Chung’s.. hmmm... isnt that a kind of ubiquitous Chinese household name in India... after all, we also do get Chung Noodles, Chung’s Soy Sauce, and I have seen the Chung’s name on restaurants ranging all the way from Chandigarh to Chennai...
But does that mean that Chung’s is a ’C’ grade restaurant... no far from it in fact.
First of all, let us realize that Chung’s is a rrstaurant chain in Bangalore which specialises in the popular Indo-Chinese cuisine. At last count it had more that 7-8 branches in Bangalore, and there is also another sister chain by the name of Chung Wah which also shares a lot in terms of Decor and Prices.
The fact that Chinese food is the second most popular cuisine in India after well... Indian good kind of reflects the Indian palate’s love for all things MSG’d and Soy Sauced...
But, back to Chung’s Chinese Corner... I have visited 2 branches, one in Indiranagar and one near BTM Layout, and in both cases, the experince was more or less the same. So, at least, in terms of consistency, rest assured, it wont differ too much between one branch and the other.
Now, lets get down to the whole Chinese experience, starting with:
1. Decor: There is nothing much to write about in terms of Decor. The walls are a hue of Deep Red and Black Tones, and the yellow lighting is very dim... so it kind of gives the place a creepy feel... or is that just me. Table cloths are a rather dull shade... and at least in the Indiranagar branch, seem to have been around since the druids roamed the earth. There are some sort of Chinese artifacts lining the wall, and these days, a Plasma TV which boringly, displays ads instead of IPL matches.
2. Service: The staff at Chung’s are dressed in the same hues of Red as the restaurant walls, and are attentive, but sometimes seem to be lost in their own world. That said, service is resonably efficient, and the staff does stay in the background without being too obtrusive or trying to sell you too many things on the menu. But then, the menu does not have any ’Special’ items which demands that they try too hard.
3. Food: Indo-Chinese at its most popular is the best way to describe the food. It follows the usual Rice / Noodles / Soups / Starters and Gravy / Dry dishes, all with nice amounts of oil.
I have been to Chung’s many times, and hence can share my verdict on some popular items:
The Fried Rice and Hakka Noodles are quite pleasant, and can be had as a meal on their own, such are the copious quantities given. But, they require a gravy dish to truly complete them.
The Chopsueys (Both Amercian and Chinese) are also huge in volume, but the taste of them, esp the American one, overpowers the tongue after a few bites and demands that you try a soft drink to calm the palate.
Starters, including the Goldren Fried Prawns, Spring Rolls, Drums of Heaven etc. are also quite nice in their deep batter fried way. I would recommend having them insead of the soups if you have to choose between the two.
The main course chicken and veg dishes are nice gravies, without really standing out too much from each other. Warning: When the menu says an item is Hot, it is really chilly hot.
The Malaysian Noodles were the only dissapointment, too heavy and laden with oil to be truly enjoyable.
On the other hand, the rice noodles were very light and stringy, and go very well with the choice of gravies.
4: Value: At around Rs. 75 - 120 for each dish, and given the generous portions available, Chung’s proves to be a reasonably affordable place if you like to enjoy huge portions, and do not care too much for the ambience.
A meal for two, a starter, and 2 main course items, and Soft Drinks (they only seem to serve Coca-Cola’s drinks, (i.e. Coke, Thums Up, Maaza, Fanta, Sprite), should come to less than Rs. 400 here, which is not bad at all.
So how can we sum up Chung’s then? It is a defeinite slice of Indo-Chinese which will appeal to almost everyone, and is a good place for soem food on those days when you are too lazy to cook.