Chinese food on your mind?

If ever you are looking for a standard Chinese meal which is a few steps above desi-Chinese and a few steps below losing your house to pay for a meal, then China Gate is the place to go. It looks good enough, feels good enough and plays an interesting selection of music, perhaps inspired by the pub next door. On the other hand, Lionel Ritchie’s Is it me you’re looking for, er, maybe not. I’m happier with Dido’s White Flag but that’s because David Boreanz looks hot in the video, oh well never mind.

We order prawns in Bali sauce as a starter, from the ‘Chef’s Special’ section of the menu, having had enough of a three-week self-imposed ban on seafood after the oil spill off the Mumbai coast.

We are not disappointed — the prawns are fresh and full-flavoured. The Bali sauce has touches of lemon grass and the Kaffir lime leaves and also a strong chilli base which makes your mouth pop and your system open up.

For the main, we ask for a steamed pomfret in crab sauce, roast lamb with chillies and Chinese greens. The pomfret to my mind has a slight smell — but this could be a psychological reaction to the ongoing seafood scare. It tastes well enough though I am unable to detect any crab at all in the red sauce.

The winner for me is the combination of roast lamb with the Chinese greens. The lamb has a smoky flavour and is perfectly cooked — no tough chewiness but tender. It also has an extra kick from the green chillies. The greens provide the perfect foil — light, flavourful, with gentle hints of garlic and lots of crunchy goodness.

The food at China Gate is of the spicy variety which should suit Indian palates very well. But it also retains an aura of authenticity which gives it an edge. The portions are good and the service is quick and friendly. This is not gourmet stuff but it is definitely good enough. It’s also the kind of place you go back to, so it can work the comfort factor.

For dessert, rock chick has the chocolate mousse while I cannot resist the honey noodles. Those wicked crisp fried noodles topped with honey and sesame seeds and served with vanilla ice-cream are quite irresistible. The portion is enormous and luckily I am able to resist gross overeating.

Just a word on restaurant etiquette: Conducting business on a cell phone at high decibels is a no-no and it is perhaps time we put manners back on the menu when it comes to public spaces. I know all the bank and new investment venture details of the gentleman sitting behind me — too much sharing, please! Take it outside or wait.