The Delish Battle of the Chinese

Okay. Fret not. Our descendants are neither having another big war lesson in the text books nor be in a complete state of catatonic comatose during the history classes as this battle is very different. It's a war of  taste. Tasty Chinese food to be precise!!

The encounter is between Mainland China Vs Flower Drum. May the best dish emerge victorious!

Some of my friends in TCS had recommended that Mainland China's buffet is really good. I have been wanting to try it for a long time. The opportunity got itself presented to me in a colorful platter! I stepped into one of the Mainland China's chain of restaurants at Phoenix Mall, Velachery. I was told by the hostess that they don't have the buffet in that particular place when I enquired them about the opening time of their lunch. I still went ahead to try out their other specialities only to be greeted by a vast space of empty chairs and a cheery Captain. The ambience was welcoming and had a good vibe on the overall mood of the restaurant. After comfortably settling in, the maitre d' hurried himself personally to cater to my starving stomach. In an unhurried manner, I ordered Chilly Teriyaki Potatoes and Exotic Vegetables Tofu. As I was completely unaware of the size of their portion, I decided to play the waiting game during the hunger time. The service was humongously prompt and courteous. The Chilly Teriyaki Potatoes were simply amazing sauted with the condiments. The Exotic vegetables & Tofu was equally good. The quantity was more for a single person and I had no other choice but to have it as a take it away. The dessert was indeed the icing on the cake! The Rambutan with ice-cream was fantastic especially with its presentation. It was smoking cool!  Though I couldn't go beyond the excellent starters sans the dessert, Mainland China is a place which I will definitely try again when I am on a voracious appetite.

Moving on to Flower Drum. Vegetarian and Chinese food are like the world famous Tom & Jerry. They don't go along with each other and fight a lot!  But, beneath the numerous tussles, there lies an intense love affair that is unspottable to the normal eyes. Fortunately, the big board on Prince Plaza can be seen amidst the heavy traffic on the Pantheon Road. I was super duper excited when my friend told me that there is an exclusive place for top class vegetarian Chinese cuisine. It was dimly lit and for a wednesday afternoon, the place was crowded. The order taker quietly brought in Tom Yum Soup and Kimchi followed by Khao Pad rice. The Kimchi and Pad Thai can actually serve 2 people very easily. I was not able to eat it fully and asked Jubie to pack away the remaining contents. Kindly do not order more than necessary and waste the delicious food. The service was prompt but not as efficient as Mainland China. But, the food was gorgeous. Finally, the dessert, which I couldn't spell and was more like a gibberish, - Kluay Buad Chee - translated as Bananas in Coconut Milk. It was nothing less than spectacular particularly the coconut milk. I was really reeling and dizzying under the heaviness of the dessert. The experience of having an authentic vegetarian Chinese made its worth in gold.

So, who is the winner? 

Both Mainland China and Flower Drum are unique in their own way with the exception that Mainland China has a wide repertoire of non vegetarian items as well. Though being a pure vegetarian and yes, MLC wins the bout hands down by virtue of their superior service.

PS:
The comparison is drawn only to the MLC @ Phoenix Mall and Flower Drum. As MLC is available across Chennai, the service might differ from place to place.