REstaurant review
text
susan wong
LEFT
Head Chef Chen Songhua
BELOW
Authentic Moon Cake
Double Dragon’s menu splashes
around in classic Chinese cuisine,
with special attention to its
Shanghainese roots and Northern
specialities.
they reserved the entire restaurant
and I was relegated to dining in the
fringes of the food court. I was told
an important government official was
in town - I think they just wanted
to keep their karaoke skills or lack
thereof to themselves.
Incredibly, Double Dragon’s food
court outlet, which was recently
refurbished, serves a far more
sophisticated menu than any other
Chinese food court restaurant I’ve
seen in Nairobi. The chef there
managed to whip up some Chinese
comfort food for us - far from the
usual Sweet and Sour Pork or Egg
Fried Rice. Can’t say I’ve dined at a
food court with a brocade table cloth
before but there’s always a first time
for everything, right?
We began with a plate of Chilled
Spiced Wood Ear Mushrooms tossed
in a vinaigrette, delivered together
with a fallen wine glass. This is often
one of those dishes that starts off
suspicious and becomes increasingly
irresistible. The vinaigrette was not
tooth-achingly acidic – a lovely way
to get the taste buds salivating.
Bamboo steamers of Soup-filled
Pork Dumplings followed on a bed
of lettuce. The delicate dough was
acceptably thin though unfortunately
not translucent, however the broth
from the filling was bursting with
flavour. The Pot Stickers, crescentshaped dumplings, were pan-fried
until golden brown and featured a
crispy bottom. The showstopper was
the classic Fried Whole Snapper in
Spicy Sweet and Sour Sauce, served
dramatically deboned with its fillets
of meat scored to reveal an intricate
pattern when flash-fried. The
snapper was still juicy and moist to
the palate and the spicy sweet and
sour sauce - a signature of Szechuan
cuisine - was well-balanced and a
plate of this alone would be a proper
dinner.
The great thing about Nairobi
is that we’re spoiled with a wide
variety of Chinese food – be it
fusion or traditional, quality or
revolting. Chinese cuisine has long
been a favourite of Nairobians
and tourists alike, with a myriad
of flavours and textures – thanks
to the diverse influences of
various regions that make up the
Chinese ethnic group. Craving for
something light? There are thinly
sliced braised meats served cold,
tossed pickled vegetable salads,
and delicately steamed seafood.
Feel like something more hearty
and substantial? Dig into a bowl of
handmade noodles and meaty stews.
Double Dragon’s menu splashes
around in classic Chinese cuisine,
with special attention to its
Shanghainese roots and Northern
specialities that are favourites
of most Chinese expatriates in
Kenya. None of the dishes sound
extraordinary. It’s straightforward
Chinese stuff where each and every
dish gets that elegant and special
Double Dragon touch, the one that
always has you planning your next
visit. It is