Asia Kitchen by Mainland China has opened a new outlet at the Somerset Greenways in MRC nagar. It serves Japanese, Chinese and Thai cuisines and is also expecting to introduce Indonesian dishes in the months to come.
Chef Indraneel Bhattacharya, executive chef at Speciality Restaurants Limited, the restaurant’s parent company informs that there are more Japanese dishes on the menu compared to the other two cuisines as they have observed an increase in popularity for the cuisine in Chennai.
Our colourful meal begins with the Japanese ebi tempura rolls. Prawns rolled in vinegared sushi rice and batter-fried with panko bread crumbs. While the fried sushi was crispy and subtly flavoured, the wasabi it was served with was crumbly with no zing.
The blue pea and spicy asparagus dumpling photographs well with a bright blue-coloured dough and a slice of asparagus sticking out. Although the dish is not spicy, the steamed asparagus render a savoury flavour to the dumplings.
The Thai exotica mocktail made with pomegranate and guava Juice is refreshing and is elevated by notes of basil flavouring every sip.
We also try the prawn hargao which has a pleasing scent. The traditional Cantonese dumplings are encased in a translucent dough, filled with sesame-flavoured prawns and crunchy water chestnuts.
The mains begin with the pop-culture favourite Omurice. Under a sheet of simple omelette speckled with spring onion is Japanese fried rice with carrots and beans on a layer of bean and butter sauce. The sauce, was sweet and sticky, and paired well with the soft eggs and salty fried rice.
Across the main course, Thai curries flavoured with Thai chilli, lemongrass or kaffir lime are aplenty, aside of the staple green and red variants. Chef Thananya Hanain who hails from northern Thailand is Chef de Cuisine of the Thai wing at Asia Kitchen. She aims to change the interpretation of Thai food in the country with innovative menus and authentic flavours. We try the Thai panag chicken curry with fragrant jasmine rice. The pink curry is made with coconut milk, green peas, eggplant and is flavoured by kaffir lime leaves. It is mildly spiced, creamy and scrumptious.
On our culinary trip across South-East Asia, we then try the Thai khao niew mamung or sticky rice with mango. It is a light and mildly sweet dessert. The rice is coloured with blue pea flowers and cooked in coconut milk. It is topped with fried mung beans and is served with a slice of mango on the side.
The Japanese annin tofu is also vegan-friendly. It is made with almond milk, tofu and is set with agar agar. The dessert is too sweet with a stevia-like taste but is creamy and is topped with a cherry.
Asia Kitchen by Mainland China has seven outlets across the country and one in Dubai. On the other hand, Mainland China is a separate chain of 23 restaurants across the country which serves only Chinese cuisine.
At Asia Kitchen by Mainland china a meal for two costs ₹1600. The restaurant is at Somerset Greenways Chennai, MRC Nagar, Raja Annamalai Puram.
