New Chinese menu at Eest, The Westin Gurgaon

Done with the curry style Indian Chinese food, especially with Manchurians making it to the top of the menu? Or tired of explaining to the waiters that you want Sichuan and not Szechuan? If you are on a lookout for something traditional and real, head to Eest! No, it’s not a spell error right there. We’re not even trying to tell you that you need to burn your pockets buying flight tickets to enjoy good traditional Asian food. Eest is the name of the restaurant at The Westin Gurgaon that not just serves you authentic Chinese (Cantonese and Sichuan is more like it) cuisine but a complete Asian experience to include Thai and Japanese as well.

Looking around

There are private areas to enjoy the few things that deserve exclusive attention. Just as you enter the live Sushi bar that seats only 5, you know the passion with which the Sushi must be prepared before being served to you, right off the counter! We will leave the Sushi Bar for another post to respect the passion with which it is created by The Westin. Next is the Chinese tea bar, because the Chinese connoisseurs would looking forward to good quality Chinese tea to couple with the food. The bar is designed with the traditional Asian elements to such perfection that it is difficult to believe the tea could even be a wee bit away from authentic. Again, we will have to leave the many stories of the Chinese tea bar for another exclusive visit and post.

Settling in

Warmed up to the ambience and the chic Asian décor that is not overpowering with strong colours (unlike Asian restaurants), we take a table overlooking a gigantic waterfall and lush green span. We are soon greeted by Chef Qiao Jian. When he left Shanghai for India back in 2003, he carried his favourite possession for us – his love for the Asian cuisine and his magic pot – all to enrich India. A

brief insight into the cuisine he was going to serve us shortly, got us excited to dive into the dishes as soon as they arrived. Chefs really have a way with words to get you salivating – we thought until the main course actually arrived – making Chef’s description a bit modest. Getting there without any ado.

The indulgence

First arrived a refreshing watermelon welcome drink with two munchies – Fried Wontons (tricolored) and Thai Style Peanuts. Crispy, crunchy and awesome to keep biting into along with drinks.

Having requested to be surprised with the Vegetarian dishes, three starters were sent in. Spicy Tofu with Bell pepper came in first. Wow! Glazed coat, soft as cotton, perfectly spicy and temperature just right for you to dive into. Then was served Vegetable Salt and Pepper – an assortment of crunchy veggies with the flavour of each kept intact. Simple, but simply a must-try. To some, it may feel a bit high on pepper but those who like it strong will love it. The non vegetarian starters included a crispy lamb which perfectly represented the hot chilly flavours of Sichuan. By now, some lovely cocktails like Eest-Westin  (a Malibu and white rum based cocktail), Ban Thai and Wasabi Martini were being sipped along. Next in the line were the String Beans with Black Bean Sauce and Chillies. We weren’t finished admiring the polished green bean when we bit into it, and loved the crunchy surprise that held within itself the unharmed flavour of the bean like it were raw.

For main course we tried Chives and Garlic Veg Fried Rice and Luo Han Vegetables. The fried garlic granules added a crunch to the rice. We combined it with a chicken in ginger and spring onion sauce which combined to create a sprightly array of flavours on the palate. We also got to know from the chef that his preference of the style and grain size of the rice is different for different dishes. Once again we were taken in by his passion to make every dish a delight for his guests. He explained that Luo Han is the sauce that coats the vegetables and makes them look desirable with that picture-perfect shine apart from making them absolutely delicious of course!

Now time for the showstopper. For dessert, we were served Chinese Style Molten Glutinous Chocolate Dumplings. No hint of the chocolate on the face of it, keeps you guessing. Only until you crack the dumpling with your fork to see chocolate oozing out. Warm and grainy molten chocolate then becomes a part of every bite you take of that milky white dumpling. This was eaten with vanilla ice cream and watermelon, to the last morsel of course!

Tofu, string beans and the chocolate dumplings became our favourites from the first visit. A meal for two can cost you around INR 3,000 here.

Delighted, at Eest and eager to return for a lot more!