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ShareMumbai: San Qi
Four Seasons Hotel, Mumbai
Rating: *** 1/2
Meal for two (no alcohol): Rs 6,000
The name, please note, is not to be pronounced like some chillar Mumbai street slang word. It is "san chi", something to do with the three energies floating about the restaurant. The way it looks -- cold, like an upscale airport coffee shop -- it could do with some energy. Maybe they need to realign their chi?
The three energies -- or is chi more like a life force in Chinese? -- are to do with the Japanese, Chinese and Indian cuisines on offer. Thai is soon to be added, they said. I don't know if the name then changes. We stuck to the Chinese, so as not to have our chis crossed. Okay, no more, I promise.
In spite of rock chick regular dining companion not having had a drink in weeks, we decided not to. Just as well, when we looked at the prices. Instead, two starters: pork sampler and roast duckling with jellyfish. The portions looked small when they arrived but boy did they taste good. The pork was honey roasted and served with yellow and red peppers in a meaty sauce. The flavours were strong but not overpowering and everything complemented each other.
The duck was clean and meaty with a crisp skin. The jellyfish provided added texture. It was a bit like seaweed. The duck really needed no accompaniment. (I always say this about duck. It is an incredible fowl.) For the main course, we had -- on recommendation by a very friendly steward -- ginger prawns, sea bass in XO sauce and some sauteed
asparagus and mushrooms (black fungus if you like). The prawns were close to perfect. Fresh, succulent and served with bean sprouts and a hint of ginger -- clean, wholesome and even with plain sticky rice, not boring at all.
Likewise for the sea bass, served with seaweed and the sauce, which was very flavourful -- dried seafood with chilli, garlic and oil. The fish was firm, the seaweed added crunch and the sauce added the zing.
The vegetable dish acted like a palate cleanser and the deep fried lotus root crisps added a nice touch to contrast the softness of the fungus and the firmness of the asparagus. It worked with rice on its own as well.
San Qi serves quality ingredients with clean flavours. The service is friendly and efficient. The portions for the main courses are slightly larger than the starters and quite filling.
Still, dessert beckoned. Here, it was all generosity. Rock chick asked for a hazelnut ice-cream and got three portions, which was more than enough -- not too sweet or too milky, with the hazelnut flavour distinct. I tried the selections of the day -- a chocolate fondant, a macaroon and a creme brulee. The fondant was wonderful, rich creamy chocolate inside the crisp layer and so was the macaroom. Crème brulee with a passionfruit jelly on top defeats the purpose for me, but in itself it was good enough.
Three complaints: the prices are outrageous, the decor unimpressive and a seven per cent service charge I cannot understand. We were outside in a little smoking area (yes, the rock chick smokes too) when the bill arrived and I am too mathematically challenged to easily figure out the additional amount required to make a fair tip especially in the darkness. Why not just make it 10 or 15 per cent. Just as well we hadn't had a drink (no, I don't smoke).
