Chungwa

New Delhi is filled with restaurants that have given the city its gastronomic reputation. Before the city exploded with a barrage of trendy eateries it’s claim to global dining was limited to Chinese, which was the city’s favourite cuisine. In early 90’s New Delhi became a playground for fancy Chinese eateries, especially in hotels. The trend paved way for many fine dining restaurants that we know today as legends. One of the relics of 90’s is the famous ‘Chungwa’, a dimly lit old-fashioned dining room known for its superb food and vintage chic vibe. The restaurant is an old-standing favorite of the diner community, especially those living around South Delhi. It’s still a good place to go out for a decent family meal. It is nestled in M Block, Greater Kailash (GK) 2, New Delhi.

Chungwa does home delivery as well but we suggest you drop in anyways. The menu features all the crowd-pleasing classics of Chinese cuisines with a smattering of Thai food. Their food is not what it used to be yet it still maintains a healthy fan base who come in frequently to eat their delicious food. Plenty of seafood on the menu, indulge freely. Variety is tremendous; better go with a raving appetite. Start with, chicken money bag, tom yum, golden fried baby corn, sliced lamb chili dry, prawn honey mustard, spicy gin chicken balls, Thai lemon chili fish, soya mock jade chicken dry and vegetable spring rolls. Second course gets more exciting with, green beans Sichuan style, double fried sliced lamb, sliced chicken Singapore style, fish in sweet & sour sauce, prawns in XO sauce, pork Formosa and vegetable kung pao.

Mop up the gravies with a bowl of chili garlic rice or Hakka noodles. Ask for the beer. They serve it in old-fashioned chilled beer mugs. For a quick pocket-friendly affair, go for their combo meals. Finish off with dates with ice cream or brownie with ice cream. Chungwa is still a pretty affordable place to grab Chinese food. Interiors are very 90’s but it somehow works. They are contemporary in approach so you will not see any red Chinese lanterns hanging around. Dining style is smart and comfortable. Deep earthy tones are used to create the space, which comes across as welcoming and cozy. If you want to have a satisfying Chinese meal within a reasonable budget then Chungwa is a good bet.