Restaurant Review: China Garden Chinese Restaurant, Gulf Hotel, Bahrain
- Lifestyles
- Travel & Leisure
- Restaurant Reviews
Author: Britney B.
Released 29 December 2003
China Garden Chinese Restaurant
Photograph by Britney B.
As I love most things oriental, especially food, when I was invited to lunch with friends at the China Garden Restaurant a little while ago I accepted with pleasure.
Overlooking the swimming pool and gardens of the Gulf Hotel, the restaurant’s interior is charmingly decorated in a tranquil oriental style and our table by the window gave us a pleasant view. We were warmly welcomed by Eugene Peque and his staff who provided outstanding service throughout the meal.
Four of us shared a variety of appetizers and dim sums, including the superb mixed dim sum "China Garden Surprise" (a selection of chicken, shrimp and vegetable steamed dumplings), and very good chicken and vegetable spring rolls. The chicken and sweet corn soup tried by another member of our party was reported as being excellent. Other examples of appetizers and soups are Szechuan chilli babycorn, stuffed mushrooms with beef, prawn toast, seafood coriander soup and shrimp dumpling soup. Soups and appetizers are from BD1.800.
Left to Right: Nicola, Carole and Terry
Photograph by Britney B.
Eugene suggested we share as a mid course one of the restaurant’s specialities, crispy duck with pancakes and condiments, and we were not disappointed. Outside of Hong Kong this is one of the best Chinese duck dishes I’ve had. It was very good indeed.
The nicest thing for me when I eat Chinese style with a group of people is the fun of sampling a number of dishes, so as a main course we each chose a dish for sharing. Among our choices were prawns in hot garlic sauce, seafood in black bean sauce, lemon chicken, and beef tenderloin with ginger and spring onion. To accompany these dishes we selected steamed mixed vegetables, Singapore noodles, and fried rice with prawns. Every dish was extremely good and I can personally recommend each one, having of course tried all of them! There was very little left over at the end of the meal, even though the portions are very generous. Other items on the main dish menu are shredded pork in hoisin sauce, Kon Pao chicken with dried chilli, beef in oyster sauce, sliced lamb in black pepper sauce, sweet and sour prawns, and steamed whole baby hamour Cantonese style. Main course dishes are from BD3.600.
Dining Room
Photograph by Britney B.
Vegetable, noodles and rice dishes include vegetables in hot garlic sauce, bean curd with black mushrooms and oyster sauce cooked in a clay pot, fried rice with vegetables, Szechuan chowmein, and noodles with mixed vegetables. These dishes start at BD1.800.
Among our chosen desserts were toffee lychees, toffee bananas and banana pancakes. The overwhelming winner in the dessert stakes, however, was the sago cream with honeydew melon - definitely recommended. Desserts are from BD1.800, and also include toffee apples and seasonal fruits with ice cream.
The restaurant has a very extensive wine list from which we chose one of the New World chardonnays. We finished our very enjoyable meal with coffee and complimentary chocolates.
The China Garden is open for lunch each day except Fridays, and daily for dinner. Prices are subject to 15% service charge and 5% tax. For reservations, telephone the restaurant’s direct number, 973 17726153, during opening hours, or the Gulf Hotel at 973 17713000.