15 August,2016 08:26 AM IST | | Joanna Lobo
Order in from this new takeaway in Parel that offers generous portions of comforting Chinese food
Teppan Soba Noodles
There's a reason we love Indian Chinese food - it's greasy, filling and light on the pocket. Xiang, a month-old delivery service in Parel, ticked all these boxes.
Kung Pao Chicken
Located in Parel village, the eatery has an extensive menu comprising the usual salads, soups, appetisers, rice, noodles, and desserts. What caught our eye was the portion sizes mentioned - starting with 500 ml and going right up to 1,000 ml!
On a rainy afternoon, we ordered a lunch feast over the phone. The food arrived in 40 minutes, in takeaway boxes with the dishes' name scribbled on top. There was no spillage, although the plastic bag looked like it would give way at any moment.
But, we were distracted by what looked like enough food to feed 10 people, and the aroma of burnt garlic and soy sauce.
Teppan Soba Noodles
Chicken tales
We started with the Steamed Chicken Wontons (Rs 180). While they looked delicious, glistening with golden brown fried garlic and chopped chillies, they proved to be the biggest disappointment. The casing was too thick and doughy; it didn't appear to be steamed enough and while the chicken stuffing was generous, it was bland.
Chicken in Konji Sauce
The second appetiser, Kung Pao Chicken (Rs 180), fared better. The classic Sichaun dish came with whole fried garlic, onions and capsicums. It wasn't as spicy as versions we have tasted in other restaurants, but this meant we could taste the chicken, which was juicy and tender. There was a distinct lack of peanuts and the dish was a bit oily but still delicious.
It would make for perfect bar food.
The other chicken dish was a main, Chicken in Konji Sauce (Rs 210). It was a mildly spiced, slightly sweet and thin gravy with soft chicken pieces; bell peppers gave it a nice burst of colour.
In an attempt to try variety - they didn't have lamb and we were hesitant to test out seafood in the monsoon - we picked from the vegetarian section of the menu. The Teppan Soba Noodles (Rs 190) were thick but tasted like regular wheat noodles. The dish featured bell peppers, onions, carrots, baby corn and limp pieces of broccoli, and its heat came from the pepper it was liberally doused in. It had enough flavour to be eaten on its own, without any gravy but the vegetables barely made an impact.
The crunch test
Already stuffed, we decided to save dessert for later. It proved costly. The Honey-Dipped Noodles (Rs 140) was a big portion of crisp noodles sweetened with honey, and, we think, lots of sugar. However, by evening, it had lost its crunch.
The lesson? Eat these while they're still fresh.
Xiang's portions are generous. We had the leftovers in the evening and they tasted the same.
A delivery service relies on its phone operators to ensure customers are satisfied, and Xiang did well here. They called to inform us that our chosen dessert, the Chocolate Wontons, weren't available, and sent another dish on the house. We received a call the next day too, to ask for our feedback.
