but maybe it adds to the shadowy Chinese theme, which they are looking for. However, I must agree that the lighting does increase the visual appeal of the food that they serve, especially with the plates that they use for serving. Even the music playing in the background adds to the oriental/Chinese feel to the restaurant. Another thing which is noticed is that the restaurant may seem quite small in the first glance, although, as we looked around, we noticed that it is huge, with a seating capability of easily over a hundred to a hundred and fifty people.
Food
Waitan cooler
The waitan cooler is as close to that perfect drink for relaxation that you'd ever get in a dry state.
Hot & sour chicken soup with bamboo shoot
The soup wasn't as I'd expected it to be - I'd expected soup more like a stock, but this was a heavy soup.
Steamed Lamb dumpling
The lamb inside the dumpling was tender and succulent, making the dumpling juicy - it was more like an explosion of flavors in the mouth!
Chicken Garlic Chive Dumpling
Although quite, good, the chicken dumpling could not match up to the standards that the lamb dumpling had set!
Fried Chicken with Sichuan Pepper, Nuts, and Spring Onion
The fried chicken was quite good, although, I'd have loved it even more had it been spicier.
Dongu prawns with fried garlic and onions
As with the lamb dumplings, even the prawns were extremely delicious. They were tender, succulent, and juicy, and the sauce in which they were cooked was extremely delicious.
Kung Pao Chicken with with ginger, Chinese vinegar, Cashew and Peanuts
As with Chicken dumplings, even the Kung Pao chicken was overshadowed by the Dongu Prawns.
Roasted Pork with Bell Peppers and Homemade Chili Bean Sauce
I could never imagine roasted pork being so soft and juicy, and yet - to my surprise, this roasted pork superseded all my expectations!
Local Lamb Shank Hot Pot with fragrant Coriander buns
Each dish that they served seemed to top the previous ones, and so was this - think sliced lamb shanks and pok choy along with flat wheat noodles cooked in a delicious broth, and served as a hot pot.
Fried Noodles with Chicken, Bell Peppers, Spring Onion, and Bean Sprouts
The noodles were well cooked and not at all dry.
Caramel Rocher bar
The caramel rocher bar looked more like a bar of chocolate served with caramel sauce on the side.
Mango coconut cream brûlée
The mango coconut creme brulee was also great, but since I didn't quite like the mixed flavor of mango and coconut.
Chocolate mousse
After the main course, the desserts did seem a little out of place - I was hoping for some Chinese desserts as well.
An error has occurred! Please try again in a few minutes