The only China Town in India is in Kolkata … that in itself is the best testament to our love for Chinese. It’s also a family favorite and all my life a meal eating out was Chinese more often than not. Naturally Chinese at home was also always a welcome break from the usual “ghar ka khana”.
This great attachment goes back about 300 years when as per Wikipedia – “The first recorded Chinese settler in India was Tong Achew, a trader who landed near Budge Budge in late 18th century. Achew set up a sugar cane plantation along with a sugar factory and brought in a band of Chinese workers to work in his plantation and factory. This was the first Chinese settlement in India. Achew died shortly after and the Chinese settlers moved to Kolkata. The place came to be named as Achipur, after Tong Achew. Achew’s grave and a Chinese temple is still there in Achipur.” These migrants started to use local ingredients to cook their food and gradually adapted to the local taste buds and our much loved “Chindian” – Indian Chinese or Tangra Chinese was born much to the delight of generations of foodies myself included.
Wow! Momo has of course made a grand success of QSR Momo’s across the nation. Their new venture Wow! China serves up some delectable desi-chinese and I was invited by the Management for a super fun lunch at the Wow! China flagship restaurant on Park Street.
We ordered and ate a few yummy dishes ~
Orange Iced Tea – refreshingly summery
Cold Coffee Freak Shake – a sinful mix of ice-cream, cold coffee, brownies and cookies. The youngsters would love this.
Chicken Spring Rolls – a typical spring roll stuffed with noodles, veggies and chicken. They also have a saucy version where it’s tossed in a sauce and served but I went for the regular version. Good Stuff!
Vegetarian Poutine – this dish was an absolute cracker. The Poutine, originally of Canadian origin but beautifully integrated flavors into a desi Chinese dish, think French fries generously topped with a bell pepper manchurian gravy and loads of cheese a winner all the way. They also have a chicken version and this dish will be my must order on my next visit.
Chilli Cheese Stuffed Mushroom – cheese and chilli a happy combination stuffed into mushrooms which are fried and tossed in a spicy sauce. Robust bold flavors.
Indo-Chilli Chicken – you cannot go wrong with ordering the Chilli Chicken – they have a gravy version of it but I choose the dry style and it was spot on
Chicken American Chopsuey – an old favorite the sweet and tangy gravy with generous portions of veggies and chicken with a fried egg on top poured over the crunchy noodles was lovely when I paired it with the Chilli Chicken.
Green Curry Khaosuey – a silken smooth green curry with loads of veggies served with all the trappings of Khaosuey, noodles, fried onions, chopped chillies, lemon, fried garlic. Highly recommended and I would have loved the option of some rice instead of the noodles along with this version. We love Khaosuey and often make it at home so I choose to go with this new version and enjoyed it.
Cinnamon Ice Cream – hand churned, creamy and that lovely toasted sesame added a warm toasty touch. A house special and a perfect way to end your meal.
Bright cheerful decor, warm service, generous portions and great value for money makes this 70 cover restaurant a great option to dine at with family and friends. Their lunch bowls available at 289/- onwards daily between 11am and 5pm make for a delicious working lunch. For all of my foodie friends who enjoy their desi-chinese as much as I do head over and have a super fun meal at Wow! China.
Before and after effects of a WOW! Meal.
For those guests with any mobility issues there are a couple of steps to navigate at the entrance. The washroom however is on the upper tier.
DISCLAIMER: The author was invited as a guest of The Management but all opinions expressed are entirely their own.
The Culinary Commentator 