Lings Pavillion, Colaba

Lings Pavillion in Colaba will stay in my mind for its Chimney Soup. The Chimney Soup which is essentially a large bowl of soup having almost everything you can think of, from chicken to sea food to sea weed!... They will avoid beef if you instruct them. They will also tether on refusing to serve you anything more before just yielding. It may be a marketing strategy but it does work!This post is however not about the Chimney soup. The first para was an outcome of the association with Ling's and the uniqueness of the Chimney soup. Last time I was at Ling's I was not my usual regimental Chinese self but ventured out to try the set meals that Ling's has on the last page. After a round of regular wanton soups which were slightly on the salty side, we sampled the assorted meat stew - which was a real revelation. The assorted meat stew is a mild white gravy with lots of meat and vegetable pieces served over a bed of white rice. There is a pretty large ginger influence and the gravy tastes really nice. The highlight though is the perfection on the rice which is somehow soaked just right with the sauce. The dish was certainly a highlight and I will be definitely turning back to the set meals section, the next time I go to Lings pavillion.

The other aspect of my visit which I will always remember was the mode of communication between the manager and the waiters during our visit. When we asked the manager if there was seating available, he did not speak to the waiters, neither did he use hand signals. He "clucked" and that is not a misprint. He got a cluck right back and the waiters led us to our table on the mezzanine floor. Overall Ling's definitely is a must-go if you are in Colaba side for Chinese food. The joint is comfortable and reasonably classy. They have a ground and mezzanine floor. You will also notice the slightly odd ceiling decor. There is an attempt to recreate the heavens with a moon and lots of stars. I don't think it works but I guess nothing is perfect.

How to get there: Lings Pavillion is in Colaba. Take a left from Cafe Mondegar towards the gateway. Lings Pavillion will fall on your right just as you take the left towards gateway.

A meal for two without drinks at Ling's Pavillion will cost you approximately Rs 500/-