Mainland China celebrates the Year of the Wood Dragon with a fiery special menu

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You can enjoy the menu until the end of February at Mainland China locations in Kolkata’s South City Mall, Acropolis Mall, Gurusaday Road and Silver Spring. Plus, the restaurant has some fun games in store for patrons, and the giveaways include authentic Chinese ingredients from noodles to tea

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The Lunar New Year special menu has a range of lip-smacking vegetarian and non-vegetarian starters. The veg menu has (top) Chengdu Vegetable Money Bags which are crispy fried dumplings with a veg filling, and (bottom left) Sichuan Numbing Cottage Cheese with Peanut. The highlight of the vegetarian starters menu is the (bottom right) vegan crispy mock meat, which is tossed in Hong’s sauce

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The (top) Spicy Chicken Bao in the non-vegetarian starters features a crispy chicken filling in fluffy and soft baos. What steals the show is the succulent and spicy Sriracha Chicken Dumpling

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If you love a kick of heat in your food and are fans of the quintessential chilli chicken or chilli fish, then non-veg mains are right up your tastebuds. The (top) Spicy Dry Fried Chicken and a Flaming Fiery Bhetki feel like an upgrade on the quintessential Indo-Chinese favourites

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If you like a side of drama with your food, the (top) Longevity Chilli Oil Noodles are tossed in freshly made chilli oil right in front of you. These long noodles represent life and health in Chinese tradition. You can pair this with other vegetarian mains like the Cottage Cheese in Sweet Chilli and Black Pepper Sauce. The cubes of cottage cheese are soft and blend perfectly with all the spices and sauces

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In the non-vegetarian main course combo, the (bottom) colourful Truffle Dragon Fried Rice shines bright. The fried rice with cubes of tofu, fresh edamame, scrambled egg and black truffles is a party on your plate! For those looking to add to the fiery taste, the Spicy Clay Pot Chicken is perfect fuel, but if your palate has a limited heat tolerance, pair the chicken with some jasmine rice

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Dragons get thirsty too, and for thirst quenchers, the Mainland China menu features a range of mocktails and cocktails. The (right) Fire Dragon Picante is a gin-based cocktail rimmed with salt and red chilli powder, and is infused with cilantro, lime and pineapple juice. The mocktail, Water Dragon Picante, has a more toned down flavour with a dash of pomegranate and curry leaves

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After a fiery, spicy meal, something sweet is sure to be a delight. The dessert features a perfect Oriental meets Bengali dish — Coconut Dumplings. These soft and sweet momos feel like a cosy hug for your taste buds and take like a ‘pithe puli’

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Speaking about the menu, general manager, brand standards and public relations, Speciality Restaurants, Debashish Ghosh, said, ‘This is a special year in the Chinese calendar and the menu is a celebration of the legacy of Mainland China.’ (Bottom) Indraneel Bhattacharya, corporate executive chef said, ‘We have kept the theme of the dragon and fire in all the dishes. The highlight of this menu is the mock meat that is made of soya. The Truffle Dragon Fried Rice and Longevity Noodles are also something to look forward to.’

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My Kolkata spotted some popular food vloggers of the city and asked for their take on the menu. Koninika De of @konizfoodwheels said, ‘Mainland China has always kept up to our expectations and today each and every dish celebrated the Chinese New Year. The Spicy Chicken Bao was my favourite!’ Food influencer Pamela Nandi applauded Chef Indroneel and his team on ‘a fabulous job curating this menu. I would urge everyone to come and try this once to feel the joy of Chinese cuisine.’

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The menu is available till the end of February, for lunch (12.30 - 3pm) and dinner (7- 11pm). A meal for two would cost approx Rs 1,900 at Mainland China and about Rs 1,700 at Asia Kitchen by Mainland China