Palate-tickling flavours of Sichuan, Guangdong, Hunan and Fukien
With 42 restaurants in over 16 cities, Mainland China - South Asia’s leading Pan Asian restaurant chain opened in Colombo serving an array of hot and cold authentic Asian dishes.
The flagship brand of Speciality Restaurants Ltd, Mainland China is a venture in partnership with Cusino Ltd. Specialty Restaurants, a Bombay Stock Exchange and National Stock Exchange listed award-winning international restaurant group that currently has 123 outlets presenting a variety of cuisines.
The aroma of authentic Chinese cooking wafted into the hall of the restaurant on Flower Road, Colombo 3 as invitees waited to sample the delicacies the restaurant had to offer.
The interior of the building pays homage to the general perception of Chinese decor – with black, red and gold appearing predominant. Tastefully furnished the restaurant makes maximum use of space with comfortable seating and the subdued lighting making for an overall elegant setting.
What was noteworthy was the availability of partitioned seating areas, making a cosy space for intimate occasions.
As for the food, we were treated to the palate-tickling flavours of the Sichuan province, Guangdong province, Hunan and even the spices of Fukien.
The meal began with a fresh bowl of Lemon and Coriander Soup. A pleasing combination of lemon juice and fresh coriander leaves, the soup will warm up any soul - a hearty meal on its own.
Following this, we were offered two variations of Dim Sum – the “Red Curry Prawn Dumplings” and “Chicken Siu Mai with Straw Mushrooms”. Both bite sized portions of dumplings came filled with succulent meat! The Red Curry Prawn Dumpling leveling a pleasing subtle burn and a slight salty edge with every soft bite.
The Chicken Siu Mai with Straw Mushrooms, a steamed chicken dumpling of sorts, was a delicate morsel of ground chicken and straw mushrooms wrapped in what we can only assume was a wonton skin wrapper. Highly popular in Chinatowns worldwide, the dainty dumpling was a burst of fresh, juicy goodness!
For our mains we were served “Roast Chicken Fried Rice” and “Egg Hakka Noodles Szechuan Style”. The noodles were a tantalizing blend of spicy and sweet – complemented by the aromatic blend of sauces and the soft Egg Noodles. To accompany the rice and noodles came warm dishes of “Spicy Hunan Prawns”, “Chicken Taipei” and “Baked Sea Bass”.
Hunan Cuisine known for being one of the eight great traditions of Chinese cuisine, has aggressive heat in flavours. The Spicy Hunan Prawns were a true representation of this giving us an explosion of flavour and spice.
The Chicken Taipei was a crunchy, soft rendition of the Taiwanese style delicacy – coupled with subtle flavouring - a finger licking dish on its own. The Baked Sea Bass literally fell off the cutlery with each bite – the softness of the fish proudly showcased the hints of ginger and spices.
Two simple yet refreshingly light desserts rounded off the meal – the “Mango Pudding with Mint” and “Steamed Coconut Dumpling”. Predominantly gracing the menus of many Indian restaurants we were pleasantly surprised to see a “coconut dumpling” on the menu.
The somewhat sticky dumpling was light and tantalizingly sweet forcing us to close our eyes for one third of a second to avoid succumbing to a slight sugar buzz. Although the coconut dumpling had us wanting more it was the “Mango Pudding with Mint” that levelled a smooth finish to the evening meal. The delicate pudding was a fruity-fresh finale with rich mango custard and allusions of fresh mint combining in a symphony of flavour.