For those who have not visited Dusit Devarana, the first visit can be mesmerizing with its unique architecture and levels and greenery and water bodies and the dramatic entry into the restaurants after going through a labyrinth. The hotel has two restaurants, Kiyan with is their all day dining restaurant, and Chi Ni, their Chinese fine dining restaurant.

                                          Exteriors

So far the restaurant served only dinner but now it is open for lunch too. The lunch timing is 12:30 – 15:00 hrs, and the price is Rs. 2900 ++ (vegetarian) and Rs. 3200 ++ (non-vegetarian) per person for their four course meal. Or the guests have the option to choose from their a’ la carte menu.  

                                         Interiors

The food here does not belong to any region of China but instead relies on Chinese dishes that are popular in Singapore, Thailand, and Malaysia, making the food more accessible to the Indian palate. I am here for the inaugural bloggers’ table to taste their four course menu, being hosted by Birgit Holm, the charming Hotel Manager of Dusit Devarana. Encouraged by her, I have decided to taste all the menu options to better guide the readers.

We start with a amuse bouche of stir fried zucchini which is a palate tickler as it is supposed to be. I am confused about which soup to try so I try all of them and discover my winner right there. Ash gourd seafood soup is subtle and comforting, and hot and sour vegetable soup is exciting.

              Stir fried zucchini                              Hot and sour vegetable soup

But what is truly world’s best soup is their sweet corn vegetable soup. The veggies are crisp and retaining their taste and the corn adds an addictive sweetness to the soup. The taste is so great that I would probably come back just to have this soup again. 

           Ash gourd seafood soup                      Sweet corn vegetable soup

The appetizers come pre-plated and the non-veg option has four small helpings. Blanched spinach is chilled, and is refreshing.  Crispy spicy mushrooms are disappointing, since there is too much batter and too little of mushrooms in the mushroom fritter. Lettuce wraps chicken and vegetable is nice though not spectacular. Wasabi shrimp has crispy fried shrimp with a hit of wasabi and is quite morish.

                              Appetizers Platter

The main course has four options and I try them all. The tastiest is Szechuan steamed Indian sea bass, though the other options are competent too. The chicken in wok fried chicken, asparagus is juicy and the asparagus crunchy. 

        Szechuan Indian sea bass                       Wokfried Chicken Asparagus

Bean-curd, 3 kinds of mushroom, Szechuan style has great tofu which has been made in house by the chef himself. It is wok fried giving it a crisp exterior and a tender inside. Vegetarian Chicken, Three Chilies is an intriguing dish. While I do not find the concept of soya based chicken very engaging, the vegetarians on the table are enjoying it with apparent delight, so it must be good.

Beancurd Mushrooms Szechuan                Vegetarian Chicken Three Chillies

The choice of staples is Ginger Fried Rice and Hong Kong Noodles, both of which are good.

                            Hong kong Noodles

It is at dessert time that ChiNi impresses again. Splendid Baked Yoghurt is like a mishit doi with a tart makeover and is really delicious. Senses of Chocolate has chocolate in eight textures (though my not so sensitive palate can feel only four of them) and is a Chocoholics’ delight.

                 Baked Yoghurt                                 Senses of Chocolate

I have enjoyed my lunch and the lovely environs here. Of course I will be back here for my sweet corn vegetable soup, sea bass and baked yoghurt.

Please note: This review was done on an invitation from the restaurant to taste their food, and no bill was presented to the author. While the author assures you of objectivity, the review may be influenced by the personalized attention the author got.

Ratings (Out of 5)

Food: 4.0 | Ambience: 4.5 | Service: 4.0 | Value: 3.5 | Overall: 4.0

Meal for two: Rs.6500 | Alcohol: Yes | Credit Card: Yes | Wheel chair friendly: Yes

Address: Dusit Devarana, 21st Milestone, Samalkha, NH-8, Near, Rajokri, New Delhi. Tel: 011-30158657