Chinese delicacies on the platter at Hotel Chanakya in Patna on Sunday. Picture by Jai Prakash

Patna, Oct. 9: Dim sum, braised silken tofu with greens, slow-fried jumbo prawns with sesame chilli sauce, sliced lamb in crack pepper sauce and lotus stem honey chilli. Sounds yummy?

Hotel Chanakya is playing host to a Chinese food festival — Ni Hao (meaning hello) — that had started on October 7 and will continue till October 23.

Renowned chef Tarun Lal is the head-and-hand behind the cuisine with eight expert chefs assisting him on the menu. Lal said that the food festival was different, as it has maintained the authenticity of Chinese cuisine.

“The festival is a treat for those who love authentic Chinese cuisine and not the fusion ones. In India, authentic Chinese cuisine can be rarely found. Everywhere Chinese dishes are a blend of Indian and Chinese. But here we are particular about the authenticity of the style of preparing Chinese dishes. This festival is unique,” Lal said.

Lal added that he has included some of his signature Chinese dishes in the cuisine, including broccoli baby corn mushroom in ginger chilli sauce, braised silken tofu with greens, slow-fried jumbo prawns with sesame chilli sauce. “However, the dim sum menu comprising three delicacies — Prawn Sui Mai, Chicken Sui Mai and aromatic vegetable dumpling — are being prepared exclusively for the fest. We are even trying to compete with the dim sum of Hotel Oberoi of Delhi, which is lauded for the expertise in making the dish,” Lal said.

For dim sum one has to shell out something between Rs 249 and Rs 549. All three vegetable starters come at a price of Rs 299 and non-vegetarian starters come at Rs 399 and Rs 599. “The food is great here. Every dish has an individual aroma, which is unique,” said Soumya Singh, a 13-year-old visitor to the festival.