Short Read (For those on the go)
The China Kitchen at the Hyatt Regency, Delhi has revamped it’s peppy menu and the man behind it is Chef Dong Long, who started the restaurant in 2007 and scripted it’s meteoric rise to the top. We suggest his rendition of mushrooms in different ways.
Long Read (Read it at your leisure)
One of Hyatt Regency’s iconic restaurants, The China Kitchen is revamping it’s menu and we bring you the lowdown on it. The menu is being done by Chef Dong Long, the genius who scripted The China Kitchen’s meteoric rise to the top in 2007 earning the Times Food Award for “Best Chinese Restaurant” in the city for four consecutive years and the HT City Crystals award for two consecutive years. Chef Dong Long may not speak our language, but he manages to speak to us through his food. His newer menu is focussed on mushrooms so if you’re allergic to mushrooms, please stick to his other creations like the shredded chicken with wild rose sauce to Pan fried black cod fish with black truffles amidst others including the classic Peking Duck. But if mushrooms make you go gaga (we are not talking about the psychedelic ones), then read on about the mushrooms dishes you should be trying at The China Kitchen.
- Fungi Salad: The mixture of white and black mushrooms with a hint of chilli and oil is a great way to kickstart your meal. The mushrooms give the slightest bit of resistance on the tongue before dissolving away.
- Crystal vegetable dumpling, green pea, corn, celery, wood ear mushroom: The dimsum section also has one of these beauties as the fresh flavours of the vegetables collide with the earthiness of the mushrooms to create another beauty.
- Clear wild mushroom soup, black truffle: Replete with the aforementioned earthy flavours, this warm soup infuses right down to your bones these chilly winters. The intoxicating smell did no good to us either making us fall in love with it.
- Wok fried minced lamb, wild mushroom: Lamb with mushrooms? This was a first for us and we were not disappointed at all. With two differing textures, we definitely had our mouth full of this.
- Stir fried udon noodle, vegetable, mushroom: A great accompaniment to all the main courses, the noodles did a great job of holding the bowl together.
- Crispy porcini mushroom, dried chilli: But the dish that took the night was this. For all the Bengalis who are in love with their “Bhaajas”, this one might just start holding a special place in your heart. Accompanied by the dried chilli, the rich, heavy umami taste meant that we literally licked our bowl clean.
Although mushrooms may have been the star under Chef Dong Long, but I cannot help but slip in a short note on the star of the restaurant, The Peking Duck. Brought out on a platter and exquisitely sliced, it is then rolled into pancakes with a sauce that perfectly complements the juicy, soft duck.
So next you are getting a craving for some Chinese food, head over to The China Kitchen for an awesome mushroom experience.
