The quest for Chinese food in Dubai begins!
Coming from the north west of England, I have always been surrounded by top-notch Chinese food and it has become so engrained in my diet, I actually class it as a taste of home. When I am on my travels, a little taste of Chinese food always helps to combat the dreaded homesickness. However, a lot of 'foreign' Chinese doesn't match up to the British taste my tongue is accustomed to and has the opposite effect- I get even more homesick! Some of the worst ones I have had were Spain, Germany and Portugal- salty, bland and no spice whatsoever. How will Dubai's offerings measure up?
My first Chinese I encountered was China Times, situated in the ground floor of one of Jumeirah Road's many mini-malls. (I love these smaller malls, so much more character than the bigger ones). It was a Saturday night and empty, but that didn't deter us from going in as I wanted a quiet night. The restaurant consists of a mix of booths and normal tables, for some reason, I always make a beeline for booths! Guess it reminds me of ice cream parlours or good old fashioned Indian restaurants back home. The decor was 1990s/modern style, bright and airy, minimalist but not too basic, a far cry from the garish red and gold decor that usually flashes before my eyes in a Chinese eaterie.
We were shown to our table by a smiley, efficient waitress who was refreshingly honest and didn't let us order too much, admitting that one portion of jasmine rice could easily feed two and possibly three. I had a fabulous aubergine in a home made honey-based sauce- that too was a generous portion. Admittedly, it was different to any Chinese dish I had back in England, but Vindaloo Queen likes to embrace change! It had a plummy,rich taste which combined with its velvety consistency was a heavenly meal.
Regrettably, I was in a bit of a rush, so I didn't have a chance to sample any more delights from the menu. Around 30 dirham for a main veggie meal, it was considerably cheaper than whipping up a similar creation at home.
Scouring Liverpool and beyond for recession-busting dining, Vindaloo Queen shows you where to eat out without it costing the earth. All reviews are suitable for vegetarians and their carnivorous colleagues alike!
I've never been to England, so no clue how the Chinese food tastes out there. Aubergine in honey sounds like something that should make it to my dinner table real soon.
ReplyDeletePS. you should give China Sea a shot...a couple of friends and I tried it a while ago, and we really enjoyed it - though our menu choices were skewed to the carnivorous section ;) Here's the review, you've gotta check it out: http://www.iliveinafryingpan.com/china-sea-restaurant-dubai/
Nice! I've never been to this place before. Will keep an eye out and try it too :)
ReplyDeleteFrying pan, you really need to go on a culinary expedition in Manchester- the Chinatown there is amazing, the smells, the sights, the sounds...and the prices are amazing too! There's another China Times in Deira City Centre apparently, but the Jumeirah one wins my heart as it has a view of the street and not of a noisy mall.
ReplyDeleteYou know, I am DESPERATE to try China Sea, it's not far from where I live and I've heard good things about Karaoke there, I'll take a look at your review now!
FooDee do you know any good Chinese places in Dubai I should try?
xxx
Try Mini Chinese on Al Diyafah Road? Decent eats at a good price. I'm liking Noodle Box in JBR so far, but it's more pricey than something like Mini Chinese. Golden Dragon in Karama used to be good but lately it's not so good, I personally think. If you want Mongolian...try Mongolian BBQ...I absolutely love it.
ReplyDeleteI've always been curious about Mini Chinese actually- quite like the fact it has nice booths to sit in. How much does a main course cost approximately? (So many restaurants in Dubai have no websites with prices on :( , so annoying! )
ReplyDeleteWe normally get take-out, which my father gets, so I actually have no idea how much it costs per dish coz he pays...just the entire meal for 3.5 people (too long to explain why the 0.5 :P) works out 100ish I think. I'll ask tonight; poke me on Twitter or FB to remind me please!
ReplyDeleteMain dishes, like hakka noodles or chicken dishes etc are between Dhs 24-30 depending on what it is :)
ReplyDeleteHope that helps!
I've only had PF Changs here once btw and while that's pricier I remember some dishes being decent. Might want to try that too :)
That's perfect- the price range I was looking for! Building up a nice Chinese to-do list now! Thanks xx
ReplyDeleteThanks for this review - we've been to China Times a couple of times in the past and out experiences were pretty positive.
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