Desi Dragon

LOCATION
Five minutes from the city with ample parking in Bardon.

PROFILED BY DE GROOTS MEDIA
Calcutta’s two-century-old "China Town" has been the brewing pot for Indian Chinese or “Desi Chinese” as it has affectionately been dubbed. Amid her winding mischievous streets, Chinese cookery has been shaped to suit Indian tastes and adopted a wealth of Indian flavours as time rolled past. And what delight the taste journey has produced! Desi Dragon, which has sprouted in Bardon out of the Chinese-Indian flavour fusion, hosts its dynamic flavour combinations in a colossal dining room (one big enough to entertain a large portion of India, or so it seems), with comfy modern furnishings and exceptionally scenic views over beautiful Paddington.

Now on to the menu, which has no doubt raised a few eager eyebrows. The restaurant’s scrumptious starters including lamboo tikki – a succulent lamb and bamboo rissole immersed in Indian fragrant aromatics – are an intriguing blend of the ancient cultures. If you’re feeling gracious, the homemade “chicken dragon” spring rolls, prepared with chilli garlic chicken and Chinese-style omelette strips, are a perfect starter to share. For mains, the designer meals are extraordinary in theory and even better in practice. Start with your protein (there’s tofu and paneer for the vegos) and team this with sauces like crushed peanut, creamy coconut or the ingenious spin on an old Chinese staple – Hunan black bean with ginger. For the less creative patron, there are the Desi Dragon exclusives like the goat shank Szechuan – golden brown goat shank infused with Asian aromatic herbs and spices – as well as a nice mix of rice and noodle options.

Katharine Chapman