Krystal Bowl Chinese Restaurant — Restaurant in West Bengal

Ah, the solo dining experience – a journey of culinary self-discovery, where one hopes to dance with exotic flavors and fresh ingredients. Alas, my adventure at Krystal Bowl was more akin to a freezer burn ballet than a fresh food fiesta.

As I eagerly awaited a tryst with the top three dishes, heralded as the pinnacle of the menu, my anticipation was met with a plate that seemed to have taken a detour through the Arctic. The “fresh” in the menu must have been a relic from a bygone era, much like the frozen artifacts that arrived at my table.

The exotic journey I yearned for turned out to be a round trip to the land of the ice giants, where “processed” is the local cuisine. I do hope this message reaches the north pole of the kitchen, where perhaps a thawing might occur, bringing forth the promised freshness that was more myth than reality on this occasion.

In good humor, I trust this icy escapade will melt away into a warm commitment to culinary freshness. Bon appétit, or should I say,...

We never heard of it but just found it on our way to Circuit House, Kalimpong in an official tour. We dropped off for a late lunch. Never expected much, as a small restaurant with not so much ornamented decor hardly could offer much. But we were totally wrong. The owner introduced himself and told that he was from Chinatown, Kolkata. He brought the authentic Chinese food from there. As per his suggestion we tried egg, chicken and prawn fried rice along with chicken manchurian and sweet and sour chicken. We also ordered sweet corn chicken soup. Trust me, the very first sip reminded me of Tangra (Chinatown, Kolkata) Restaurants. The rice was at par with the soup but the best item was chicken manchurian which stole the show definitely. The proprietor also told us that he didn’t compromise with the taste. All his items were cooked in different and freshly cooked sauces! That’s really amazing. Lastly the restaurant is not even a month old but has already taken a place...

The unassuming stairways descended into a cheerful place. Colourful lanterns from Vietnam against the backdrop of a mesmerising portrait of an oriental woman in a spotlessly clean environment provided an inviting ambience. The handmade egg noodles had a spring with the much sought after “wok hei”. The super crispy crust provided good textural contrast to the succulent nuggets while still coated in a well balanced sauce. The lightly thickened soup with ample of suspended minced meat, shrimp, shiitake mushroom and delicate wisps of egg was a great appetiser. The close attention to detail coupled with sourcing good quality ingredients, sauces from reputed brands reflects his passion, resulting in delectable Chinese food. The warm hospitality of Joseph and his wife, Oi Na touched our hearts and satiated our appetite. It is heart warming to witness one of our own from Tangra China Town to be the proud owner of such a fabulous joint...