Stirring the Wok a Little

Another pan-Asian diner,but this one offers chilled starters

You might not associate cold starters with Chinese cuisine,but chef Wang Li,who handles the kitchen at the newly opened pan-Asian restaurant Jing,in Vatika Towers,Gurgaon,will insist you begin your meal with a chilled bowl of shredded chicken in sesame sauce. As we balance on our chopsticks the recommended poached chicken slices (Rs 225) flaunting a golden-brown tan,he throws in an aside for good measure,“Cold starters are an essential part of the Chinese meal and I was quite surprised to find that restaurants here rarely have them on their menus.” The Chinese chef who has worked the woks at many hotel kitchens in Beijing has also come up with some delightfully well done cold veggies; his Beans and Spinach in Mustard Sauce (Rs 145) is especially good. The table,meanwhile,gets furbished with a basket of rather curiously stuffed dimsums. The flour packs are filled with a mix of mashed potatoes,corn and some greens (Rs 125). The effort appeals to the palate,except for the particularly plain potatoes to which we add the fiery twang of the red chili dip. Another interesting stuffing on the dimsum list—pan fried lamb (Rs 145) promises to bring out the flavours with a sprinkle of Chinese wine and sesame. The 140-cover restaurant maintains a quiet ambience much like the Vatika Group’s other diner in Gurgaon,Coriander Leaf. Glass-paneled on two sides,it has an airy feel. There’s portico dining too for those who prefer an outdoor brunch. Next to appear on out black ceramic plates is a portion of braised prawns in plum sauce (Rs 745). The curled crustaceans pack in a sweet and sour punch and work well as starter and entree. From the vegetarian section,stir-fried iceberg lettuce (Rs 225) with a garlicky oyster sauce turns out to be refreshing,but our next pick—broccoli with gingko nuts (Rs 225) — needs an acquired taste,for the golden nuts are slightly bitter. Among desserts,Double Fried Milk (Rs 175) is pure sugar rush yet delicious. The crust holds a soft gooey scoop of sweet condensed milk. There is sweetened almond milk bean curd (Rs 175) too,if you prefer to give the rather mundane date pancakes and ice creams a miss.