China Manor Hotel brings true cuisine to bustling Maradana

By Shannine Daniel

Nowadays finding a Chinese restaurant or eating place is indeed a simple task; there’s at least one spot on practically every road, with Chinese cuisine being an all-time favourite among many Sri Lankans. When it comes down to authenticity, however, most of these dishes seem to have lost their true flavour. This is where China Manor Hotel stands out.

Located in Maradana, right next to the Cine City Cinema Complex it is a one-of-a-kind establishment, run by predominantly Chinese management and staff, thus ensuring that their traditional customs and recipes are kept intact. 

The hotel includes a two floor restaurant with seating for as many 200 customers, nine VIP dining rooms that could seat eight to 10 people and 19 guest bedrooms. 

The ambience 

In terms of ambience, much effort had gone in to emphasise the Chinese culture, with traditional Chinese porcelain vases and ornaments arranged on shelves and in glass cases and the walls displaying large, painted fans and face masks and watercolour paintings, especially brought down from their homeland. 

The zenith of the interior decor was the intricately carved stone wall mural of a Chinese guard that greeted us as we stepped through the doors into the lobby. 

We were shown to each VIP dining room, where the meticulous arrangement of the decor, the furniture and the cutlery and crockery created a rather relaxed atmosphere which succeeded in creating a more personalised experience. Each of the dining rooms had rotating glass dining tables that truly brought out the genuine Chinese dining experience.  A few of the guest rooms even had a mah-jong table which was a pleasant touch.

China Manor Hotel also looks forward to one more cultural addition in the form of musicians who will be especially brought down from China says General Manager Allan Liou, who will play traditional Chinese music. 

The management and staff were friendly and very accommodating in spite of the fact that they were not fluent in their English.

The majority of the customers were also of Chinese origin and they seemed to be at home at China Manor Hotel, and for a minute I felt as if I had stepped out of Colombo and into a bustling city somewhere in the middle of China. This was amplified by a visit to China Manor’s kitchen which was of course overseen by Chinese chefs. In spite of the heat and lack of space in the kitchen area, it was still quite interesting to see the authentic methods of Chinese cooking that employed bamboo steamers and cooking over raging high flames. 

However, the location of China Manor is a bit of a poor choice as Maradana is a very congested area especially during peak traffic hours. Therefore getting in and out of the place may be a bit of a problem.

On the other hand this is a plus point for the establishment since it is located in close proximity to many of Colombo’s offices and many locals have already begun to patronise the spot.

The food

Prior to our meal we were served green tea and Chinese tea, which added to the element of authenticity the hotel is striving to bring in. Next came the chilli fried chicken, garnished with bits of chilli and cashew and served in a long handled wicker basket and the hot butter cuttlefish topped with sliced chillies and spring onions, an all-time Sri Lankan fave. 

The cuttlefish was crispy and not too chewy while the chilli fried chicken was also crispy but had a rather unusual taste, perhaps due to the use of turmeric in the marinade.

Afterwards we were served stir fried kangkung and garlic and bok choy with mushrooms, along with the sizzling spicy beef and another seafood dish of garoupa accompanied with gravy. 

The vegetable dishes did not stand out in particular; however they were well cooked with their flavour intact. 

The garoupa was soft and moderately spiced and the gravy was quite tasty especially when eaten with the traditional Chinese fried rice that was served next.  

The beef was indeed served sizzling hot on a hot iron plate with sliced red peppers, onions and capsicums. The meat was incredibly soft and tender but on the other hand it was a barely spicy and even a little bland. However points must be given to the chef for keeping with the Chinese tradition of cooking with minimum spice. 

Afterwards we were entertained with a wooden bowl of sweet and sour chicken and last of all the fried rice and seafood noodles. In typical Chinese fashion the rice and noodle dishes were served last of all, after the dishes of meat, seafood and vegetables. This was quite a change from the Sri Lankan tradition of serving all the dishes at once, but it nevertheless brought out the authenticity of the Chinese cuisine. 

The seafood noodles were quite tasty and flavourful and the fried rice was chock full of vegetables like carrots, green peas and sweet corn. Presentation wise the sweet and sour chicken was a winner as it looked mouth-watering and was served in a lovely wooden bowl. Yet taste wise it was sadly a disappointment, being a little too sweet and not sour at all. 

The prices

The dishes were priced from an affordable Rs. 480 ranging up to Rs. 2,000. Average cost per person would be roughly around Rs. 1,000-2,500, depending on the dining options and dishes ordered. 

Customers are allowed to bring their own alcohol and will not be levied any corkage fee until China Manor Hotel acquires a liquor license in the near future.

Concerning the price of the guest bedrooms, each room is affordably priced at $ 70 for two people, inclusive of bed and breakfast. 

All in all, China Manor Hotel is a pleasant establishment and is more or less a home away from home for the increasing number of Chinese tourists visiting and/or living in the country.

At the same time it offers our Lankans a taste of the authentic Chinese cuisine offered at a reasonable price in a warm, cultural setting. To those who have a craving for it the opportunity awaits.

Pix by Daminda Harsha Perera