Shanghai Kitchen, the new culinary attraction in Azaiba, is a food theatre, raising curtains to some of the most exotic Chinese fusion dishes in the city
A refined palate for Chinese delights with a twist of Indian fusion, a voracious appetite to enjoy a medley of dishes and a temperament to give every bite its due appreciation in an unhurried ambience…dining essentials to do justice to the profusion of flavours that Shanghai Kitchen promises.
The restaurant, which opened its doors in February in the busy Azaiba district, has, in a very short time, established its presence in the ever-growing food horizon of the capital. A part of the Royal Group of Restaurants, which operates food chains like Vasanta Bhavan and Mumbai Chennai Express, it has endeared itself to foodies in the capital who have honed their palates to all things Chinese in the culinary department. If weekday lunch guests are an indication of a restaurant’s popularity, Shanghai Kitchen’s packed floor proves it loud and clear. It has earned it hands down with its gastronomic masterpieces.
Located near Al Nahda Tower, alongside the service road in Azaiba’s throbbing environ, Shanghai Kitchen has its territory marked in a stand-alone structure that is difficult to miss. Shanghai Kitchen has found its niche among the dozens of other restaurants in the area (and elsewhere in Muscat) with its fine-tuned menu that has just the right ingredients to attract repeat guests, weekend or weekday.
We, as usual, picked an uneventful weekday to visit the restaurant, but the experience was anything but that. Nothing prepared us for the vibrancy within the restaurant. It was still early noon when we walked in and were pleasantly surprised to see the restaurant alive with most seats occupied by guests…as if it was a holiday season and diners were indulging in a laidback leisurely lunch.
That was a cue for us to look forward to a long, seemingly endless, lunch, thanks to our generous host Swapan Kumar Dutta, General Manager of Royal Group of Restaurants. Adorned in subtle Chinese décor, bathed in subdued lighting and enveloped in soothing music, the restaurant invites one to indulge the palate and the rest of the senses to an epicurean experience. The confluence of dishes and tastes are seamlessly fused with touches of Indian food, whether it is in the spice or the flavours. And with an array of sauces, including the popular white garlic sauce and orange peel sauce, diners are spoiled for choice, not only in the dishes but also the accoutrements of dips, relishes and sauces.
As we sat down for our lunch, we were served complimentary kimchi salad and Chinese tea, which we were told helps in cleansing the palate to enjoy the different flavours of dishes brought to the table. The mocktails on our agenda included a fruit punch, Hanoi Fling (pineapple and mango juice with rose essence), Cucumber Cooler and Paradise Passion.
The first of the starters to make to our table was the out-of-this-world dish called ‘Crackling Spinach’. This is a novelty to any palate, with crispy fried shredded spinach taking the taste to another level. Served on an edible basket, it is flavoured with chopped chillies, sesame seeds and topped with almonds. It was accompanied by another, equally scrumptious item called Crispy Corn Chilli Pepper (corn niblets tossed with chopped chillies, onion, garlic and vinegar).
On our dimsum counter were Prawns Hargao (stuffed with minced prawns and chestnuts) and Vegetable Dumplings, served with black pepper and green chilli sauce, followed by Prawn Rolls (golden fried rolls with minced prawns), Vegetable Spring Rolls (stir-fried vegetables) and Crispy Vegetable Chilli in Plum Sauce (fried slices of mixed vegetables with chopped chillies and plum sauce). While vegetarians will relish this dish, it is, easily, one of the most palatable vegetarian items even for fastidious non-vegetarians. The other, not-to-be-missed dish is the Devil’s Chicken, which features deep fried chicken, tossed with fresh chilli sauce, along with onion and bell pepper.
There was more in the starter platter: Chicken with Pepper and Ginger, Drums of Heaven Shangdong Style (crispy fried chicken winglets), Hunan Style Prawns, Prawns Tempura, Dynamite Prawns, Yueyang Barbequed Fish (deep fried slices of fish), Whole Crab Pepper Garlic Dry, Braised Lobster Sichuan Chilli Dry and Lamb Chilli. For seafood lovers, the sight of lobster on a large platter is a visual delight. And the taste: a treat for the palate, like everything else about Shanghai Kitchen.
The mains featured Tsinghoi Chicken (diced chicken, onion and bell pepper in a tangy chilli sauce with fried cashew nuts), Mixed Fried Rice and Prawns with Seasonal Greens and Garlic.
And then the dessert! Even as our bursting bellies protested, we went ahead and devoured the Sizzling Brownie (chocolate brownie served with hot chocolate sauce and vanilla ice cream) and Mango Pudding. The sizzling brownie is a winner – hands down.
Shanghai Kitchen is designed to craft every meal into a sensorial experience.
