For non-vegetarians out for a scrumptious South Asian fare, the Shanghai 30 at Hauz Khas is a good place to venture into unchartered territories. The transition from being a chicken eater to a calamari enthusiast comes easy for Hamari Jamatia
Every once in a while, eating Chinese/South Asian in Delhi, where every roadside corner offers a momo vendor, becomes an eye-opener as to what different flavours can be attained with a few twists here and there. That’s what Shanghai 30 at Hauz Khas offers. A dash of sesame in the prawn dumpling and a light soya sauce in basa fish and you have all your taste buds tingling with joy.
My first impression on entering the restaurant is just how sleek it looks. Dimly lit with red and brown sofas, there is a relaxed ambience. The lamps that rise from the floor and touch the roof, however, seem to distract at times as they play tricks on your eyes and seem to flicker brightly as you turn away.
Soon, however, it stops to matter. We start with the Shanghai clear soup that acts as a soothing balm on a cold winter night. With bits of vegetables and fish floating in a clear liquid, it is quite light on the stomach. And that is a good thing because the restaurant offers a huge choice in terms of appetisers.
While trying dimsums, you can choose one from different varieties for a total of six dumplings. We first try the prawn dumplings that seemed to burst with the moistness of sesame sauce. Next comes the crystal dumplings made of chicken and prawn steamed dumplings with a hint of coriander.
Chef Jimmy Pradhan tells us that he has tried to keep the taste as authentic as possible but the amount of spice can vary depending on requests from the patrons. I tell him that I like a lot of chillies in my food.
Next what comes is perfect for my palate. The appetiser, the diced chicken with spring onions, comes loaded with dried chillies that have been de-seeded and fried to crispiness. After a platter of dumplings and soothing music, the fiery dish wakes you up with its tanginess. Enough to prompt my friend and me to try out the fried calamari, our first venture into the world of squids. Cut into small pieces and fired in corn batter, they are crunchy and makes for an easy transition. There are also crab, tenderloin and lobster on the menu for those who want to broaden their gastronomic horizon.
For the main course, we have the garlic rice, basa fish in light soya sauce and chilly lamb. The sauce of the fish is clear and is a non-guilty pleasure, amid the deep fried food. The lamb is slightly tough and leaves an unpleasant undertaste. But a lot of things delicious followed it and some were surprising.
With our stomachs stretching to their limits, we share a darsan with vanilla ice cream, a dessert that feels like a dollop of heaven. The darsan is crisp and makes for a nice end to the dinner.
The food is a range of sweet (sushi) and tangy but what we take home is the hospitality of the staff. As with new restaurants, they are enthusiastic and eager to serve. Chef Jimmy tells us that the restaurant is an effort of people coming mostly from Darjeeling, hoping to make a name in the city. With some more effort, here is hoping that they will.
photos Pankaj Kumar