Chef Jin Li Ma of Ming Yang, the oriental restaurant of the Taj Land’s End, tasted the food of Mumbai before curating the new menu. Based on his trips to small and big joints of Mumbai, Jin Li Ma created a menu that boasts of dishes from Beijing and Schezwan province keeping in mind the taste of the Mumbaikar.
Non-spicy eaters might get a fright looking at the menu that has red chilly symbols all over it. But you can talk to the server or the chef and request them to prepare the dish as per your taste. The best part about this restaurant is that everything is prepared fresh after you order. Therefore, it can be customised as you like it.
One of the signature dishes of Jin Li Ma is the Peking Duck. Perfectly aired, it comes to you sliced and, of course, wrapped in the pancake with Hoisin sauce and scallion. The chef prefers doing the honours of wrapping the duck himself as he doesn’t want you to overindulge in the home-made Hoisin sauce that he himself prepares. The duck is perfectly crisp on the top and deliciously soft underneath. One bite of the slice as you eat the pancake wrapped version is recommended.
Ming Yang’s another signature offering is their cocktail – Since 1806. Bourbon base lightly flavoured with demerara sugar, smoked with Cuban cigar for the finish. They pour it over a block of ice with orange rind and the smoke gives you a high before you taste the drink. It is an experience that alcohol drinkers should not miss.
Peking Duck |
You are spoilt for choice when it comes to Dim Sums – vegetarian and non-vegetarian. The Lohan jai cheung fun comes with black mushrooms, beansprouts, snow pea, shitake mushrooms, cabbage, shimeji and carrot. Delectable, transparent cover with all these veggies inside are tongue satisfying. The non-veg patrons should try the Siu lung pao, the dumpling with juicy, soupy lamb inside or the seafood dumplings. The Siu lung pao tickles your taste buds as you bite into it and the juices fill your mouth. If the dumplings are not enough of an appetizer, their list of appetisers is longer. For the more adventurous ones, try the Radish Cake. Chong qing chicken, Bay Prawn Hong Kong style or the good old Golden fried prawns or Pork spare ribs should be good for the nonveg lovers. The Chong qing chicken with its spring onion base tastes good.
Remember not to order too many starters as the mains are tempting as well.
While they have retained some dishes from the earlier menu, some like the Homestyle braised Tofu and leeks, Clay pot shucai are the additions to the vegetarian mains. Steamed Chilean Bass with varied sauces, Wok fried lobster with a choice of sauces, Spicy Mushroom chicken, Spicy lamb shank with radish are few of the new non-vegetarian ones.
Shandong Rice is the new rice in the menu. Cleverly braised with chili garlic flavours and tossed with vegetables, this can be eaten with any of the mains. Stir fried chicken with celery or Chilean Bass with XO sauce are recommended. Make sure you order some Baby pokchoy on the side to crunch.
Don’t forget to leave some appetite for the dessert. The Beijing Milk Cake is a must try. Super light, made from condensed milk, it is an ideal way to finish a delicious meal at Ming Yang.
Just when you think you are done, the manager comes with a tray that has a wooden box, a cognac goblet and a tea pot. The wooden box contains a brick of aged Pu Erh tea of 2015 vintage.
He swiftly cuts off a portion from the brick and tosses it into the steaming water in the teapot. After two minutes of brewing, he pours the liquid in the cognac goblet. The aroma is good enough to make you ditch the after dinner liquor and concentrate on this exotic tea.
