Enter the new dragon

THURSDAY EVENING saw the Taj Coromandel's ballroom play host to the city's glitterati. The occasion - a royal Chinese banquet to announce the renovated Golden Dragon!

The Golden Dragon is among Chennai's favourite restaurants ever since it first opened its doors in 1975.

There was a time when Chinese food was the preserve of restaurants run by Chinese families.

The Golden Dragon, which was renovated recently, showcases cuisine from the Sichuan province in China. One of the challenges has been to retain the authentic flavour even while catering for the client's varied preferences.

The restaurant not only has got a new look, but an extensive and interesting new menu and a new chef too.

Chef Hardy Cheung is back in Golden Dragon after a two-year break. The visitors were amazed by his demonstration of making noodles with bare hands. So much so, that there were once more requests and Hardy returned to display his skills again on the stage.

Chef Shi Xi Lin from Taj Mahal, Mumbai, and Chef Lo Ka Yan from Taj Palace, Delhi, were specially flown in for the occasion. The royal banquet featured three exclusive counters, each manned by the three expert chefs and each a buffet in itself. At Hardy's counter were the Dim sums (dumplings) and the Chinese breads.

Vegetables in mustard sauce and roasted Beijing duck stood out at Shi-Xi-Lins's counter. While the pick of Lo Ka Yan's counter was chilli crab.

The three chefs combine their culinary skills for the Chinese food festival, 'Master Strokes' which will be on till August 30 at the Golden Dragon. Once it concludes, the focus will be on the all-new Golden Dragon menu.

ASHWIN RAJAGOPALAN

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Section  : Features
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