bpb Review: Golden Dragon

Rejoicing Restaurant

The first thing we noticed as we walked through the frosted doors of the Golden Dragon, re-opened last week after being damaged in the ravage of 26/11, was a feeling of exhilaration. Reflected on the faces of fellow diners and in the quietly jubilant expressions of the staff, it made the atmosphere at this elegant restaurant unmistakably celebratory.

The space itself is very different from its predecessor - re-imagined in white accented with splashes of gold and red, the dining room is broken into cozy sections by glass walls. Also new is an open dim sum kitchen, dynamic with constantly moving chefs and cheerful bellows of smoke. The tables are too broad; the menus large and unwieldy. All in all, minor gripes.

Sampling the Dragon

We began with complementary portions of pickled pumpkin and winter melon, both reliably sweet and surprisingly fiery – this melding of unexpected flavors would appear throughout our meal. Our first appetizer was chef's special Song of the Dragon, where chicken, prawns or crunchy baby potatoes arrived on a bed of three types of chillies flavored with Schezuan pepper. If you have to pick just one starter, get this. Dim sum of steamed wontons was good but unremarkable.

For mains, we chose sea bass in mango and mustard sauce, which was tender, pitch-perfect, and emblematic of the kitchen’s mastery over seafood; also served was Eggplant Tobaijan, a dish that demonstrated just how delicious the much-maligned brinjal can be when cooked right and bathed in a thick, spicy tomato sauce. Assorted vegetables in oyster sauce, a mainstay on most Chinese menus, was excellent.

Bitter Sweet

The dessert selection here is more inventive (and extensive) than most Asian restaurants. Complementing regulars like date pancakes is decadent black sesame crème brulee and bitter chocolate and ginger dim sum, served with a side of lychees and dramatically flambéed in a golden-red sauce.

Healing Meal

All in all, the kitchen didn’t miss a trick, but right now the food at Golden Dragon is not the point. The restaurant is a symbol of renewal and healing, and Mumbaikars will patronise it for sentimental reasons alone. But as the terrible events of 26/11 fade into subtext, this new avatar of an old favorite will continue to endure because the fare it turns out is excellent and surprising, and its vibe, optimistic and pure.

Getting There: The Golden Dragon, Taj Mahal Palace and Hotel, Apollo Bunder, Colaba, call 22023366, approximately Rs 3,000 for a meal for two.

PS: Party Like it’s 1999

Another resurrection in the neighborhood is Three Flights Up, which this weekend rose from the ashes after almost a decade. Or preserved in amber and brought to life might be a more accurate description. Like Spielberg’s dinosaurs, this nightclub is an unchanged anachronism, complete with the same logo, eerily lit corridor, rap music and dance floor crisscrossed with green laser beams from ten years ago. Go if you want to relive your misspent college days, but remember, nostalgia comes at a price: a Kingfisher Ultra is for Rs 250, and some shots on the menu, including the Vviagra Falls (useful perhaps, for the rather elderly patrons present at opening night) cost up to Rs 650.

Getting There: Three Flights Up, 1st Floor, Narang House, Apollo Bunder, Colaba, Rs 250 for a Kingfisher Ultra.