Chef Krishna Bhandari from Nepal puts a lot of care and time into his meals. Akbar Jumani, General Manager of Nanking from Bombay who was also a chef in Switzerland, makes it clear that he does not like spicy and hot to be the star of Nanking’s meals. He feels that spicy can overpower a dish and he likes for patrons to taste and relish every ingredient in their meal. However, have no fear, Nanking does have spicy offerings for those who like to walk on the hot side. So let’s get into my 2-day dining experience at Nanking which varied from Indian Lemon Gingerale (nothing similar to American ginger ale) to bird saliva for dessert
Day 1: First Tasting Menu
First up to bat from Nanking’s “first tasting menu,” I ate Mumbai chili chicken ($10) which is wok steamed with cayenne peppers, ginger and coriander. This dish was excellent and the flavor was robust. It was not spicy per say but definitely left your taste buds wanting more.
I also ate the “drums of heaven” ($10) from the first menu which is cooked with chilies, garlic and herbs. This dish was more on the mild side and the flavors of the ingredient were subtle.
Asian Drinks: Japanese Pineapple and then some Indian Lemon Gingerale (both $4)
While chowing down on Mumbai chili chicken and the drums of heaven, I decided to try some drinks that are popular in Asian culture.
First, I drank a Japanese pineapple drink fused with aloe vera and garnished with cilantro. To my delight this drink had a natural sweetness that made it great. The sweetness was from the fruit, not corn syrup and mystery ingredients.
Next, I ordered the Indian lemon ginger ale. I must admit it takes an acquired taste. Although ginger ale is in the name, this drink which is very popular in India contains no ginger. Indian ginger ale is made with club soda, lemon and cumin seeds mixed with Indian spices including black pepper. People in India drink this beverage to help them break down food after a meal. If you are not accustomed to drinking this kind of beverage, it may take a while for you to get used to the taste.
Specialty Dish menu—Imperial Fish (Red snapper) $22
The Imperial fish which is red snapper with spicy garlic infused with tomato sauce is well worth every penny! The fish is fried in peanut oil with tempura flour and topped with a tasty semi sweet spicy tomato sauce. This fish was definitely a winner.
Dessert: Birds Nest Soup (Bird Saliva, $14) and Banana Egg Roll ($6)
To round out dinner, I started with the Birds nest soup with rock sugar on the dessert menu. Birds nest soup, a very popular Chinese delicacy, is actually bird saliva (yes, bird spit). This dessert is mixed with rock sugar that cooked overnight with touches of ginseng (korean dates) added. The soup had a clear color with a thick texture. Health experts also say that bird saliva is very good for the immune system. After getting over my mental barriers, I took a taste and thoroughly enjoyed it. I even took some back with me. Check out the video below.
Next up, I had the banana egg roll served with vanilla ice cream and chocolate fudge
The banana wrapped in egg roll wrapper is deep fried and drizzled with cold chocolate fudge. Of course, this was good!
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Day II: LUNCH
The following day I tried some items from Nanking’s Dim Sum, curry dishes and teas.
I started first with the Lemongrass Beef Lollipops with spicy chili glazed pierced with bamboo stick in the middle. The dish was very tasty and mild in flavor. $10
The snow crab and chive dumpling from dim sum menu was made with tomato, tamarind and mango chutney (all sauces are made in house). The shredded crab is blended with tomato. The tomato is brought down to its base, and then blended with the crab so the tomato flavor is mild. The dumplings are served over bed of cabbage and lettuce. If you love mild flavored food, this is right up your alley. $10
I absolutely loved Nanking’s Som Taum salad which is raw papaya, peanuts and cherry tomatoes. The salad is tossed in a vodka citron vinaigrette which is made in house with Indian spices and red chilis. The papaya is imported from India and South America and is prepped fresh daily at the restaurant. ($9)
Diving into the meats menu, my first meal was Mongolian lamb which is cooked with peppers, scallions and ginger sauce. This dish was mild and even flavored.
However, the lamb curry (with the spicy green curry sauce made with bell peppers) was AWESOME. the curry is very creamy, sweet and hot. The dish also has zucchini, eggplant and bamboo shoots. I highly recommend lamb curry.
Mongolian Lamb $20, Lamb curry $20
While dining at Nanking, also try some of their Golden Monkey tea that is imported from the Providence region of China. Centuries ago monkeys were trained and used to fetch the tea leaves. Lovely.
Some more pics of Nanking:
First pic is a center view of the restaurant.
The next two pics are the semi-private and private dining rooms.
