Mainland China, Sobo Central

It has been years since I last visited this mall - if I am not mistaken, it was one of the first malls to open up in South Mumbai - and so wanted to check if any new shops or eateries have come up there. It was kind of disappointing on the food front - they have only McDonald's and Mainland China. I eat at McDonald's only if the alternative is to go hungry and Chinese food seemed like a good idea when it was pouring outside. So Mainland China it was.

They had a buffet and some Asian Kitchen Festival going on but we decided to go a la carte. I wanted to go for fried wontons but was vetoed down :-( So the final order read as Jiang's Chilli Chicken, Chicken Taipei and Fragrant Chicken Pot Rice.

I have the server to thank for Chicken Taipei - it was his suggestion when I asked for some chicken dish without any gravy. Big succulent chunks of chicken in a tangy tasty sauce and loads of fried onions. It has become my favorite. Unfortunately, this dish raised my expectations which were not fulfilled by the rest of the food. Jiang's Chilli Chicken had a sauce with a sharp taste but it had failed to get absorbed in the chicken pieces. I hate it when I can't taste sauce inside the meat. There was nothing 'Fragrant' about the Chicken Pot Rice. It was drier than the Sahara and chicken pieces inside it tasted as if they were added as an afterthought - absolutely bland. Thank God for the gravy in Jiang's Chilli Chicken! Otherwise I would have had to reach for the chilli sauce. I have concluded that it is almost impossible to find the Pot Rice as used to be served in Hotel Chandragupta (it was in Shivaji Park where China Bistro now stands). It is going to be Chicken Fried Rice next time onwards.

The restaurant has soothing decor - except for the statues of the Chinese soldiers that look as if they will come to life any moment (and they bear a striking resemblance to Jet Li's soldiers in the 3rd Mummy movie!) :-) The seating arrangement is spacious and the staff is very courteous. Food was served in almost no time.

I will surely visit this place again when I am in mood for some Chinese food and find myself in the vicinity of Tardeo. :-)