This time in May I was in Central South China, Hunan Province to be exact, and was enjoying the very best of local cuisine in true Chinese restaurants and cafes throughout cities like Changsha and Zhangjiajie as well as in small communities. My visit to The Red Bowl in Mandeville Street today surprised me in that I found quality, very fair prices and admirable service, all offered in well-tabled, capacious surroundings. Moreover, there was a simplicity & genuineness about the food here which really appealed to me.
The menu is big and bold enough to cover the bases and give you the experience you may be seeking. From chicken feet in black sauce to beef shin tendons to preserved egg & pork porridge, it’s all there and lunch seems to be all the go! How about this? I ordered four dishes, far too much for a lone luncher but I wanted to try a small selection rather than confine myself to one or two items, if you know what I mean…
There was deep fried tofu, four generous cubes for $3.40, Chinese vegetables at $4.50, coriander dumplings at $4.00 and wonton soup at $8.00. A lot of food, very desirable in appearance, aromatic to the smell and tum-tum tasty but perhaps on my next visit I will cut it down to three for lunch! The soup on its own would be a most agreeable lunch I would suggest!
The dining room is large with many tables so you won’t have any trouble getting a seat. I have a sense that this may be a busy restaurant in the evenings, very popular with the Chinese community in Western Christchurch.
On a final note, it’s refreshing to see an Asian restaurant that doesn’t use those break-apart wooden, throw-away chopsticks. I hate ‘em!
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