Last night we went to China Garden after a long, long time. And finally after a long, long time I had a great dinner.

Our guest that evening was a fine young lady who was spending a few hours with us before leaving for the airport. Luckily our regular waiter wasn’t around so we had the opportunity to try something without his recommendations well meaning though they may be.

I always wonder why I ask the waiter what is the best on the menu – obviously he doesn’t really know my likes or dislikes. I also now understand why my husband always asks for the same dish time after time. He knows what he wants and doesn’t want to deviate from the tried and tested. So in every Chinese restaurant that we visit any where in the world, he asks for Haka noodles and stir fried vegetables including restaurants in Beijing and Shanghai!

The restaurant was fairly empty when we arrived at 7.45 but filled up quite soon, a testament to its ever green appeal. My Lung Fung soup was served at just the right temperature and the bits of shitake mushrooms blended  well with the chopped tofu, carrots and beans, a nutritous mix which prevented this soup from deteriorating into a mass of congealing corn flour.

Our guest ordered a stir fry of chicken and veg while we had the mock meat and haka noodles. Mock meat is found only at China Garden and is nearly always perfect to satisfy those cravings for real meat; stir fried with soya and green chili, it complemented my vegetarian FLY LICE.

We wound up with a slightly disappointing dessert of tinned lychees that were rubbery but all in all I was pleased. Finally a meal where China Garden lived up to its reputation – a place to go for the best Chinese meal in Mumbai.