Ten years into the business of serving the
choicest of Chinese cuisine. Maintaining a low profile. Always different. A taste
of the hidden secret of rarity and more is what Fa Yian is all about. Its only the
hollow inside who brag about their wares outside is an epithet that applies aptly
to the restaurant in the plush Connaught Place area. Its a delightful fare from
start to end.
The restaurant, which has shifted to a place
just a stones throw away from the earlier location, has been exquisitely done up
with simple yet tasteful decor amidst air-conditioned comfort. Rare plates and trays
of different shapes and sizes, including one of the Nizams platter, are arranged
systematically on the wall as one enters the place to savour the better than the
best of China. Says Mr. Francis, co-owner of the eating house we are always different
and believe in serving the real China in India with profit motive and turnover being
only secondary issues for us. Little wonder then that Fa Yian has dedicated customers
many of who even come four times a week to eat out there. What is more amazing is
that some of them order the same set of dishes each time they come, Mr. Francis
adds.
Flower Garden is what Fa Yian means in Chinese
and though there are no gardens around the premises of the 65-cover restaurant,
the ambience and the aroma of the dishes appears as if one were in a garden. Simple,
yet subtle and eye-catching is the furniture while the sauce and spice containers
have been chosen with a lot of care. For its the sauces and spices that give the
real pep to Chinese food. Appetising, wholesome and healthy to say the least is
how food can be described at the outlet, which is open from 12 noon to 3 p.m. for
lunch and 7p.m. to 11p.m. for dinner.
There are a host of appetizers all worth
a try, but if you were really choosy, then the ideal would be to go in for Sui Chiao
(steamed dumplings filled with marinades of prawn/chicken/vegetables served with
garlic soya sauce). May sound a bit too costly at Rs.120, but then quality is something
one has to pay for. One could go in for fried wonton at Rs.95, which are crispy
wrappers filled with choice of chicken/vegetable mince served with garlic sauce,
a pleasure to say the least. If you haven?t heard of different sauces for different
stuff, then you?ll see it at Fa Yian. Its both the simple and complex varieties
of authenticity. With the appetizers over, its time to move onto the soups, which
again offers one delectable contraption after the other. Its only those who have
been to China who can vouch for what the food at the joint stands for. And mind
you nothing can escape the eagle like eyes of Mr. Gregory who looks after the kitchen
to ensure that there is no kind of compromise with quality. Even the ubiquitous
momos, both fried and steamed present a picture extraordinaire and take you on an
altogether different journey what with the special soya and garlic sauce. Both in
the steamed and fried varieties, the sauce give it an additional dash of elegance.
Among the soups try Fa Yian Special at Rs.80. It is a tangy blend of cream corn,
mushrooms, glass noodles and fresh vegetables. A combination that transports you
over the seas to the land of the dragon. Little wonder that it has been christened
Fa Yian Special. Even the devilishly common sweet corn soup available at any joint
at Rs.75, is something beyond the ordinary. And before you move onto the real meal,
pamper the taste buds with ginger ale something you?ll never regret when you think
of the poor old stomach and its digestive juices
And just as is the quality of the food,
so is the service. Things come to you in a jiffy as if it had been planned well
in advance and yet coming as fresh as flower. If you are a prawn fan, then in the
main course go in for the Fa Yian prawn a treat at Rs.395 and do not miss out on
the Fa Yian fish, a mouthwatering combination with its gravy priced at Rs.195. It
can go excellently with noodles or rice. And while mentioning noodles just forget
about anything else and grab the Fa Yian noodles or rice at Rs. 90. There?s more
and the choice rests with you. Lamb dishes come all for Rs. 140 for those with a
flair for the soft stuff. While the busy birdies could go in for the Singapore chicken,
a speciality both for the way it is cooked and also for getting at the truth, at
Rs.135. But what takes the cake is the honey chicken, priced at Rs.10 more. It simply
melts in the mouth. If you are a vegetarian then the axe naturally falls on honey
potato at Rs. 115. Heard of it - if not then Fa Yian will narrate its tale to you.
At the same price comes the vegetable pepper salt and the mixed vegetable baby corn
- two priceless gifts to the outlet that go well with both noodles and rice. The
journey could go on or if you wish to end up with the desserts. At the end of it
all you will only sing praises of what a light stomach is all about - the quantity
notwithstanding.
So, if our are thinking in terms of savouring
the real taste of China, hosting a birthday party or wedding party or even some
other event with a Chinese menu then your place has to be Fa Yian at A-25/5, Middle
Circle, Connaught Place. Phone 23323272 and 23323237
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