YES, we know you must have had oodles of noodles, fried rice and spring rolls, what with Chinese take-aways making their presence felt in the city. Yet, a visit to the Chia Ming Chinese, a restaurant located in Shardaram Park next to the Jehangir Nursing Home, is highly recommended for its sheer variegated fare of Chinese cuisine that is unique and deliciously different.So get brave and resist your temptation to order common soups and dishes. At the outset, get cracking at the vegetarian or non-vegetarian (whichever you prefer) Hot Pot Chimney Soup for Rs 200. Do not let the price deter you though. This clear soup which is full of goodness and nutrition is sufficient for at least six persons (although the menu card may say four persons). But if you are hooked to spicy soups like Hot n Sour or Lung Fung Soup, then perhaps this relatively less spicy soup is not for you. For those with a taste for spicy stuff can try Spicy Ginger Chilly Sea Food Soup, Thai Tum Yum Soup or the Wonton Soup Clear. Most soups range between Rs 50 and Rs 75. The highlight of Chia Ming Chinese is its starters. The Combination Platter priced at Rs 150 is a cut above the rest. It consists of cocktail roll, wonton, chicken wings and prawn toast. The prawn toast with a generous topping of black and white sesame seeds was absolutely delicious, thanks to the enterprising chef Andrew Gia. The Prawn PepperSalt which is prawn tossed with garlic, chilli, spring onions and soya was very well made. The Prawn Salt Pepper and the Pork Spare Ribs Bar-be-Que were also delicious. In the vegetarian section do not miss the Jelly Fried Corn Curd that simply melts in your mouth. The starters range from Rs 50 to Rs 120. Even if these exotic starters are likely to finish off your appetite, you will surely be tempted to indulge in the main course. We were served the Vegetable Pot Rice which was steaming and served in an earthen pot. In fact several varieties of rice served here are very different from the usual fried rice variety available in most Chinese restaurants. The same goes for noodles. The Mince Vegetable Santung Noodles were a pleasant change from the usual fare. In the vegetable section there are more than 15 varieties of unusual dishes to choose from. The price range is from Rs 60 to Rs 85. In the non-vegetarian section, the choice is unlimited. Some of them include Chi Mo Ko Oyster Sauce which is chicken andbutton mushroom cooked in oyster flavoured sauce, Fried Chicken Chilli Manchurian and Chicken in Two Flavours Sauce. Desserts include date pancakes, stuffed lychees, honey sesame noodles and ice creams. The Chia Ming Chinese owned by Krishna Balan has a bright and pleasing decor with a capacity of seating 125 people. According to Rahul Pradhan, manager, ``Chia Ming is named after the wealthy Chinese scholar Chia Ming who lived for 106 years and his secret of longevity is eating the right kind of food.'' The Chia Ming Chinese claims to adhere to his philosophy. Return to the top of the page
