They say a real food lover will brave ANYTHING for a taste of excellent food.
And so one fine Sunday, we brave it. The seediest place in the whole of Hong Kong. Armed with no particular restaurant in mind, no Lonely Planets, just our empty stomachs and huge appetites, we enter the very building the locals avoid like the plague.
The Chungking Mansions.
Gasp!!!
The exotic scent of spices, body odor and cheap perfume greets us. And in a few seconds we are cornered by a group of Indian men with menus and VIP cards, each promising the best Indian meal of our lives.
Sedique wins our vote because it’s got variety - Indian, Pakistani and Malaysian. And really, who can turn down an invitation to dine in a “members only” establishment at the Chungking?
The blue walls, green curtains and box type TV give Sedique a homey feel
Salad with yogurt dressing - light and refreshing
Papad – crisp and spicy
Cutacut – FRIED POTATOES RULE!
Vegetable Mix – this blend of curried cauliflower, potato, lettuce, corn, carrots, lentils and peas makes being vegetarian not so bad
Channa Beans – smooth, nutty, buttery, delicious
Potato Spinach – just alright
Spinach – a different take on palak paneer. Looks a bit off but tastes ok.
I wash down all that food with this glass of sickeningly sweet Sweet Lassi.
And that is the end of our healthy, vegetarian meal at Sedique…
Me and Carol
NOT!!!!!
Okay, we also have some watery and forgettable curries…
Fish Curry
Mutton Curry
After which we are rewarded with the very, very best tandoori dishes!
Sheekh Kebab – minced lamb blended with aromatic spices then grilled on skewers in a Tandoor. Each kebab is sure to overwhelm your taste buds with the multitude of flavors it packs. The best I’ve ever had.
Chicken Tikka Tandoori – smothered with yogurt, chili and tandoori masala, then cooked in a clay oven in very high heat, these chicken pieces are crispy on the outside and so succulent inside, a burst of awemazing flavors with each bite. The best chicken tikka tandoori ever!!!
Lamb Chop Tandoori - now take in all that awemazing flavors of the chicken tikka and imagine them on these tenderous and juicilicious lamb chops. Ayaiyaiiihhh! The best lamb chop tandoori ever!!!
Naan – this thick and yeasty bread tastes of a fantastic smoky flavor, and the exposure to high, dry heat really crisps up the bottom. This naan is so unbelievably good I find myself tearing and eating away even after all the curries and tandooris are gone. This is, hands down, the best of Sedique.
Of course, we couldn’t have finished all that food without our Sunday morning eating buddies,
Paul and Ritchie
The most nondescript places are usually the best. And in none other than the Chunking Mansions, in a tiny 6th floor hole in the wall, we found what is truly a hidden gem.
And I see that Sedique is doing quite well, because on our last visit, the blue walls have been painted pink, heavy golden drapes have replaced the flimsy green curtains, and on the place where the box TV used to be, now hangs a sleek LCD.
Paul, Ritchie, Clint, Gordon
Hooray for Sedique!
Sedique Halal Mess: Flat A3, Block A, 6/F, Chungking Mansions, 36-44 Nathan Road, Kowloon, Hong Kong. 尖沙咀彌敦道36-44號重慶大廈A座6樓A3室 Tel: +852-2367-4445 or +852-3422-3491
