Already there were a lot of reasons for the people of Noida to rejoice and now they get a yet another good eatery Chi Asian Cookhouse. Being a Noidaite myself I was elated on hearing the news. Their menu is a breath of fresh air and incorporates dishes from many Asian countries such as Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, Vietnam, Indonesia, Korea and of course China. Though from the description it may not seem very uncommon but one thing that sets this eatery apart from others is that its menu has a wide collection of street delicacies which are usually impossible to find until and unless you actually set foot in these countries.
The interiors of the place are casual, non pretentious and the compact wooden furniture along with no walls adds to the street food experience. Oriental cooking apparatus such as dimsum baskets are used to decorate the entire place while the walls are adorned with interesting objects like street signals in different Asian languages. I found all this compelling but what’s the use if the food cannot live up to the expectations. I could not wait for long and ordered some of the dishes that caught my attention.
A chicken dumpling soup from Hong Kong was full of flavour and very tasty. The freshness of the broth speaks a lot and I would come to this place again to try the soups. Their Satays are another thing which will satisfy your Asian food cravings. The Samui Mushroom & Broccoli Satay and Thai Chicken Satay were great however the Singaporean Pork Satay was disappointing as the marination overpowered the taste of the pork.
They have an extensive variety of dimsums and most of which I tried didn’t disappoint. Special mention goes to Xiaolongbao, the soupy pork dumplings, something like the international award winning dumplings of Din Tai Fung which I tried in Singapore. Spicy chicken dumplings were my favourite along with the vegetarian delights like Siu Mai and Hargao.
We directly skipped to main course. The meal in the bowls looked really interesting but we finally settled for Mix ‘n’ Match wherein lot of permutations and combinations were possible with the choice of the sauces and the various meats/veggies. I loved the Jishou Sapo prawns consisting of chilli garlic paste and dry chillies that really turned up the heat. My highlight for the evening was the Coconut Pancake in which the combination of roasted coconut with caramel was phenomenal.
Another joyful experience was their Chi Chewees, a drink with fruit flavoured jellies that will play around with your tastebuds as you sip on. This ‘chew while you drink’ concept is surely gonna catch up. Both Watermelon Kaffir and Lychee Cinnamon ticked the right boxes.
As far as food is concerned the east has gripped the west and its fondness is growing in India as well. Chi’s wide menu will keep you engrossed and you will surely be spoilt for choices. From being a stand alone restaurant in SDA, Chi Kitchen and Bar has come a long way and with Chi Asian Cookhouse it is striving to bring a positive change in the capital’s Asian food scene.
Quick Facts
Chi Asian Cookhouse
F-456, 3rd Floor, DLF Mall of India,
Sector 18, Noida
Meal for two – INR 1500( Approx)
Disclaimer – This review was done on an invitation from the establishment. Views expressed in the review is entirely ours and without any bias. Pictures of the dishes are not the standard portions, they are sample portions.
