China Bistro in Delhi recently observed its first anniversary with the launch of Chopstick Chronicles. SHOBORI GANGULI participated in this celebration of Asia's ancient culinary heritage set against the backdrop of a contemporary Bistro.

Tucked away in a quieter corner of the bustling Select City Walk mall in Delhi, China Bistro with its calming ivory hued décor and Pan Asian culinary spread is the perfect place for a relaxed and quiet lunch or dinner with friends and family. Since its inception in 2012 in Mumbai, it now has outlets across India and the UAE. In the NCR, Delhi is the Bistro's first chapter, August 21 marking its first anniversary.

To commemorate the event, China Bistro launched Chopstick Chronicles, a festival of sushi and dumplings, crafted and curated by Chef Lee Khan as he unveiled Asia's centuries-old imperial culinary treasure trove for its patrons. Each bite proved to be a passport to divine dining, transporting one to a world of traditional Asian cuisine artistically painted on a rich canvas of culture and tradition.

As pointed out by Rajib Mazumder, Corporate Chef at Foodlink F&B Holdings India Pvt Ltd, "Chopstick Chronicles goes beyond the plate, exploring the cultural significance of chopsticks and the dynamic duos of Asia's sushi and dim sum." Indeed, the sushi rolls were a work of art and the dim sum folds displayed brilliant craftsmanship. Drawing inspiration from global gastronomic innovations, the spread brought Japan, Tibet and China to the table. The result: Simply awesome.

One started out with the Lasha Luxury Dumpling, a Tibetan masterpiece which had juicy, aromatic chicken dumplings wrapped in lotus flour dough. Legend has it that these dumplings had to be bathed in a rich, piping hot chicken broth served right at the table. The experience was as magical as the dish itself. This was followed by the Dynamite Prawn Maki, a creation of Chef Chiro from Vancouver, crispy prawn tempura, crunchy nori, and sweet sushi rice. The freshness and texture of the prawns really stood out.

Next on offer was the Wasabi Firecracker Prawns - crispy tempura coated prawns tossed in a spicy wasabi sauce, inspired by Chef Jack's offering at his seafood restaurant from his coastal hometown. Sitting in the heart of Delhi, savouring this delicacy was pure pleasure.

I was then thrown open to the Dim Sum Dare. This dish had four juicy chicken dim sums wrapped in carrot lotus flour and served with chicken broth. The dare was that these had to be consumed with four deadly chili dips, Sesame Sauce, Roasted Pepper Sauce, Sichuan Pepper Sauce, Bhut Jolokia Sauce. I guess my Bengali genes helped me simply cruise through this spice challenge.

I also tried Chef Takashi's exquisite and signature Enoki Truffle Crunch, crispy tempura Enoki mushrooms wrapped in creamy truffle mayo in a delectable sushi roll. They say, one evening in a tranquil forest, Chef Takashi discovered a hidden truffle patch. He then used his discovery to create a creamy truffle mayo teaming it with crispy Enoki mushrooms to create a revolutionary sushi roll. This modern innovation of a traditional Japanese cuisine went on to become a legend.

Of course, I washed all this down with a chilled glass of Kogarashi, a combination of ginger and lime and some cool crispy cucumber flavour. A splash of non-alcoholic ginger beer gave the beverage a fizzy, spicy finish. China Bistro is highly recommended if you crave for authentic Pan Asian cuisine.

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