Mainland China — Restaurant in Kolkata

We recently visited Mainland China at Gurusaday Road and had a lit gastronomic experience. It is located at the heart of the city, just a 5-minute drive from Ballygunge Phari. And guess what, you don't need to pay for parking. The dining hall was on the first floor. It was very spacious and well decorated (the random mobile clicks will speak volumes of the ambience). We were set the heart on the buffet but to no avail. The Covid-19 quagmire and the restrictions watered down our desires. We settled for the ala carte. And if you see the menus, you will be spoilt for choice. Too many delicious dishes and you will be tempted to have them all at once. The steward helped us a lot to decide on the food items. Here is a rundown:

Basil flavoured chicken dumplings (large) (₹445.00) Hot and Sour Chicken Soup (₹285.00) Pan-fried noodles with soy garlic prawns (₹505.00) Steamed rice (₹200.00) Cantonese Chicken with Greens and Garlic (regular) (₹510.00) Fresh Lime soda (₹110.00) Palm Jaggery ice cream (₹175.00) The rates are exclusive of taxes

Let's have a quick review of the signature dishes.

Basil flavoured chicken dumplings:

Soft and juicy stuffing made the dumplings a delight to the taste buds. The moderate use of spices was very light on the tummy. The size was smaller than the regular dumplings that we have in the greasy spoon mom-and-pop spots in Kolkata. But as the soft chunks were caught by the prongs and were chomped slowly, the mouth was filled with a burst of exotic flavour.

Hot and Sour Chicken Soup:

Very different from the regular soup that we get from most of the Chinese Restaurants in Kolkata. As our steward told us there are two main ingredients, that are responsible for these opposing flavours. Vinegar (for sour) and white pepper (for hot). Apart from the thin strips of chicken, there were two different types of mushrooms used. Shiitake mushrooms and wood ear mushrooms. The soup also contained dried Lily flowers. It went superbly with the dumplings.

Pan-fried noodles with soy garlic prawns:

Noodles are the crown jewel of Chinese cuisine. But the noodles we had were a bit different than those found in most of the restaurants in Kolkata. The noodles were made with soy sauce, cooking wine and brown sugar and were fried in vegetable oil. The prawns were crisp and juicy. The thick gravy contained baby corn, broccoli, mushrooms and strips of chicken. It is the perfect blend of all luscious ingredients that enchants us, foodies. A must try!

Cantonese Chicken with Greens and Garlic:

The distinctive aspect of Mainland China is the moderate use of spices. The dishes are not heavy on the stomach, but still taste great. The Cantonese Chicken we had there was indubitably the best we ever had. Cantonese food is mostly seasoned with wonderful Asian sauces - soy sauce, fish sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine vinegar, and sesame oil with a nice smoky flavour. The proportions of sugar and salt were perfect. Garlic was subtle and did not overpower. We used the Fresh Lime Soda as the palate cleanser and it was very refreshing too.

Palm Jaggery ice cream:

This moreish is relished as a dessert after a heavy meal. It is a fusion ice cream recipe served in almost every reputed Bengali restaurant all through the year for the ultimate public demand. It is prepared from double cream, Nolen gurer Sandesh, Nolen gur and evaporated milk. We were thrilled to find it in a Chinese Restaurant.

Recommendations and Ratings:

Mainland China is touted as an authentic Chinese restaurant. We've never been to China, so we can't check out the authenticity. But the food tasted unique and flavorful. The rates can be a bit pricey, but it's worth it. To all of my friends, I'll assign five-star ratings and strongly recommend them! Bon Appetit.

Pocket Pinch: ₹3000 (for two) Cuisine: Chinese Must try: Pan-fried Noodles with soy garlic prawns, Cantonese Chicken with Greens and Garlic and Basil flavoured chicken...

Savour the Best of Mainland China in a grand Ten Course Lunch & Dinner only @ Rs. 645/-

Undoubtedly the holy grail for Chinese and Oriental Food in the city of Joy, Mainland China is one name which is as synonymous, as is Roshogolla is perhaps to the legacy of this city. For reasons uncomprehended, Mainland China has always been the forefront of some of the best fine dining restaurants this city has to offer. However, more than the ambiance, location or service, it is always the food which wins here, and beckons countless of masses to have a grab of their offerings, atleast once a month! The inert subtlety of the flavours, the use of the exotic, yet the simple-tasting spices, and the love and affection which goes in behind the preparation of every dish, is indeed unmatched!

