Chinese Cuisine in India: The Riveting History and Some Distinguished Chinese Restaurants

If you look meticulously, you will find a few Chinese platters somehow present on the menus of most Indian restaurants in the country. This subtle trend indicates that Indians have considered Indo-Chinese cuisine as a comfort food. But how did it become so attached to our gastronomic culture? Don’t you want to know the intriguing history before you order the next Chinese platter from your nearby Chinese restaurant? And even if you know the history, do you know the proper restaurants in your city that serve authentic Chinese cuisine? Or you just consider what your Google results showcase after you juggle with keywords- Chinese restaurant near me?

If you don’t have the answers to these questions, apart from the last one, it’s not a big deal. This is because in this blog we will unravel all of them. Without further ado, let’s start.

The Intriguing History of How Chinese Cuisine Merged with India’s Gastronomy

Like many great stories of inter-continental gastronomic fusions, across the globe, the Indo-Chinese gastronomic fusion also started with immigrants and inter-community practices.

The intriguing story took place at the heart of Calcutta (now Kolkata) during the 18th Century, which the British East India Company deemed as the capital of colonial India. The greatest advantage of this city was its geographic location where its river banks witnessed the thriving trading of silk and tea from China to Britain. It soon started to attract both skilled and unskilled Chinese workers.

As per some legit researchers, it was recorded that by 1901, some 1500+ Chinese people were residing in the city. And by the Second World War, it reached close to around 30,000! These Chinese immigrants came from various regions but could broadly be categorized as Hakka shoemakers, Cantonese carpenters, Shandong silk traders, and Hubeinese dentists. Inevitably, the Indians around that time started imbibing the gastronomic cultures of these immigrants. And we all know how food is a crucial medium to create a sense of familiarity and belonging for every community across the globe. Eventually, it was seen that in the city’s centrally located Chinatown, immigrants cooked their own meals and peddlers started selling them on the streets to fellow Chinese workers.

As expected, Calcutta saw its first Chinese restaurant in 1924, named Nanking, which caught the attention of some Bollywood stars around that time, besides significant Indian occupants and Europeans living in the city. Following suit, several other Chinese-owned restaurants opened up over the years, not just in Calcutta but in Bombay (now Mumbai) too, which possessed another quantifiable community of immigrants too. But Calcutta was the sole region that witnessed how the cuisine evolved with an India-influenced gastronomic culture. More Indianized Chinese platters became popular which originated from the second Chinatown in Tangra, Calcutta.

How the practice of Indo-Chinese food in Tangra caught the attention of the rest of the country is quite debatable as of today. What we do know is that in 1974, the country’s first Sichuan restaurant opened up at the Taj Mahal Hotel in Bombay which introduced a type of Chinese food that the locals never tasted before. The evolution of Chinese food in India was catalyzed by several innovative improvisations over the years and Chicken Manchurian was a prominent one. This saw how Indian spices started to play a big role in crafting an Indo-Chinese dish. You can assume that the reason for it is that Indians didn’t have Sichuan peppers or other spices that the Chinese used to do.

After the India-China war in 1962, many Chinese communities were banished to a detention camp in Rajasthan, while others fled to Canada. Today, a few thousand of them live in Kolkata but they are hardly involved in running a restaurant. Today, almost all of the Chinese-owned restaurants cease to exist in India and some are being run by Indians only. Among them, only a few are crafting the best Indianized Chinese platters that bring out the best flavours.

Some Renowned Chinese Restaurants in the Country That You Can Try Out

The ideology behind this list is to make you aware of some celebrated Indian restaurants that specialize in Chinese cuisines, rather than the other way around.  People often order Chinese foods from random restaurants in India that might not specialize in them and are just serving as a comfort food (such as Chowmein, Chicken Manchurian, etc) for the locals. And, this blog will steer you clear of those spots. While you can still order from them if you fiddle too much with the keywords- Chowmein Restaurants near me, in Google; the ones given below should be kept for that special day when you want to try out proper Chinese platters.

1. Yauatcha, Mumbai & Kolkata

 The best spot to try authentic Chinese platters in these two vibrant cities of the country. Don’t forget to try their popular dim sum and soups.

2. The China Kitchen, New Delhi

 Their celebrated chili garlic chicken noodles and chicken drumstick will drive your tastebuds crazy.

3. Tung Fong, Kolkata

Offering a cozy vibe, this restaurant is known for serving authentic Chinese platters, especially Mixed Hakka Noodles and Chicken Wonton Soup.

4. Beijing, Kolkata

 Situated in Tangra, where the inception of Indo-Chinese cuisine took place, they are known for their Chinese Chicken and Fried Crabs.

5. Zen- The Leela Palace Hotel, Bangalore

 With both indoor and outdoor seating arrangements, Zen excels in crafting the best dim sums the electronic city has ever tasted. Also, try their Yang Zhou Fried Rice if you ever visit this spot.

6. Chung Wah, Bangalore & Kolkata

 It’s a popular chain practicing some lip-smacking Chinese dishes and hence should be on your list too.

7. Mamagoto, Pune

 It offers you street-style authentic Chinese flavors from different regions of China. Though they have an extensive menu that all tastes excellent, try their heavenly Garlic Butter mushrooms, Chicken Sour ,and Pepper Soup without fail.

8. Hakkasan, Mumbai-

Popular among the celebs of the region, Hakkasan doesn’t disappoint the taste buds of gourmets. Their shrimp dumplings, soft-shell crabs ,and fried prawns are popular beyond Mumbai.

9. Mekong, Hyderabad

 Situated in the heart of the city which is being called the next Silicon Valley of India, Mekong is known for its delicious Hani Garlic Prawn, Crispy Lotus Stem, and King Prawns. The interiors give a homely vibe with elegant architecture that adds to its true Asian culinary expedition.

10. China House, Ahmedabad

 This spot should be your best bet for authentic Chinese and Sichuan cuisine if you are located in Ahmedabad. The restaurant strives to offer you the best fried dumplings, prawn spring rolls, and tofu, you ever had in your entire gastronomic life. To conclude your dinner, you can do so with their famous crème brulee and chocolate roll.

Conclusion

Now that you know the emotion behind the Indo-Chinese cuisines you taste in India, you will do so in an elevated state, the next time you dig. But your expedition towards authentic Chinese cuisine should start from the standards that the above-mentioned restaurants offer. And, to learn more about them, you need to chalk out a reputed online food delivery platform such as the Swiggy website.

The Swiggy app not only lets its users order food from restaurants but also smartly suggests gourmets on platters that they love. With advanced technologies integrated with the platform (like AI/ML algorithms), your Chinese dishes are just a few clicks away from your home. Moreover, the Swiggy app might give you discount coupons which can save your pocket significantly.  So, this concludes this blog as well as your desire to know about the Indian influence on Chinese recipes in our country. But did your hunger for a tasty Chinese platter subdued? Not so, right? Don’t waste any time and get on with the Swiggy app now!