CocoCami: Chinese food at Chy...

There are some foods which I just cannot resist, and Chinese definitely falls in to that category! Come rain or shine, I am always in the mood for a good Chinese meal. When I go home to visit my family in Derbyshire, we always get a Chinese take away together, so for me Chinese food always makes me think of happy times.

With this in mind I was delighted to be invited to review Chy* recently, which is a gourmet Chinese restaurant which has two locations in Liverpool on Lark Lane and on Ranelagh Street. We visited the city centre restaurant, looking forward to trying the food we had heard so many great things about.

After a warm welcome we were led to a spacious booth where we enjoyed prawn crackers with chilli oil, spicy Malaysian style sauce and sweet chilli. I always love to have prawn crackers as they are such a key part of a Chinese meal! We were impressed with the wide array of options on the menu and I sipped a chilled Chardonnay as I browsed through the choices. The philosophy of Chy is to offer authentic and classic Chinese dishes and this is reflected in the menu which includes Chy specialties such as wok fried seabass and Peking style chicken alongside familiar favourites like chicken chow mein and king prawn in satay sauce.

We decided on a Chy appetiser platter to start the meal, so that we could sample a few different things which is always a good way to begin a meal in my opinion as it gives a little variety. The platter arrived heaped with delights and I started with sesame prawn toasts which were crispy and delicious with plenty of flavour. The seaweed was sweet and crunchy and it went well with the tender chicken satay skewers. My dining companion enjoyed the barbecue spare ribs, which were succulent and flavoursome, before we both enjoyed the crispy vegetable spring rolls which had a delicate taste. This platter was a perfect way to begin the meal, with plenty of food to share. After such a superb start to the meal we were looking forward to our main courses!

Chy appetiser platter.

The restaurant design at Chy has a very cool aesthetic, with purple lighting, dark wood furniture and a well stocked bar area flanked by a huge wine cabinet. I love the contemporary and stylish design and it is easy to relax in these minimal surroundings which allow the food to take centre stage.

For the main course I was torn between ordering one of the Chy specialities and sticking to one of my usual choices. In the end, I could not resist choosing one of my favourite ever Chinese dishes, sweet and sour chicken with a side dish of egg fried rice. Sweet and sour chicken can be difficult to get just right and this was one of the best I have ever tried, with plenty of tender chicken pieces served in a light batter and a sauce which achieved the perfect balance of sweet and tangy. Pineapple, onions, peppers and carrots provided the finishing touches to this excellent dish, whilst the egg fried rice was cooked to perfection.

My dining companion ordered the crispy shredded chicken in chilli sauce with a side of soft noodles with vegetables. I of course sampled his dish and the chicken was wonderfully crispy whilst the chilli sauce was slightly sweet with a good kick of spice. The addition of finely sliced fresh chillies on top made this dish even tastier. The soft noodles were so moreish, with just a hint of soy sauce and a slightly smoky flavour. I absolutely love noodles and when they are cooked like this I could happily eat them every day!

Soft noodles with vegetables.

Crispy shredded chicken in chilli sauce.

Sweet and sour chicken.

It was soon time to look at the dessert menu and after such delicious main courses, I could not wait to see what dessert would have in store! Since it was Bonfire Night, we could not resist a toffee apple dessert, which was so indulgent and reminded me of a gourmet version of the toffee apples often served at bonfires! Sweet apple cooked in a crispy golden batter and served in a rich toffee glaze with vanilla ice cream, this was pure dessert heaven.

The chocolate spring rolls we ordered were equally good; crispy filo gave way to a delectable chocolate filling with a hint of hazelnut and vanilla ice cream balanced the warm chocolate beautifully.

Chocolate spring rolls.

Toffee apple dessert.

We had a lovely evening at Chy, the food and the service were both excellent and this is a restaurant which takes the simple experience of a Chinese meal and elevates it to the next level. The eye for detail in the presentation of the dishes and the gourmet style of preparation leads to a meal which is both memorable and delicious.
What do you all think, would you like to enjoy a gourmet Chinese meal in the stylish surroundings of Chy? Please tell me what you like to get when you order a Chinese meal! As always I cannot wait to hear your thoughts and thank you so much for reading this post!

CHY

5 - 9 Renshaw Street

Liverpool

L1 2SA

0151 708 7787

http://chyliverpool.co.uk/

Until next time,

Camille

*Disclaimer

I was kindly invited to have dinner at Chy, the meal was complimentary for review purposes. All opinions expressed herein are my own and honest