We grew up savouring Chinjabi food — a mix of Chinese and Punjabi — and thought nothing could be more mouth-watering than the chilli-hot, soy-laden dishes served in Delhi’s restaurants in the past. But that was decades ago, when eating out meant a Chinese meal, for there was nothing much available in the city, apart from basic north Indian fare.
Curiously, while Delhi was still in awe of the handful of Chinese restaurants it had — Ginza in Connaught Place, Aka Saka and Chung-Wa in Defence Colony, Fujiya in Malcha Marg and a few others — Kolkata was splitting at the seams with eateries that served Chinese. My first Chinese in that city was at Jimmy’s Kitchen on what is now AJC Road, and I still remember pouring ketchup over my prawn fried rice. But you have to forgive me — I was just 11.
Chowman in Delhi Sliced pork with cashew nuts | Photo Credit: Special Correspondent
Because of this old tie with Kolkata’s Chinese eateries, I was happy when I heard that Chowman, a chain in the eastern metropolis, was making its presence felt in Delhi. Chowman, which has a wide range of dishes, including many from other parts of Asia, recently opened an outlet in East of Kailash and Noida. It delivers food across the city.
The rates are pocket-friendly. I ordered on two different days and found that most dishes were reasonably priced. On the first evening, I asked for a plate of lamb in Hunan sauce, sliced pork with cashew nuts and bell pepper, honey-glazed pan-fried chicken with lemon, chicken Meifoon noodles and roasted pork fried rice. The food was enough for three (with some even left over for lunch), and I paid 1,949. Two days later, I went in for a plate of crispy fried crab wonton, Chowman special noodles and Chowman special chicken, and paid 1,094.
The food was good: spicy, but not overly so. I loved the crab wontons – they were crunchy and full of juicy crab meat, peppered with some greens. The lamb in Hunan sauce, cooked with ginger and garlic, was deliciously hot. The Chowman Special chicken with lot of veggies, however, was a bit too gelatinous. The pork was fine, though I would have liked it more if the pieces were fatty.
Chowman in Delhi Lamb in Hunan sauce | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
The cereals were rather good. The roast pork rice had plump bits of pork in it, while the very thin Meifoon noodles had been topped with carrots, spring onions and capsicum, apart from egg and chicken. Though the menu card said the Chowman Special Noodles would come mixed with bell peppers, baby corn and broccoli, the dish I got didn’t have too many of the veggies, though it did have a fair share of shrimp and chicken.
I think my favourite dish at Chowman, which has also opened in Bengaluru, is the honey-glazed chicken — the flavours were mild, but the dish had a nutty and lemony taste that I enjoyed. In all my old haunts in the city, there is a dish that I never tire of — shredded lamb in hot garlic sauce in Ginza, sweet-and-sour pork at Golden Dragon, the honey chicken with cherries in Fa Yian and the slice chicken angel with hot sauce in Side Wok.
In Chowman, it’s going to be honey-glazed pan-fried chicken with lemon. Or do I mean the lamb in Hunan sauce? The trials promise to carry on.
