Red Dragon Restaurant: Pan Asian Restaurant

September 25, 2016

Drooling and spending time at an Asian restaurant around the metropolis is such a vast feeling of relief because somehow it gives a taste of comfort. A nostalgic feeling that kind of brings you back to where you’re rooted-home. I am such a lucky lass that recently I got invited by Red Dragon Restaurant for a lunch feast. Thus, Red Dragon Restaurant adds up to my piling list of restaurants that the urban peeps must try!

Location

Surprisingly, I’ve never heard of Howard Johnsson hotel until I was invited by Red Dragon Restaurant. It’s in Bur Dubai area with close proximity to Al Ghubaibah bus station and pretty much sweaty walk away from the Al Fahidi metro station. Not quite sure how to go via public transportation since I hailed a cab going to Red Dragon Restaurant. But pretty sure there’s a near bus stop area just outside the hotel and of course, google map always saves the day!

The Red Dragon Restaurant is located at the first-floor area of the hotel facing another Indian themed food junction.

Decor

It’s a small place with everything very Chinese-Asian feel. The tables, the wall decors, such as a huge fan, the colors, and even the music transport you somewhere in China. You’ll really not have a doubt that you’ve entered an Asian place.

Food and Drinks

Menu choices in Red Dragon Restaurant are very limited and kind of different to what I usually see in a regular Chinese restaurant. For the whole dining experience, we ordered, Tom Yum, Crispy Bhel and Crispy Spinach for starters and appetizer.

First of all, I would like to say that Red Dragon Restaurant is a pro in anything crispy! To start, we were served kimchi and a cucumber that was soaked in chili flakes and vinegar while we wait for the food. First, bite of Kimchi I knew that Red Dragon Restaurant is not a traditional authentic Asian restaurant. Kimchi’s are fermented using salt and chili paste (or whatever that is) and are not battered with tomato sauce. The cucumber is really nice, though!

The soup was okay. If not only because of the overpowering coriander, I would say it could have been better but again its taste is far from a true Tom Yum soup.

Chinese Bhel! I LOVE this dish. I know this is no way your typical Asian dish but who cares? It’s made with crispy noodles and thin slices of onions, capsicum and a sweet and sour sauce. Whenever I eat out, there’s always that dish that I would call the “hero dish” and Crispy Bhel just won that title. It’s a bit spicy, to begin with, but yeah this is just the bomb!

Crispy Spinach, another one to love! The chicken resembles the taste of a chicken orange dish. And I would really like to say that the chicken was perfectly cooked! Eating the white meat together with the crispy spinach is ideal but I prefer eating it solely as it is.

For mains, we had Prawn Mushroom Bamboo Shoot and a Pan Fried Noodle. I will be honest, the mains are a disappointment. The Prawn Mushroom dish has a foul smell. I’m not sure if it’s because of the bamboo shoot (which I don’t think should smell that bad neither) or the prawn? The noodle was okay but it’s something that wouldn’t really strike anything.

Comes dessert. Remember when I said that they’re such a pro when it comes to anything crispy? I totally mean that because they’ve rocked another dish with a crispy noodle for dessert! We had the Crispy Noodle Ice Cream which is totally amazing (this comes next after Chinese Bhel).

For drinks, we had Pina Colada and Tropical Flood (if I remember it correctly) which are both super amazing! Especially the Pina Colada. Oh, before I forget, they do serve alcohol. yup!

Service

Our server name is Navin and he’s very accommodating of our needs. He’s a bit shy and nervous but it’s obvious that he really wants us to have the perfect experience. Thumbs up for such a great server!

What to try?

Red Dragon Restaurant is not your typical Asian restaurant. For me, it’s a bit experimental but not on the bad side. The food is actually nice, I was just taken aback by the main dishes. The kimchi is not a kimchi and the Tom Yum is not a Tom Yum. But definitely it’s a must try especially the Chinese Bhel (I’ll definitely go back for it!)