The Lunar New Year special menu has a range of lip-smacking vegetarian and non-vegetarian starters. The veg menu has (top) Chengdu Vegetable Money Bags which are crispy fried dumplings with a veg filling, and (bottom left) Sichuan Numbing Cottage Cheese with Peanut. The highlight of the vegetarian starters menu is the (bottom right) vegan crispy mock meat, which is tossed in Hong’s sauce
If you like a side of drama with your food, the (top) Longevity Chilli Oil Noodles are tossed in freshly made chilli oil right in front of you. These long noodles represent life and health in Chinese tradition. You can pair this with other vegetarian mains like the Cottage Cheese in Sweet Chilli and Black Pepper Sauce. The cubes of cottage cheese are soft and blend perfectly with all the spices and sauces
In the non-vegetarian main course combo, the (bottom) colourful Truffle Dragon Fried Rice shines bright. The fried rice with cubes of tofu, fresh edamame, scrambled egg and black truffles is a party on your plate! For those looking to add to the fiery taste, the Spicy Clay Pot Chicken is perfect fuel, but if your palate has a limited heat tolerance, pair the chicken with some jasmine rice
Dragons get thirsty too, and for thirst quenchers, the Mainland China menu features a range of mocktails and cocktails. The (right) Fire Dragon Picante is a gin-based cocktail rimmed with salt and red chilli powder, and is infused with cilantro, lime and pineapple juice. The mocktail, Water Dragon Picante, has a more toned down flavour with a dash of pomegranate and curry leaves
Speaking about the menu, general manager, brand standards and public relations, Speciality Restaurants, Debashish Ghosh, said, ‘This is a special year in the Chinese calendar and the menu is a celebration of the legacy of Mainland China.’ (Bottom) Indraneel Bhattacharya, corporate executive chef said, ‘We have kept the theme of the dragon and fire in all the dishes. The highlight of this menu is the mock meat that is made of soya. The Truffle Dragon Fried Rice and Longevity Noodles are also something to look forward to.’
My Kolkata spotted some popular food vloggers of the city and asked for their take on the menu. Koninika De of @konizfoodwheels said, ‘Mainland China has always kept up to our expectations and today each and every dish celebrated the Chinese New Year. The Spicy Chicken Bao was my favourite!’ Food influencer Pamela Nandi applauded Chef Indroneel and his team on ‘a fabulous job curating this menu. I would urge everyone to come and try this once to feel the joy of Chinese cuisine.’
