Imagine enjoying really tasty Chinese food with a great ambiance, stunningly beautiful crowd, soft music, and no parking hassles.
China Club offers all that and more as I realised this weekend, my 3rd evening at the place this year. It is located at the Global business park in Gurgaon, the commonly called ’Gillette building’. Being in the centre of huge business centre has its advantages. The crowd from the surrounding offices is really cool, cosmopolitan and appealing to the eyes. As all offices, except BPOs and call centres close at night, there is a vast parking area right in front of the restaurant which is located on the ground floor of a multi storied building.The area for seating is also comfy, with 60 people easily sitting at a time. Waiting time during weekends may be about an hour to hour and a half but book from home and they keep you informed the moment a place falls vacant.
FOOD
This is the most specialised Chinese food I have ever eaten . I even liked it more than House Of August Moon . The flavour is unique, non veg dishes are juicy, soft and chewable. The soups are simply amazing. The crab soup is a delicacy whose taste lingers on for long.Seafood soup is also simply great and full of squids, prawns, fish. For the vegetarians the lemon coriander soup is great.
Prawns in bean curds have to be tasted to realise how prawns should be. At a thousand bucks a plate, they are expensive but worth every rupee.Another unique dish is fish in spring onions. Succulent pieces which melt in the mouth, never had such a tasty fish dish in Chinese before.
I am not much of a chicken guy but the youngsters in our group enjoyed chicken with celery and chicken in oyster sauce. Among the side dishes, steamed rice and sea food noodles completed my platter.
DRINKS
A variety of drinks, hard and soft are available. There is a bar area ear- marked but drinks can be carried to the tables. Bar is well stocked and even has wines available by the glass at an affordable 400rs per glass.I stuck to beer, while the younger lot had long island iced tea--a cocktail of 5 drinks.The non drinkers enjoyed a mocktail called Italian Smooch.
TIMINGS
Orders are accepted till 11.30 p.m. , so very convenient for people like me whose clinic goes on till 9 p.m. That is also the reason why the call centre crowd keeps hopping in. We finished eating at 1 a.m. and the waiters were in no hurry even then.
COST
Not the steep rates of 5 stars but food costs about 700 rs per head. Drinks another 400 rs per head. The VAT and the service charges bloat the bill a bit. We paid 15 thousand for 11 people, including tips.
SERVICE
This is the best part, with smiling waiters and friendly managers, who even remembered what we had eaten last time and were ready with their own recommendations of food and drinks.The cleaners in the bathrooms do not hang around on one’s head, waiting for tips.
RECOMMENDATION
Highly recommended for that special occasion Chinese treat. It also has as its neighbour a place called EAST 101, which serves Thai Malay, Chinese and continental food amidst great music.Just check that also out for another outing some day.