Review of Mr. Choy Restaurant in New Delhi
The idea behind Mr. Choy is to recreate the Hong Kong of the 1970s – a blend of the old China and contemporary world.
The Location
75, Khan Market, Middle Lane
New Delhi
The Hours
Mon – Sun: 11:00 am – 11:00 pm
The Ambiance
A smallish place in the middle of Khan Market, Mr. Choy seems to be slightly congested. This 26-seater restaurant has an interior with shades of pop culture: large Andy Warhol-type wall murals, cage lighting, mirrors, glass, and casual wooden seating.
The Service
The staff is courteous, but the service is just passable.
The Food
Mr. Choy was the dim sum chef at Taipan in Oberoi, Delhi before he decided to set up this restaurant.
The menu includes vegetarian and non-vegetarian dim sums, Mr. Choy Specials, Cheung Fun, Bento Box, and Asian noodles.
The dim sums were served in portions of four, and the spicy fried chicken (Rs. 245) had too tiny chunks to even savor the flavors and other nuances. They were served with six test tubes of sauces, which looked exciting. However, since they were not labeled, it was tough to decide which was the one I liked. Pouring them was also a cumbersome affair. The Hong Kong style steamed ribs were a gooey mess and definitely avoidable (For a change, I was thankful for being served a small portion).
The Vegetarian Small Plate (Rs. 265) of thinly sliced bean curd with braised broccoli, baby corn, cauliflower, and carrots was, however, delicious and fresh with a definite crunch.
Cheung Fun is a Hong Kong style Cantonese dish served as a snack or a variety of dim sum. It is a thin roll made from a wide strip of rice noodle and filled with meat, seafood or vegetable. It should be slightly transparent if well-cooked to reveal a hint of the filling. I tried the prawn one (Rs. 295). It was quite nice, but I wish they had been served the authentic way, with shallot oil for sheen and aroma and warm soy sauce to add the sweet salt flavor.
The Bento Box (Rs. 595) was excellent: crunchy crumb fried butterfly prawn, bekti with black bean sauce, and steamed pork belly with honey sauce. Again, it was served in a small portion.
The Asian Noodles selection is served in a jar. The presentation is different and tasted delicious too. The Mee Goreng (Rs.295) is a Indo-Malaysian flat noodle dish with spices and a hint of star anise, but I was definitely left asking for more prawn in it.
For dessert, I tried the sesame balls (Rs. 195) and chilled mango pudding (Rs. 195). Jin deui or sesame balls is a fried pastry made of glutinous rice flour, coated with sesame seeds to give a crunch, and the hollow is filled with lotus paste or sweet black bean paste. This one was too floury, thick, and rubbery without the crunch. The mango pudding had excess of essence and was quite pathetic. It was a disappointment, especially when mangoes are in season. It should have been served with fresh mangoes and thick cream.
I was definitely dissatisfied with the portions and the flavors. The plating, though unique, was not enough to make it an unforgettable experience.
