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Lunch buddies
Ping’s Café Orient in Lodhi Colony is quite popular with Delhi’s swish set. It’s an Asian restaurant that aims to provide great food without the guilt of the calories. They claim to use healthy oils and the freshest ingredients. In an effort to be environmentally conscious, only biodegradable materials are used. Apart from these so-called health benefits, it’s a really good Dimsum place!
The menu is conducive to sharing, so you can try lots of things. A special Low-Calorie menu is great for those on a diet. Seven of us (6 adults and 1 child) went for lunch on a Friday, and the place was jam-packed. I indulged in some celebrity-spotting as Barkha Dutt was seated on the table next to ours.
This wasn’t my first time here, but I enjoy the food and return often. We ordered a bunch of appetizers, a salad, 2 bao dishes, and one main course (for our vegetarian friend) and left with our tummies rather full!
Run by the successful team behind famous cocktail bar, PCO, the delicious cocktails are a must-try. A friend had the Ma-Collins (Bourbon mixed with a homemade star anise & ginger syrup with lemon juice, soda and lemon-peel) which was surprisingly good. I say surprising because whiskey and citrus flavours don’t usually go together! The rest of us had White Rhino beers or Diet Cokes.
Philadelphia Cream Cheese Dimsum
The stand-out dish was Mong Kok’s Philadelphia Cream Cheese with wild mushroom, water chestnut & truffle oil; which was the most creamy and succulent of all our dimsum. The ginza’s Pork Gyoza had a smokey flavor, and the macau-special Tiger Prawn Chive & Water Chestnut was deliciously crunchy. The hoi-an’s Wok-Tossed Dynamite Shrimp with Chilli Garlic Wasabi Mayo was scrumptious because of its coating. The golden pagoda Khao Suey with Vegetables was quite good too. The roahe night market’s Black Pepper Pork Bao was fantastic, and the jongno district’s Chicken Teriyaki Bao was decent. Another favourite was the tiger temple’s Spicy Beef Salad with onion, coriander, mint, lime and dried chilli.
The kl city center’s Chicken Sui Mai (choice of steamed or wok-tossed), and the Himeji castle’s Soft Shell Crab Tempura, were nothing to write home about. Hang Dieu’s Summer Rolls with Vegetables from the Low Calorie & Healthy Menu, were tasteless and dry; but definitely very healthy!
Chicken Sui Mai
The décor is welcoming, with everything diffused in red lighting. They encourage feedback via post-its on the wall. Switches on the walls to summon the wait staff are an innovative addition, and fun music from the 80s adds to the charm. The names of the dishes are an interesting detail.
Black Pepper Pork Bao
Having recently eaten a similar meal at Yum Yum Cha, Khan Market, I couldn’t help but compare the two (read my review here). I would pick Yum Yum Cha over Ping’s simply because each dish served at Yum Yum Cha was excellent, where Ping’s tended to be hit and miss. However, Ping’s is more laid-back and better for a leisurely meal. If you really enjoy Asian food, I would recommend visiting them both!
Price per head (including drinks): INR 2100
Restaurant rating: 3.8/5
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