Parathas, bananas, eggs and milk: this unlikely quartet blended together in a greyish, sludgy mess, was the staple breakfast of my boyhood friend, Aziz Namazi. At their breakfast table there was no idle chatter about letting the ingredients speak for themselves; they wrestled for attention in the family mixer. Having subjected his palate to this abuse, the last person I expected to hear from on the subject of fine dining was Aziz. But there in my inbox nestling coyly beside the Tyupkin virus, was an email from the man I played marbles with, even while repressing a shudder at the contents of his lunch box. I should explain that he has since relocated to NYC and the burden of his song was fat-free, sugar-free and ultimately, taste-free. No wonder America is known as the 'Land of the Free'.
The ballerina Isadora Duncan would have approved, 'I would rather live in Russia on black bread and vodka than in the finest American hotels. They know nothing of food, love and art,' she said. Aziz's most pitiful laments were reserved for American Chinese food, 'Deadly stuff boss, just ketchup, cornflour and MSG. I once ate part of the cardboard container by mistake, and believe me it tasted just like the damn chicken. Or beef or whatever it was,' he moaned. Mixer Man's rapturous recollections of Indo-Chinese redolent with pepper and chillies and stir-fried in a kadai, as opposed to a wok, remind me of a Chinese restaurant near IIT, Madras, called Waldie's. We haunted the place during Mardi Gras and since the bulk of his clientele were students, the proprietor sensibly opted for quantity as opposed to quality.
Similar sentiments: the value for money theory is probably what inspired Tony to leave Shillong and start China Pearl in Koramangala: it has weathered many storms and stood the test of time. I liked the Fish Ball clear soup, which was light and flavourful. Those with an affinity for crispy will enjoy the Fung Cheow Fish, tossed with chilli, garlic and basil or the Crispy Threaded Chicken. The prawn sui mai: light, succulent parcels of a gelatinous consistency, stuffed with lightly seasoned shrimp and steamed were pretty good. Chicken Chow Faa Koo, sliced chicken with shitake mushroom and exotic vegetables, is ideal for those with a delicate palate, while Drunken Fish cooked in Chinese rice wine is an interesting option. I was intrigued by the presence of Lat Lo Chowmein on the menu, cooked in the chef's secret blend of sauce.
Szechuan Prawns, Chowmein and Buddha's Delight were our main course choices, since China Pearl doesn't serve pork. Actually, they don't serve beef either, so it's not just a case of casting pearls before swine or vice versa, if you catch my drift. Alas, the prawns were disappointing, principally because they were swimming in a huge bowl of brownish gravy consisting of onion, soy sauce and cornflour, which lacked taste and flavour. We probably should have ordered the Taosi, which is a dry version. The Chicken Chow Faa was pleasant enough: the thing about Cantonese food is that the taste depends entirely on the quality of stock used in the base sauce, and this could have been more robustly flavoured.
Buddha's Delight, babycorn, mushroom and greens sautéed in a white sauce may not quite have delighted the Enlightened One but was eminently satisfactory for us mortals. In all fairness, I must qualify the criticism by giving credit where it is due: China Pearl embodies a fine tradition of Sino-Indian amity and judging by the crowd, Koramangala residents seem delighted with the place. The restaurant was packed when I went there, and if my order had been sensibly restricted to 'chopsuey and chilli chicken' or 'fried rice and nodules' (sic) just like in my college days, I would have been belching in harmony with the neighbouring tables. Unfortunately the passage of time and the professional demands of culinary criticism leave little room for nostalgia. Unqualified praise engenders a merciless barrage of complaints and talk of refunds from people like my friend Marty Mahindra: a critic's critic.
China Pearl has a 'no smoking' rule and does not serve alcohol on the premises. Our meal came to Rs 1100/ for two of us which probably puts it in the 'cheap and best' category. If you consider yourself an epicurean, Peking -duck- sort- of- customer, give it a miss. On the other hand, if like Aziz, you hanker for spicy college Chinese served in generous portions, hit China Pearl Harbour.
—Ajit Saldanha is a long time foodie
