Oriental twist

Ratings
***
Henry Tham
Mandarin Chinese Restaurant,
Dhanraj
Mahal, Apollo Bunder Mumbai 400 039
Contact
Tel: 22023186
Meal
Meal for two with
alcohol: Rs 3,000

Cool is the word for it, they say. And though there was practically no one there when we arrived at 9 pm, by the time we were leaving at 10.30, some botoxed, blinged and blonde beauties were draped languorously at the bar as electronica played itself from the dj’s console. There may have been an electronic dj; I was too full to tell. The action was hotting up, though I understand that the night to be there is Thursday when it’s live. Also, the bar is the place to be and wine is the thing to drink, of which hundreds of varieties are on offer.

This was not a Thursday night, I rarely drink wine and I was there to eat and not drink. So there. The menu, thankfully, is not Pan-Asian and sticks to a largely Cantonese flavour – much like Mandarin was before it – though there is some fusion stuff. But the general effect is, well, hit and miss. The prawn and pork sui mai, for instance, was boring. This I say with pain because the man after whom the restaurant is named taught me how to eat with chop sticks and how to eat sui mai, although in another restaurant.
Was it because the prawn and pork did not go together? Cannot be, because the version of angels on horseback which substitutes oysters wrapped in bacon with prawns in bacon is stupendous. I asked for some sesame oil – another trick taught to me – to have with the sui mai but it was not available. The accompanying spring onion and garlic and chilli sauces were very good though.

For the main course, we stuck to the conventional menu. The sliced fish with ginger and spring onion was light to taste, with strong clean flavours. That is, this was a gingery sauce that was not a bright red bottled sauce with a sweet and sour base that often masquerades as both garlic and ginger. This was ginger. But I found that it was comme ci-comme ca. The companion liked it better.

I preferred the braised pork with mushroom, which was again light on the tongue, no overpowering tastes and the meat and the meaty bite of the mushroom were both intact.
The celery sticks added their bit. However, the companion was not happy with it which means it was just a question of individual choice.

Two dishes however were outstanding and do not scoff at the first. Stir fried Chinese greens with mushrooms, with a touch of garlic, a sliver of ginger and a splash of soy sauce can be the best palate refresher and this was exceptional. It was so good that you just wanted to eat it by itself or with the steamed rice. The crunch of the cabbage, the softer resistance of the broccoli, the tang of the greens - superb.

And the piece de resistance, which made up for all other complaints – was the crispy aromatic duck. Duck is freely available all over Mumbai now and I have it wherever I go as it is a welcome change from that foul fowl, chicken. This was one of the best. It was crispy, slightly aromatic (no being drowned in star-anise here) and absolutely delicious. The flesh was full, a tad heavy, the wonderful real taste of game meat giving it that extra edge. For this, you can and should go again and again.

But I reckon that it will be the wines, the electronica and the bling that will win and the food stays secondary. Which is why the high prices don’t match.
b_ranjona@dnaindia.net