China Bistro
I have always been a fan of Pan-Asian cuisine with a special admiration for Thai cuisine– I totally love the strong aromatic elements of the dishes and the not-so-apparent level of spice. Ever since my visit to Phuket an Phi Phi Islands– the former cuisine is now my most favourite. Frankly, I haven’t tried a lot of Chinese dishes and it would be fair to say that my understanding of the same is pretty much minimal. When Vishal invited me for my second #bloggerstable event and mentioned that it was at a newly opened casual-dining restaurant, specialising in Chinese cuisine; knowing the sort of culinary experience he has been through, it sort of put my mind at peace that there would be someone to help me understand what are my expectations from this diverse cuisine. After all, the learning curve when it comes to food just like any another subject is gradual.
China Bistro is the brain-child of a popular Mumbai-based food and beverage company- Foodlink Restaurants Pvt Ltd; this would be their first venture in Hyderabad and will soon be followed by a lounge opening right next to China Bistro called Glocal. I have also been invited for Glocal’s pre-opening on Friday (12-02-2016) and I must say the their logo itself is very interesting; more on that later. Gulp ‘n’ Munch is not just about food but also about the food experience; when it comes to China Bistro- I was absolutely amazed when I read that the food has a strong association to the legendary Terracotta warriors. These warriors protected the emperor with their lives and the same passion reflected in the food they ate- it resembled their persona and power, with the use of indigenous spices and local meat. On the same context, I would like to talk about the two –15 feet Terracotta warriors standing tall at the entrance of China Bistro which is to signify that these warriors were also very protective about their recipes (very interesting indeed).
The ambiance and the interior décor is simple but elegant- sort of what you would come to expect from a fine-dine restaurant. I like the contemporary chandeliers which looks like inverted wine glasses put together; very appealing. The restaurant has a lower section and a short stairway that leads to the upper section- we were seated here for the food tasting. Service was exemplary and our servers were very courteous and constantly asked us about the food and the drinks that were served. There were quite a lot of dishes that we were served and to put it short and concise – the food was delectable and delicious, also a special mention for the presentation- it was visually arresting.
Now, that was a pretty long food journey right? As I had mentioned earlier, the food was top quality and there weren’t any hiccups that needed attention to. Yes, the Bao could have been a little more soft and slightly thick and the Thai curry lacked the aroma and taste of lemon grass. If you’d ask me what did I find outstanding? Among the cocktails the Apple Basil Martini, Cucumber Wasabi Cooler and the Chinese bat were fragrant and refreshing- all a must-try. All the starters were inviting and packed with flavor and I do have my favourites- Prawns Cheong Fun and the Steam Fish in Banana Leaf. In the entrée section, I thoroughly enjoyed the Fish in Chilli Basil Sauce and the Meegoreng noodles- the latter had a very distinct and pleasant flavor although not a whole lot of spices used. To elevate the already-impressive food experience we jumped to desserts; what better than an orgasmic Steam Coconut Dumpling with Honey Butter Sauce and to we called it a day with Chocolate Tsunami- both moist and toothsome.
Personally, China Bistro has surpassed all my expectations in terms of the food, the ambiance, the service and to compliment all that, an extremely riveting idea of serving a long last cuisine enjoyed by the Terracotta warriors and in the process ensuring customers enjoy ages of Chinese culinary excellence. I will be back for more, thank you for the wonderful experience. You’ve earned your way to Gulp ‘n’ Munch’s You Gotta Eat Here legendary eatery list!
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