The Dornier 328 took off gently. Wobbled in the air. Leveled off briefly. Wobbled again. And then crash-landed. That's how a seasoned Pilot would have recounted the luckless supper of last night at Nu Wan Li. It hurt.
The beginning was promising. Thai Chicken Soup tasted rounded – having creatively swapped the traditional seasoning for a spicier one achieving the nuanced originality with added flavoury tones. Ginger and chillies duly lent aroma, pinch and a seductive note [was it lemongrass?]. I smiled.
Chilli Chicken enjoys an exemplary ubiquity in Kolkata, offering a trite yet interesting taste hard to misidentify. The one we suffered last night tasted far removed from the reality of Chilli Chicken. I frowned.
The Chilli Pork felt lean but chewy – and stale. The base sauce with onions was well-made though. Hunan fish, prepared hurriedly with Basa, was forgotten fast. My frown deepened.
At this crossroads, providence intervened as Green Pepper Chicken – deliciously juicy Chicken shreds seasoned with spices and herbs and cooked with fresh green Bell peppers and onions - an unsurprising dish that verily surprised. In some novelty is sought and in others honesty. The rustic honesty in Green Pepper Chicken could ease my frown. Briefly though!
Chicken Lo Mein finally brought the plane down. The mystique of Lo Mein gave in to an indelicate and spoiling supply of cucumber in parboiled noodles. I left the table in disgust.
I repeat, good food pleases and bad food teaches! So, the failed feast taught the hardship of culinary consistency. An engaging company that I had kept the evening breathing, afloat and moving.
Nu Wan Li would linger ever as an eatery forgotten sooner than I could even step out of it!
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