Flavours of the Orient

For the last three months, ‘Memories of China’, the popular Chinese restaurant at Vivanta by Taj, MG Road, had been closed to give the place a new look.

And it certainly has undergone a delightful transformation — the interiors transport you to the Far East with the lanterns, tea station, gong, terracotta warriors and chandelier adding to the authentic experience. Another addition is the live window, which allows customers to get involved and watch their food get prepared in the clean but busy kitchen. 

But most importantly, the reopening marks the comeback of Chinese master chef Lai Hin Tong William, who brings with him the authentic and traditional flavours from the Cantonese and Sichuan regions of China.

The man loves seeing an empty plate, knowing that his food has been polished off by customers. And he not only innovates with food but has his very own signature Tong sauce too.

“In Hong Kong, everybody always wants new sauces. With my Tong sauce, I had to first feel the need for it, after which began the thinking and experimenting,” shares the chef, who admits that the secret behind the recipe is the careful selection and balance of ingredients like chilli bean, shallots, sesame oil and garlic. 

During the launch of the newly-done restaurant, a sumptuous meal was served. It started with a refreshing cranberry mojito. The starters comprised crisp vegetable spring roll, dry chilli chicken, har gau (prawn dumpling) and crispy chilli babycorn, each with its own subtleties.

There was also a sushi-like preparation of glutinous rice and chicken wrapped with a lotus leaf, followed by an equally well-presented steamed custard bun, a tempting mid-meal sweetener.

Interestingly, other than a few local vegetables like cabbage, spinach and cauliflower and a few meats, most of the ingredients are imported.

“We want to bring the real taste of China to Bangalore. That is why we use mushrooms, condiments, snow peas, asparagus, honey beans and many other things from Thailand or Hong Kong. The sauces are also homemade, mixing local chilli powder with Chinese oyster or soya sauce,” informs Tong.

After a sweet vegetable ginseng soup, which is used as a healthy energy drink in China, the main course arrived. Each dish here has a unique taste to offer. For the non-vegetarians, the poached grouper fish in Sichuan style, the lamb in spicy cumin sauce and prawn and broccoli in his homemade XO sauce all proved to be exceptional in terms of flavours and textures.

On the other hand, vegetarians can devour the fresh pan-fried Chinese greens, Udon noodles in black pepper and the delicious burnt garlic fried rice. Another plus point in the meal is the lack of ajinomoto, making it very light on the stomach, unlike Chinese food found elsewhere. Even in terms of the amount of oil used, the food is just right.  
The much awaited dessert comes last — sweet glutinous black rice with longon (lychee) and homemade ice cream.

An unconventional combination that works well, it is the perfect end to the satisfying meal.