Marigold

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
I love how Chinese food can be so ambiguous. What makes those “special” sauces so special and are “happy” noodles really that happy? But what especially mystifies the mind is how do you know what you’re getting when tentatively choosing something from the contents of a yum cha cart? Within the palatial surroundings of the Marigold these trolleys rattle up and down the isles of the restaurant like peak hour traffic in Beijing, supplying the chopstick wielding masses with steaming plates of dim sum. Judging from the popularity of this place, it doesn’t matter what you get because it’s all going to be lip-smackingly good. The kitchen boasts over 100 different kinds of fried and steamed dim sum but the favourites seem to be the steamed prawn and scallops and the fresh vegetables.

Evenings at Marigold undertake a traditional Cantonese dinner menu sporting all those unspecified marinades and sauces. If you’re not ordering the Peking duck or honey barbeque pork chances are that you’re here for the seafood, meaning you can look forward to plenty of plates of salt and pepper squid and crab with ginger and shallots being served up on the “lazy Susan”. For the more adventurous there’s cuttlefish, jellyfish and abalone to tempt the tastebuds. Unique or common, everything is washed down with small cups of refreshing Chinese tea; the ideal digestive to help fit more in. The Marigold occupies two levels and can seat around 600 diners, making this restaurant more of a cultural institution than a mere eatery. All Marigold customers receive complimentary parking which is super good if you’re looking for a night out in the city.

Annabel Wise, June 2008