Chinese has become the new 'Indian' for us Indians. It doesn't ring any bell in our heads any-more. Delhi especially has created this new cuisine called 'Ching-jabi'; for those of you who cannot decipher the meaning, it refers to the Chinese made with a Punjabi tadka. Yes, that is the Chinese most of us prefer; so the need of the hour was a restaurant which creates this fusion cuisine and yet serves the authentic Chinese alongside.
Your wait ends here. Walk into the brand new House of Singh & Ching and experience the best of both the worlds.Located in Eros Tower, Jangpura Extension, - a foodies hub with most residents being Punjabi's it is bound to attract a lot of customers, though it might face competition from restaurants around and in the complex.
Owned by Swadeep Popli of Chatter House fame, the taste in the decor, ambience and the edge in the drinks can easily be related. His idea behind Singh & Ching was to bring the Indian-Chinese fusion alive. The menu is curated by chef Suktshering Lepcha, an ex-Hilton Chef who specializes in Chinese & Indian cuisines.
During an event there, a few of us were blindfolded and made to taste a few of their dishes and guess their names and the ingredients involved. The surprise came when we were made to taste Butter Chicken & Butter Paneer Spring Rolls. Yes, you read it right! It indeed was fusion at its best. No oil staining your fingers, crisp fried to the perfect shade of Golden, they were the best spring rolls I've ever tasted.
Next dish which swept my taste buds away was Thai Herb Fish. To my utter surprise and confusion, the menu has quite a few Thai dishes and a lot of influence of this cuisine in the Chinese they serve. The food served initially was a tad bit salty and included dishes like Prawn Angare (which were undercooked too) and Burrah Mutton (could have been more tender). Kaffir Lime Paneer Tikka (extremely flavourful; Paneer with a tangy twist was an absolute delight to have) and Stuffed Button Mushrooms were both star dishes.
Next to arrive were the Chicken Malai Tandoori and Chicken Tandoori Momos. The Chicken Malai Momos were dumplings in a White Creamy Sauce (just coated, not of dripping consistency) and were a welcome change in the usual dumplings we have. The Chicken Tandoori Momos were straight from the Bhatti and had a very strong flavor of Garam Masala.The drinks accompanying the food were a mix of some average and some extremely well made ones. The surprise came in a glass carrying the 'Chhach Margarita'; yes yes, Chhach with alcohol! It was a very innovative and balanced. Next to take over my taste buds were The Green Apple with Vodka Cocktail and the Chinese Mary (Bloody Mary with a twist of Lemon Grass); both were awesome. The Mocktails we tried included the Watermelon Crush and the Classic Mojito, both were average and I could taste Sprite individually.
For Deserts we ordered the Home-made Ice Cream in all three flavours available - Cinnamon, Basil & Pepper. All of them were perfectly sweet, very fresh and extremely flavoursome striking the perfect balance.
All in all, a very inviting place with good service and an interesting menu to offer.
Cost for two: Rs. 1200.
Picture Courtesy - Singh and Ching
