Perhaps no other foreign cuisine comes closer to the local palate than Chinese in terms of familiarity. My earliest memories of eating out are bound up with a place called Kowloon at Tariq Road and Chinatown in Clifton. That was before the next wave of Chinese establishments such as Ginsoy, Bambou Chop Chop Wok opened shop. One would imagine with such a profusion of Chinese options would it make good economic sense to open another Restaurant. An action is the shortest answer and in that sense, the opening of Xi’an is a statement that there is still growth in Chinese cuisine in Karachi.
Situated on the main Saba Avenue, right next to the Jucy Lucy, one might remember it as a familiar landmark where Gazebo used to be.
You are greeted with an opulent interior that denotes the fine dining aspirations of the place, and a step up from the usual fare one gets to witness at other Chinese restaurants. The space does feel a little cramped and seating may inhibit movement.
To start off things fish crackers were served along with the Schezwan soup with its spicy and creamy texture courtesy of lemon grass, Schezwan chillies and the main base coconut milk that lends it a savoury velvety taste.
You are greeted with an opulent interior that denotes the fine dining aspirations of the place, and a step up from the usual fare one gets to witness at other Chinese restaurants. The space does feel a little cramped and seating may inhibit movement
Next I was served from a bamboo hotpot with steaming with wok fried sliced of beef with steamed vegetables and a separate section on the bamboo hotpot for steaming rice- which true to their name had delicious wafts of ample portions of steamed rice. Dragon Chicken a red spicy gravy was also served which is chicken and capsicum blended in a red sauce. Definitely spicy enough to make you break in sweat. To wash it all down there was a ‘peach pina colada’ which intrigued but had a suspicion would be an experiment that would flop. But nevertheless it turned out to be good, being able to taste the aromatic peachy essence without being overpowered by sugar as the case with pina coladas.
So what could Xi’an is getting right? The place definitely has heart into what they put in although a review can never give you an exhaustive dish by dish review of the restaurant but the place does exude an impression, from the premium décor to the courteous service- that they aim to please.
As to what could be improved: the Chinese cuisine market is a densely populated and to really make a mark there must be serious thinking in the process, and when I say that it’s basically the menu items on offer. Sure they taste great but they aren’t anything that stands out that really sets it apart from other Chinese restaurants. That’s not just specific to Xi’an but a common refrain for most Chinese establishments opening up shop. Surely there is good work being done, but there must be a few bold leaps of imagination on something that could be your signature menu items. So I came out of Xi’an sated but left a little wanting. They do hit all the right notes but still needs a little nudge to truly become from good from great.
The writer is a freelancer and can be reached at [email protected]