Chinese Food, Chinese Prices

It is easy to find expensive restaurants to write about. It’s not that easy to find restaurants that are not expensive but serve good food and yet have CHIC positioning. Yo! China, located in the Metropolitan Mall in Gurgaon fits this bill.

Let me justify why I chose Yo! China. It is new, it’s happening, it’s not really written about too much, as yet. Yo! China was started by a team of six enterprising individuals headed by Mr Talwar . Their vision was to give customers quality food at a price that anybody would be comfortable paying – “Chinese food, at Chinese prices”. For Rs 100, they promise a filling Chinese meal. In other words, street hawker pricing with quality food served in a trendy ambience.

The restaurant is not self-service but offers fast moving service. Food is ordered at the table and delivered by friendly stewards. The key to the business lies in turning tables fast. With a seating capacity of 85, on weekends a minimum of 850 guests enjoy their hospitality whereas on weekdays at least 400 guests turn up to savour their offerings.

As usual we walked in with an open mind. We were here to enjoy ourselves. The walk in to the mall took me by surprise. I was not aware that Gurgoan has such plush shopping malls. Nestled in a corner on the first floor is Yo! China. What I liked at first go was the fact that the team at Yo ! China had the guts to do away with the predictable Chinese look. In fact the ambience within the restaurant is a welcome change from the standard Chinese dragons and little red lanterns – the bright yellow and red décor gives it a very cheerful and contemporary look.

While we made ourselves comfortable, we were presented with the very bright and trendy menu. Ashish Kapur, brain and passion behind Yo! China, helped us choose the goodies. He used to work for GE Capital before conceptualising Yo! China. The Chicken Sui Mai is a must, we were told, priced at an unbelievable Rs 12 per piece (minimum order five pieces). It definitely had to be ordered. Besides this, Juicy Lamb Kothe (at Rs 12 a piece) and Chicken Bao (at Rs 11 a piece) looked inviting. Aniseed Chicken (Rs 89) served with complementary steamed rice is another treat for the palate, suggested Meghana, Ashish’s lovely and charming wife. During weekends Meghana’s role is to control the crowd and with her vibrant personality, not many would mind waiting for the table.

Another thing that caught my fancy was Value Combos, which is especially appreciated by the rushed executive or a couple wanting a quick bite before a movie. The portions, we noticed, were quite large. We decided to try other delicacies during our next visit. But the meal had to be ended on a sweet note. The homemade chocolate cake looked exquisitely sinful! It came with a large piece of cake, ice cream and chocolate sauce for...hold your breath, a mere Rs 69.

Yo! China has very successfully customised American Chinese concepts like Panda Express and Pick-up Sticks. Another takeoff from its American counterparts is the operational timing, the restaurant is open from 11.30 am to 11.30 pm. Ajay Saini heads the operations and can be seen shouting at the staff quietly, just to ensure that everyone get the same attention and service. They are already scouting for locations in Delhi and perhaps soon they will view other cities too. But catch them when they are young.