During my recent trip to Kuwait, I was looking forward to enjoying a good meal so I asked Kuwaitis and expats living in Kuwait City to give me their favorite restaurant. To be fair, it is an impossible task to name the best restaurant because there are different categories of restaurants. However, it soon became apparent that one name kept coming up, “Peacock,” the Chinese restaurant at the Radisson Blu Hotel. This not only underlines the popularity of Chinese cooking in the world but it also shows the restaurant’s remarkable management: their attention to service, presentation, quality and taste of food combined with a degree of vision and steadfastness of purpose. As a result, “Peacock” has been rewarded with a success which has remained constant over the years.

When you take a good look at the menu in a Chinese restaurant, the problem which immediately arises is not so much which dishes to choose but what combination. It is customary to have at least one more dish than there are people. An average order for two people would include a minimum of three dishes and a soup.

Incidentally, Chinese soups are not meant to be filling and act as a meal in themselves which is often the case in Western cuisine. The essential role of a Chinese soup is to complement and help down rice which is bland and neutral and to provide a refreshing change of texture after savory food.

“Spring Rolls” are one of the most popular Chinese hot starters and they are good when they are freshly made. Spring rolls are made with thin dough sheets stuffed with savory fillings and then deep fried. Crunchiness and crispness are the keynotes. Since most of the best vegetables with these qualities are available in the spring, pancake rolls are most often served in that season hence the evocative name ‘spring rolls’. I could not resist an order of “Deep Fried Prawns on Toast” and “Sio Mai” a typical Cantonese steamed dumpling with an open top.

I would definitely recommend the “Steamed Fish” which is one of the very best Chinese fish dishes. The fish is first rubbed inside and out with salt and fresh ginger and then it is marinated prior to steaming. The taste of a fish marinated and steamed is unparalleled; its flesh is incomparably sweet, fresh and firm.

Peacock is one of the very few Chinese restaurants in the Middle East which offers “Fou–Yong” (also written Fu-Yung). Since the menu specifies we can order the “Fou-Yong” of our choice, I would without any hesitation choose the “Prawn Foo-Yong.” The combination of crab or prawns with egg is typically Chinese.

To be more precise, the term “foo-yong” in classic Chinese cuisine applies to egg white and corn flour mixed with minced chicken. In the famous “Peking Fu-Yung Sliced Chicken” the mixture is placed spoonful by spoonful into hot oil, where it forms slices which look just like thin white slices of chicken breast: hence its name.

Do not neglect the vegetables section. The Chinese have a unique way of cooking vegetables; they use broth even in quick stir-fried vegetables. Freshly fried vegetables, incidentally, are among the best dishes available in high-quality Chinese restaurants. I recommend the “Stir-Fried Chinese Cabbage.” Chinese cabbage has long, smooth, white stems which resemble a cross between celery and cabbage. It has a delicate flavor and crunchy texture. Onion, garlic and ginger are first fried in the oil so it absorbs their flavors. The vegetables and seasonings are added when the oil has become well impregnated. It is only when the vegetables are glistening with oil that a sauce or broth is added to the vegetables

Chinese Fried Noodles are another tasty dish you can order from the menu. The noodles are first boiled and then fried in the fragrant oil which is left in the frying pan after shredded meats and vegetables have been fried. The noodles are fried until heated through and then the other ingredients are returned to the noodles. This delightful dish with its crisp noodles and crunchy vegetables is like a whole orchestra of taste, color and texture!

I tried not to order too many starters and main dishes so I could taste as many desserts as possible. At this point it should be said that Chinese gastronomy is not particularly known for its desserts and they are in fact rare in Chinese restaurants. However, there are some Chinese sweets and they have their merits. Fritters are the most common sweet featured in menus. Similar to their western counterparts, they are sliced fruit coated with a batter of egg and flour, fried in oil and sprinkled with sugar. They are made with apples, bananas and even sweet potatoes. Peacock’s desserts menu includes the classic “Apple Fritters Peking Style” and “Banana Basil Fritters” but it also introduces innovative and creative desserts like a “Pineapple Spring Roll” served with a salted caramel sauce and a “Steamed Bun with Cherry Filling and a Vanilla Sauce.” I am very fond of steamed buns. A little sugar is added to the dough and this tinge of sweetness comes as a pleasant surprise. Steamed buns are generally filled with a sweetened bean paste which is rather bland whereas the cherry filling has a sharper taste. For a lighter dessert, you can order the Lychee and Almond Bean Curd. This almond junket (as it is also called) is made by mixing finely ground almond with finely ground rice and boiling them together in water and sugar. The liquid is then filtered until it is crystal clear and at that point agar-agar is added. It is then chilled in the refrigerator. This dessert is wonderfully refreshing on a hot summer day. Jasmine tea was not available but I enjoyed the delicate flavor of a rose tea with a hint of vanilla. If you skipped desserts and still want something sweet, you can order the restaurant’s signature latte flavored with a wondrous combination of hazelnut, vanilla, chocolate cookie and caramel.

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