History and Background:
Meal courtesy of Chinese Cricket Club
As part of the Crowne Plaza City Dining complex, Chinese Cricket Club established in 2009, has been home to a variety of clientele mainly business men and a thrive of City workers. Situated right opposite Blackfriars tube station and just off the bustling streets of Fleet Street, you’ll find a mix of modern and traditional Sichuan specialties under the Exec Chef Ken Wang. Sichuan is known for its strong flavours most notable spicy peppers, sesame and chilli.
Awarded an AA Rosette, Chinese Cricket Club (named after Chinese National Cricket team) is most known for their express set lunch menu for people working in The City.
The Chelsea Flower Show Menu showcases classic Chinese dishes influenced by edible flowers in light of the annual event and is available this week between 24 – 27 May only.
The meal: (Chelsea Flower Show Menu)
Starters consisted of classic chinese dimsum, with these carefully folded dumplings. Delicate and exquisitely presented, these pocket full of goodness were consumed very quickly indeed…
Testing your chilli factor here with their homemade sauce – the spicy element is a dominant theme in Sichuan dishes. We even used this sauce for the soft shell crab! The scallop itself was steamed or grilled simple. Soft.
A generous amount of soft shell crab serving, a dish prominent in Japanese restaurants but served Chinese style here. Almonds provide a nutty flavour, adding to the crunchy nature of the crab. Pomegranates added sweetness to the dish.
A variety of colours in the flower sea bass and is served in style. Sweet and Sour Chinese dishes tend to be more catered to the western audience and I’m always a bit hesitant in choosing these dishes from the menu. Nevertheless the dish was delectable, with plenty of sea bass within, covered by a thin layer of crispy batter. Not sure if pomegranate was needed at all here. The sweet and sour sauce itself overshadows the taste of any sort of pomegranate but I guess its great for the visuals!
Lobster noodles are one of my favourite chinese dishes and something that can be hard to perfect. Ginger and spring onion are classic additions bringing out the full and natural flavour of the lobster. Coriander leaves give further fragrance to an otherwise aromatic and meaty dish.
Enjoy your dinner with a refreshing cocktail and that’s your dinner well spent at Chinese Cricket Club!
Service: 12.5% service charge
Price: ££
