A Royal Cantonese Redux

You should always ask your mother to accompany you for a restaurant review. Chances are the manager will immediately recognise her (and not you) from the dinners and the kitty parties she has attended at Royal China in Delhi&rsquos Nehru Place. That way, your initial social anxiety will dissipate in a breeze.

Not only that, but when chef Choong Chew Loon will send four bamboo steamers full of dumpling-works-of-art your way, she&rsquoll randomly lift a piece, bite into it and announce, &ldquotruffle and edamame,&rdquo as if she made it herself. 

A little later, she will ascertain that the tenderloin in truffle oil (meat chunks in butter, garlic and the oil) is well-cooked with terms like &ldquoadequately seasoned&rdquo and sentences like &ldquoconsistent, not too chewy, and crunchy where it should be.&rdquo

And, finally, she&rsquoll elegantly sip her watermelon drink (vodka, watermelon juice and crushed mint) while taking in the sights of the renovated restaurant space. Soon, she will comment, &ldquothe black-and-gold aesthetic is a refreshing change. Earlier, it was a bit conventional. This is more stylish.&rdquo

She might as well have written this review.

Eight years since the international Royal China brand first made its way to Delhi and propped itself on the 16th&nbspfloor of Eros Corporate Tower&mdashassuring patrons a 360°-view of South East Delhi, especially the Lotus Temple gleaming at a slight distance&mdashit decided to revamp its menu and d&eacutecor. The place has been a favourite among the city&rsquos restaurant-goers since its inception, especially because at that time it was hard to find high-quality and authentic Chinese fare outside the premises of five-star hotels.

In a 2019 reality, Delhi is abundant with many such decent restaurants. Some of them even specialise in Cantonese food like Royal China. So while the revamp seems to be a step in the right direction, does it work well

Wooden flooring, a Chinese round symbol used as a design motif, black walls and panels to provide a sense of space, effective use of spotlights and the drama they bring, and, of course, the sprawling view of the city&mdashthe d&eacutecor done by Unorthodox Designs treads a fine line between the classic and the contemporary. This interplay is visually appealing, even if I found the bar with its flame texture a bit garish (though I liked the mural of a Chinese woman wearing a cheongsam in the background). The menu retains Royal China&rsquos old favourites, so your deep-fried wonton wishes will still come true, but it is a fruitful endeavour to explore the new. Take, for instance, these two dumpling varieties crab meat, and corn and water chestnut. Both present unique ingredients, even by mum&rsquos standards (she has made bacon-wrapped chicken dumplings at home). Our verdict on them was positive especially with the soft corn and the crunchy chestnut, and the not-fishy-at-all and flavourful crab meat.

The fried prawn cheung fun (fried and then rolled in rice flour, sprinkled with sesame and spring onions, and served with the famous cheung sauce), is delightfully juicy. But while we find the tenderloin in truffle oil to be the showstopper, it was given tough competition by the double-cooked pork Szechuan the salty-good yellow-bean sauce went well with my favourite meat.

Towards the end of our meal, another new item in the menu, steam wonton with soya chilli, is presented, and it tasted like the old Royal China, but better. And that is exactly how I would describe the restaurant.

Where 16th Floor, Eros Corporate Towers, Nehru Place, New Delhi

Timings 12noon&ndash3.30pm, 7pm&ndash11.30pm

Contact 011-49818000, 49818008