A Press Trust of India story published yesterday reported, ‘A restaurant inspired by New Delhi’s popular House of Ming opened its doors in London on Sunday with culinary additions specific to the UK capital.’ It is located at the Taj St. James’ Court Hotel in central London, and has a menu featuring Sichuan and Cantonese delicacies. There is an ‘extensive’ selection of dim sums, their signature flaming duck, an indulgent 17-course menu, a bevy of Chinese teas and a tea sommelier to guide interested parties. The kitchen is headed by the Hong Kong-born chef Dickson Leung, while the overall food experience has been conceptualised under the guidance of Taj Hotel’s Food & Beverage Manager Asif Bajwa and Executive Chef Sujoy Gupta.
The menu, reports the story, combines dishes that will appeal to an Indian tourist as well as a Londoner. The city continues to attract lakhs of Indian tourists every year, and it isn’t surprising that one of India’s leading hotel chains has opened a restaurant geared to attract them. It is certainly an interesting development in the multicultural gastronomical scene of the city. The British are fond of Indian food and Indians residing in London need their regular fix of biryani, butter chicken and halwa. But this is perhaps a first of the many to follow: a high-end India-based restaurant that doesn’t focus on Indian cuisine opening a branch in London.
From gobi manchurian to schezwan chicken and honey noodles, Indians love their desi-style Chinese. Of late, there has been a change with regional Chinese dishes, from areas like Sichuan and Canton, expanding the Indian diner’s palate to regional Chinese fare. About four decades ago, House of Ming opened at the Taj Mahal Hotel in New Delhi and found a loyal following in the city. The PTI story notes, “Given the Taj St. James' Court Hotel’s popularity as a hub for Indian tourists and locals in London, the new restaurant is expected to attract a broad range of diners with an interest in Chinese cuisine.”
