Yue Chuan: a celebration of Chinese cuisine

Text and pix by Cheranka Mendis

Tucked in to a corner of Colombo’s latest fine dining experience and tourist hotspot The Kingsbury and almost concealed from the wandering eyes of the guests that stream in at all times of the day, Yue Chuan is a hidden gem; a Chinese treasure chest full of authentic Chinese cuisine.

Boasting of an extensive menu and plush interior, the restaurant and the food it serves is fit for a king. From the typical Chinese dishes of teriyaki and Kung Pao shrimp to the more common and well localised batter-fried cuttlefish, Yue Chuan has it all covered. With a menu specially put together by Chef Hui who counts over 23 years in the hospitality industry creating miracles in the kitchen, the restaurant offers an authentic meal in a contemporary environment.

Decorated in black, gold and white, the restaurant exudes peace and comfort, while the food comes in perfect proportions of warmth and quantity. Specialising in an exotic combination of the bold flavours of Szechuan and the fresh tastes of Cantonese delectables, the menu covers a wide array of appetisers, poultry and meat dishes, and a host of other typical Chinese delicacies.

With Chef Hui recommending the hot and sour soup, Yue Chuan seafood fried rice with XO sauce, king prawns in crispy batter, sweet and sour pork and the much popular duck dish of the east – roast Peking duck as some of the best and fast moving items on menu, we settle in with a tall glass of freshly squeezed fruit juice and piping hot green tea to enjoy our meal.

All recipes of the dishes have been bought forth by the Chef when he settled in Sri Lanka two months ago. “Prior to taking up the assignment here, I was in Maldives and Egypt sharing the taste of typical Chinese food with many travellers and tourists,” he said. “My area of expertise lies in Cantonese and Szechuan cooking. Therefore those are the most dominant flavours here.” Changes will be made to the menu soon, he expressed, judging by the likes and dislikes of the customers.

Even though it has only been two weeks since the opening of the restaurant, the response has been great so far, Hui added. “We have over 50% of our tables full on most days.” The restaurant has a seating capacity of 80 persons at any given time with two private rooms for special functions and meetings.

The soup, which was the first off from our list, was hot and spicy as promised with generous portions of prawn and cuttlefish. For those who love Chinese and will devour anything spicy – this is the perfect start to a meal.

The seafood fried rice which came with the XO sauce, a special spicy seafood sauce with its roots in Hong Kong was excellent, so much so that this by itself would be enough to enjoy a meal there. Keeping to the Chef’s promise of combining the best of Szechuan and Cantonese the dishes that followed – king prawns in crispy batter and sweet and sour pork was bursting with bold flavours. The pungency and spiciness, a result of liberal use of garlic, chilli pepper and the unique Sichuan pepper gave each dish a distinct touch scintillating our taste buds during the course of the meal.

The roast Peking duck, a dish that is synonymous with China and prepared since the imperial era is a special dish, and falls under the chef’s special served at the restaurant. The dish is prized for the thin, crispy skin and the meat traditionally carved in front of the diners and served in three stages. Even though the meat came already carved, the efficient staff first laid out the thin pancakes, covered it in sweet bean sauce, served scallions and thinly cut cucumber sticks on to it, and placed the duck meat on it in a meticulous manner. Even though the duck was a bit dry, the entire set up was well coordinated and the dish, pleasantly enjoyable.

The menu, as mentioned earlier is extensive and includes a large number of dishes from rice, noodles, chicken, fish, pork, beef, shrimp, scallops and side orders. The dessert menu is as exciting as the main, perhaps more so due to the exotic offerings listed. Some of the more unique dishes suggested are the pan fried pumpkin cake with concentrated milk, deep fried ice cream with strawberry sauce, deep fried banana roll with ice cream and toffee sauce, deep fried crispy rice dumpling and sesame, mango mousse, and spicy deep fried apple roll.

They also have green tea and coconut ice cream which comes in a combination platter with strawberry and chocolate ice cream. Despite the usual reluctance to try anything with ‘green tea’ except for the tea itself, we found the ice cream refreshing and delicious, and above all unusual leaving a curious aftertaste which is surprisingly nice. The coconut ice cream tastes like a lighter version of Bounty chocolate. These special flavoured ice creams are made in-house.

 The deep fried ice cream and the deep fried banana roll are also quite unique and the crusty bits add to its unique flavour.

Overall, the meal was highly enjoyable and the glass fronted kitchen ensures the cleanliness of each dish as the diner can witness the chefs conjuring up culinary masterpieces for their enjoyment. A special mention must be made on the service at Yue Chuan. The staff is friendly, efficient and attentive and quick to place and remove dishes as needed. Yue Chuan is open daily from 11:00 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. for lunch and 6:00 p.m. to 11:30 p.m. for dinner. For reservations and inquiries please call 0771087720.