With the current and ongoing situation of pandemic, it is however hard to spend the way, we may have used to even a couple of months before. Things are tight, and not everything is possible to do the way we would want them to happen. Perhaps this is the reason why, the restaurant is offering a “Best of Mainland China”, in the form of a su0mptuous and mouthwatering ten course lunch and dinner, at a throwaway price of Rs. 645/- only. Ranging from delicious soups, and then moving on to fingerlicking starters, you get the option of devouring lavish main course meals, before finally ending up with some delectable and soul-seeking desserts.

You can start with the delicious Lung Fong Soup, which is ideally a thick soup, full of diced vegetables. For alternate versions, there are ones with meat, with Mainland China offering the variation of a Chicken Lung Fong Soup. With the egg whites floating on the top like thick dense clouds, the cinematic view of this soup is as good as the taste it offers. As you sip in your way through this delectable soup, thin translucent dumplings will make your way on to the table. Again, with the option of choosing between the vegetarian version and the chicken, the flavour will numb your senses, with the fresh chives and basil complementing each other well.

Dip in to the popular chili oil and you would get transported to heaven, all in an instant. What amazed me the most, was the thin wrapper surrounding the dumplings. These were juicy, watery and full of exotic, yet simple flavours to make you all you may want from this place. For appetizers, we chose the Diced Chicken in Assorted Peppers, which had a clear and prominent use of soy, oyster sauce and vinegar, used to combine the flavours of the fresh peppers and the juicy chicken. Tuck in your mouth the caramelized onions, or if you are a vegetarian, opt for their crispy chilli potatoes. Diced, long-cut potatoes, batter fried, and tossed in a sweet chilli sauce, is as good as it can get!

For mains, the Chicken in Roasted Garlic was an absolute lipsmacker. The prominent flavours of garlic seeped in to the chicken, with the sauce being light and aromatic, and pairing perfectly with the Celery and Chinese Cabbage Fried Rice. It was a holy grail of combination, much like the light broth sweet and sour Mandarin Fish along with the Wok Tossed Vegetarian Hakka Noodles. The cornflour tossed fish cubes, had soaked in a substantial portion of the juice from the gravy, thus creating an explosion of flavours in the mouth. For the rest, you can dig into the Stir-Fried Chinese Greens, or if you are a vegetarian, you get the option to savour Corn and Potatoes in Black Pepper Sauce.

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You can find a Chinese restaurant at any corner, in the City of Joy, but there are very few that serves authentic Chinese dishes. Mainland China is one of the top places, that serves great Chinese dishes. We went to try their buffet menu. Coming to the food, ambience and service:

Food- They will serve you the starter and soup, but you have to self serve the main course and dessert.

~Assorted Salads

~Chicken Clear Soup- The soup was extremely light and the flavour was too good. There were shredded chickens in the entire soup. You can have this.

~Starter

• Crispy Fish- One bite in the fish, and you will be able to fill the crisp. This one was fresh, hot and juicy. One of the highly recommended dish.

• Chicken Drumstick- The drumsticks were good, I like the taste of it.

• Prawn Sushi- Not a very big fan of sushi, but after having these sushis, I became one.

• Chicken Siu Mai- Served with two different types of sauces, this tastes amazing.

~Main Course

• Mixed Hakka Noodles- The noodles were neither too dry nor too oily, they were just perfect.

• Triple Schezwan Rice- The rice was okay-ish. I prefer rice more than noodles, but here, I preferred noodles more.

• Chilli Chicken- This one was okay-ish. The chicken was having a coating which tasted bad.

• Prawn Hot and Garlic- This one was my favourite. Medium sized prawns, infinite in number. I mean, nothing can beat this dish.

• A preparation of Crab- I am very sorry I don't remember the actual name, but the taste of this dish was amazing. The crab was juicy, there was enough meat.

~Dessert • Assorted Pastries- The pastries were soft and fluffy. I think the flavour was mango.

• Brownie- The brownies were a bit hard, but the taste was no doubt great.

• Darshan- The darshans were really amazing. They were crunchy and hot. It goes best with vanilla ice cream.

• Custard- The custard was okay-ish.

• Cheese Cake- The taste of the cheese cake was not that good. This was not like a regular cheese cake.

• Ice Cream- There was four flavours of ice cream. Chocolate, vanilla, mango and butterscotch. There was hot chocolate and choco chips. So you can serve yourself with brownie with hot chocolate ice cream. Rating- 5/5

Ambience- The place is huge, they have a big dine in area. The place was cool, calm and comfortable. Rating- 4/5

Service- Everyone were really helpful and humble. They always had a smile on their face which gives so much positive vibes. Their hospitality is really...