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EATING OUT MAIN

::: Cuisine: Chinese
::: Location: Rana Market, F-7/2
::: Price range: Rs. 200 per head
::: Reviewed by: Ali Khan

he food is usually very good, the accent being on fresh, clean flavours. The meal begins with a fiery peanut starter - peanuts are marinated in a combination of flaked red chillies and chilli oil - which is extremely delicious. For those who are not chilli addicts, thin slices of pickled cucumbers and carrots are also served complementarily. The Thai soup is an excellent way to start the meal - especially if the staff are reminded not to forget the crispy fried rice that goes at the bottom.

Even though it is in the tradition of Sino-Pakistani cooking rather than genuine Thai soup (traditional flavours such as glalangal, Thai chillies, and lime are not added), it has a wonderful lemony flavour. While you'll get much of the same stuff at other Chinese restaurants, the chow mien is a good base around which you can build your meal. Try this with the delicious crispy Schezuan fish (coated in a sweet and sour sauce, and especially good in winter), the excellent dry chicken (or beef) with chillies, or the flavoursome garlic and lemon chicken (which while it states comes with garlic is infact completely sauceless!).

Less successful is the garlic sizzling chicken, which is far less exciting than it sounds. While having a Chinese-speaking friend does wonders in raising the level of China Town's culinary creations, insisting that chef produce authentic Schezuan cooking - rather than attempt South Asian-Chinese fusion cooking - also ensures a successful meal. In general, avoid the potential for dodgy 'tomato ketchup' dishes which sometimes emerge if one surprises the kitchen by steering away from the more popular (and best-cooked) dishes

If you're feeling somewhat extravagant, the Peking dick is also highly recommended, complete with a fresh plum sauce, steamed pancakes, and sliced celery and cucumbers, to wrap into a delicious concoction.

Also a good meal is the exclusive China Town special the Mongolian Fire Pot - meat or seafood. You'll get a big bowl of steaming hot seasoned soup into which are put slivers of raw meat, chicken, or seafood (prawns, squid, fish) and vegetables along with other seasonings and condiments. The ingredients cook in the soup, the soup is flavoured by the ingredients being added to it and you have a wonderful, healthy dish. Your meat is cooked in the soup and you also get a rich and varied soup, accompanied by plain steamed rice and rice noodles. An excellent meal and cooked without any fat!

If all goes well, China Town probably offers the best Chinese cooking in Islamabad. But for those who wish to avoid the somewhat dingy surroundings, the (hopefully mythical) cockroaches, and the risk of somewhat chaotic service, driving down to pick up a take-away meal from China Town makes a sensible (and delicious) alternative.