One of the great things about a Chinese restaurant is the very long list of options.
How the chef can manage more than 100 dishes on any menu is anyone’s guess – lots of smoke and mirrors, repurposing of ingredients, and crafty thinking.
Yahoo at the Waterford West end of Loganlea Road isn’t much to look at from the outside. There’s a carpark, some gas cylinders and windows full of photos.
But don’t be bluffed into thinking this is purely a takeaway.
Inside the restaurant, there is enough room for about 50 people and staff will buzz from table to table delivering a multitude of dishes – all at pace, and all with a smile on their face.
One of the other great things about a good Chinese restaurant is the chef’s ability to adapt their food to a variety of palates.
You need only turn to page two of the menu to see this in action. Guiness Stout is used to give the chef’s “special sauce” a kick when used to marinate the pork belly.
Similarly, Marmite gets a run with chicken, pork or prawns.
Fantasy chicken features Yahoo’s “special sauce”, of which there seems to be a few varieties, this time containing lemon leaf, lemongrass, chilli and dried prawns.
It’s impossible to go through the entire menu, but you will see Indian, Chinese, Malay and western influence.
Malaysian Chinese food is usually cooked with more spice than food from China, which some might find a little bland.
The days when the “meat and three veg” western palate couldn’t handle a little bit of chilli or a spicy curry are long gone, and the Malaysian form of Chinese food accommodates a more complex dichotomy of flavours.
Therein lies the catch with such a vast menu. If you’re not familiar with the dishes, and it’s an almost impossible task, you may find yourself disappointed if confronted with a Chinese dish without a lot of flavour.
Conversely, if you’re looking for something that won’t “zing” the taste buds, big menus can be a lottery.
The best way to navigate your way through is to ask. If the language barrier gets in the way, look around and try to find something from the neighbouring banquets that takes your eye.
Any Masterchef watcher will be familiar with the “eating with our eyes” concept, and the whole fish is often an attraction. It’s certainly one of the most popular dishes at Yahoo, and worth trying for seafood fans.
