Chennai's Chinese restaurants whip up fare to welcome Year of the Goat

China Town a popular Chinese restaurant is organising a Noodles Mania Festival at its outlets in Cathedral Road and Ampa Mall. The festival that started Feb 18 will run till March 8.

It's believed in China that the longer the noodle the longer your life. "Linking with that, China Town wishes a healthy and prosperous year ahead," the outlet said in a statement.

The Chinese New Year is the longest and the most important celebration in the Chinese calendar and brings family members together over a grand dinner. In keeping with this, gourmets at the China Town festival can enjoy the wide range of noodles with other lip-smacking dishes.

The restaurant has introduced a range of wholesome noodle meals which are served in a clay pot with vegetables and choice of meats and in various styles - lard na (Thai flat noodles topped with delicates soya bean sauce), khao suay (Burmese curried noodle) and many more.

They are also featuring soups and salads like glass noodle soup (glass noodles simmered in a clear soup flavored with garlic, scallions, and celery) and talumein soup (traditional Chinese thick soup with mushroom, broccoli, tomato and soft noodles).

The main courses include China Town mee hoon (rice noodles cooked in sweet and spicy sauce with prawns ), yam mein stir fried noodles (soft noodles cooked in spicy dark soya sauce with mushroom and tofu) and chilli basil bean sheet (transparent mung bean sheets cooked in chilli and basil sauce cooked with prawns or seafood), among others.

On the other hand, the Golden Dragon restaurant at the five-star Taj Coromandel Hotel offers traditional a Chinese feast paired with the simple elegance of Chinese tea.

Golden Dragon chef William has planned dishes like X.O. scented scallops with lobster butter and caviar; fragrant boiled chicken with salt flakes, Taiwan seasoning and aged soya; crisp taro dumpling; young celery flavoured chicken soup dumplings; chicken pot stickers; steamed whole fish with dil - lemon cream; and braised lai pokchoy with fresh shitake.

The festival at Golden Dragon ends Feb 22.

For the sweet tooth there are various desserts at both the outlets.