China Wok - you got to be there whether you love Chinese or not!!

Indians and especially Bengalis have always had a special love for Chinese food suited to Indian palettes and off late, we seem to be developing a love for Thai food as well.. It seems i am no different either which is why it was one of those rare occasions on 13th July, when i went to a pre-planned Chinese cum Thai dinner at China Wok with fellow foodies although most of my luncheons or dine outs are generally unplanned.. Little did i know then that i will fall in love with Chinese and Thai food yet again by the time i leave that eatery courtesy the lavish spread of food that was waiting for us..

It was a quaint restaurant situated at 37/1, Purna Das Road, Hindustan Park (i have aptly named this street the food hub of Kolkata because of the sheer variety of eating joints situated here which also signifies cut throat competition amongst them to stand out from the rest).. 

We started off with CORIANDER CHICKEN SOUP - it was a coriander flavoured thick soup with generous chunks of chicken and garden fresh vegetables - nothing special about the taste but not too bad either.

Next on the list was SPINACH and BLACK PEPPER DUMPLINGS (chicken) - the first thing that you will notice about these momos are it's unique green colour which attracted my attention instantly. They tasted good as well being steamed with a sauce containing pan glazed soy and mushrooms. However, the SMOKED RED OIL DUMPLINGS (chicken) was clearly the more tastier one amongst the two - these were red in colour owing to the fact that they were topped with fresh Krakow sauce with generous fillings of chicken inside.. 

Then came the moment of surprise for a carnivore like me - the STEAMED VEGETARIAN DUMPLINGS topped with a sauce of pan glazed soy and mushrooms clearly appealed to me more than it's non veg counterpart and in fact, we requested for a repeat serve of the same.. It was actually that good..

HUA HIN HIGHWAY ROLLS (chicken) - Thai crispy rolls stuffed with Vermicelli, Kaffir lime, peanuts and roasted butter along with chicken.. These looked like the usual spring rolls but tasted a thousand times better - very crispy yet very soft on your tongue..

The last two dishes on the list of starters were PAD NAM PRIK POW (Thai crispy vegetables with Kaffir lime and Lemongrass) and PRIK KAI SOT SAI THOD (Chicken wings tossed in Thai sweet chilli sauce with Kaffir lime and Lemongrass) - both were yummy taste wise especially with that lemongrass effect however, the vegetarian dish was the clear winner yet again.. 

After an extensive list of amazing starters, it was time to try out the main course which started off with PIA GO TIEM (sliced fish tossed with black pepper and Basil sauce) and KHAO PAD KRATIEM (thai smoked oil and burnt garlic rice). Both the dishes complemented each other well however, they were pretty usual taste wise - nothing out of the box certainly.. 

KUNG POO CHICKEN (chicken served with Kung Pao sauce, bell papers and cashew nuts) along with CHILLI GARLIC NOODLES was next on the list - the chicken tasted good and the noodles were same as elsewhere..

The best of the main course was served at the end - THAI CHICKEN CURRY WITH STEAMED RICE.. It was delicious and that lemongrass flavour lingered on my taste buds for a long time. Everything seemed to be perfect about this dish - certainly the best Thai Chicken Curry that i have ever tasted anywhere till date..

It was time for the dessert after a hearty meal - CHOCOLATE ICE CREAM SANDWICH.. As someone said somewhere that one should always save the best for the last - this was indeed an icing on the cake.. It looks tempting and tastes equally yummy as well.. One bite and you will feel like in heaven irrespective of whether you like chocolates or not - it just melts to perfection inside your mouth and leaves you wanting for more..

Overall, it was one hell of a dinner which will stay on with me for a long time to come.. Drop in to this wonderful restaurant with a welcoming owner and you will come out happy and gastronomically satisfied for sure..

Verdict: Strongly Recommended..

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Happy eating,

Somek Choudhury..

You can reach me on 9004490413 or somekc@gmail.com