Out of 228 dishes, five come back to the pass more than any others. Here is what they are and why people keep ordering them.
1. Chicken with Cashew Nuts — Rs. 1,060
Diced chicken velveted so it stays tender, fried fast with cashews, spring onion and a light savoury sauce. It is the dish we recommend to anyone eating with us for the first time: recognisably Chinese, generous, and not chilli-hot. The cashews are added at the very end so they stay crisp rather than softening in the sauce.
2. Twice Cooked Pork — Rs. 860
Pork belly simmered whole, cooled, sliced paper-thin, then returned to a hot wok with leek and fermented broad-bean paste. Two separate cooking stages, which is where the name comes from. The result is savoury and faintly sweet with no added sugar, and it is one of the great Sichuan dishes.
3. Steamed Whole Fish — Rs. 1,230
A whole fish steamed to order, finished at the last moment with ginger, spring onion and hot oil poured over the top. Cantonese cooking at its most restrained: nothing is hidden, so the fish has to be fresh. This is the dish to order when you want a centrepiece.
4. Chicken Hotpot — Rs. 1,060 small, Rs. 1,400 big
Not a dish so much as an evening. A pot of chicken broth simmers at your table and you cook thin-sliced meats, seafood, tofu, mushrooms and vegetables in it at your own pace, dipping each piece in garlic or peanut sauce. For four or more people it is the best thing on the menu.
5. Mapo Tofu — Rs. 480
Silken tofu in a sauce of fermented broad-bean paste, chilli and Sichuan peppercorn. Numbing, deeply savoury, and entirely vegetarian if you ask for it without the optional minced pork. It converts people who think they do not like tofu.
Ordering these together
They balance well as a table for four: one mild chicken dish, one rich pork, one steamed fish, one vegetable, plus rice. That comes to roughly Rs. 3,600 before drinks. All prices include 13% VAT.
The full menu is online with current prices.
