Restaurant Review: Chinese surprise in Lower Parel

Honey Chilly chicken

China Suburb
Food: Good
Service: Quick
Ambiance: Average

China Suburb -- The Manhattan of China (it could not be known why it is thus named), a branch of the Andheri outlet with the same name, is a quaint new budget restaurant right opposite Phoenix Towers in Lower Parel.

Honey Chilly chicken. Pics/ Dipanjan Sinha

With an exhaustive menu of Indian Chinese that includes Honey Chilly Chicken (Rs 210) and Chicken Korean Rice (Rs 200) along with the predictable fare of Manchurian and Schezwan preparations, this place fulfills every requirement of the nice Indian Chinese takeaway - to the extent of having a full list of vegetarian Chinese dishes with the disclaimer that they serve Jain customers without onion and garlic. People residing in Worli, Dadar, Parel or Lower Parel areas can also order home delivery. But it is not a bad place to sit and eat, too, with a tastefully done seating arrangement and interiors featuring one laughing and one serious Buddha.

A frame of the interiors at China Suburb. Pics/ Dipanjan Sinha

We decided to test them on the basic and the tricky, so we ordered a combination of Chicken Korean rice, Honey Chilly Chicken and Hong Kong Chicken (Rs 210) as the slightly different dishes and a plate of Chicken Momos (Rs 170) for the usual fare. We were surprised to see Chicken Bamboo Rice (Rs 230) on the list and were going to order it but refrained when the attendant explained that it is rice with cucumber - bamboo shoot or bamboo rice does not have much or anything to do with cucumber usually.

Chicken Momos

Chicken Korean Rice

The Honey Chilly Chicken bowled us over. The balance of the sweet and spicy taste is a challenge to achieve with this dish, and they seem to have cracked it. The Korean Chicken Rice had the spices and crisp right and went well with the sweeter honey chicken. The Chicken Momo, too, was nearly perfect, with the taste and aroma in sync. The chicken in it, though, could have been more tender. The Hong Kong Chicken was a tad too spicy - too much for the palate to register taste. The only upsetting bit was the packing, when we decided to take some home - plastic pouches to carry food; just not done.