By Alexander McCowan
Restaurant reviewers are very reliant on friends and readers for information regarding new venues to explore, and on this occasion I am indebted to Gareth Hornblower, a gourmand of the old school, who certainly knows a hake from a Hoi-sin. ‘Try the little Chinese on the Larnaca Road, just down from the new French place,’ he said. We arrived early on a Thursday night to be told the place was fully booked but if we would guarantee to be out by nine, it was fine.
The restaurant is redolent of those that feature in every high street in the UK, more take-away than sit down. The dining area is a very clean, quite pretty section that is cocooned on the front of the kitchen and service section; there are half-a dozen tables seating about 20 people. We are accommodated on a spacious table for two and are immediately engaged by the young owner Kyriacos, who is anxious that we don’t block the table, which is going to be challenging, as he has given us a menu containing 95 items without drinks. Thankfully the place is unlicenced – I must resist the word joint as it upsets my troll – so no time will be wasted selecting the appropriate beverage.
I recall reviewing a much larger restaurant bearing this name a few years ago located on the Limassol road, and querying the size of the portions – which were heroic – with the then owner, who assured me size was essential if you want to keep the Cypriot customer. This policy prevails in the new establishment. I should have listened to Gareth: ‘Try the small things,’ he said.
From the seven soups we chose the Won-Ton, with spring rolls, and king prawn toast, followed by king prawn in garlic sauce and crispy duck with mushroom and bamboo shoots. To state that the Kona Kai offers the full range of Chinese cuisine might be assessed from the presence of nearly 30 different poultry and pork dishes. Not to mention the 26 starters and soups and many many more. Stick to the ‘small things’.
The dishes arrive in record time and they are hot, hot, hot. Soup is fine; spring rolls huge and filled with shredded cabbage not bean sprouts. The prawn toast is more toast than crustacean, but still very hot. We ordered half a portion of fried rice – enough to feed Kaimakli – to accompany the main dishes. The garlic prawns were first rate, but the duck disappointed, not at all crispy; more gelatinous.
The place is filling up and really buzzing: customers filing in and out continually. There is a preponderance of young couples, some with children. Half way through our duck, the owner, who had overheard the companion debating whether to have the beef with ginger, placed the dish on the table, compliments of the house: what a nice move. It was the best meal of the evening: hot, crispy and flavourful: bravo. Fully sated, I could face no more, but madam heard they had fried bananas, and that was it.
Kona Kai is not the Szechuan Kou in China Town, but it doesn’t pretend to be; it is a very clean, honest operation that produces a satisfactory meal at very reasonable prices and deserves our support if we want to encourage ethnic oriental cuisine in our city. They do a special range of take-away meals and give discounts on lunch menus.
VITAL STATISTICS
SPECIALTY Chinese cuisine
WHERE New Kona Kai, 43 Larnaca Avenue, Pallouriotisa, Nicosia
WHEN Open every lunchtime and evening except Sunday lunch
CONTACT 22 773820. Booking essential
PRICE Very reasonable
