The Perfect Pit Spot on the Shopping Highway

China Times, Dubai, Cuisine: Chinese

Posted on March 20th, 2011 by Food Explorer

China Times is the perfect little pit stop on the shopping highway. It’s nestled in the City Centre food court, near the cinema. Of course, China Times doesn’t care a jot that its name might suggest Chinese cuisine. It happily serves sushi too. And the menu is crammed with popular classics that have very little to do with genuine Chinese fare. The usual types of fried rice are proudly displayed – with chicken, with prawns, with love, with circumspection.

But that’s not why you go to China Times. You go there to fill up on cheap and easy classics to take a break from the shopping. Or to absorb some calories before a cinema visit. It certainly beats the concession stand.

The service is rapid. Very rapid. Barely are the words out of your mouth than the food starts showing up. The chicken dumplings I’d ordered from the dim sum menu showed up practically before I’d taken a seat. Not bad at all.

The hot and sour soup made me smile. It’s a staple of many a Dubai outlet; a spicy mix of chicken and vegetables that does very well with a dash of soy. In my somewhat wilder days, it was a quick fix for when I was tired and emotional. Order a bowl. Add generous helpings of the red chilli paste, soy sauce, and green chilli with vinegar that are always around on the table. In no time flat, the resulting concoction sweats the toxins out of you.

But I digress. My main course was roast duck, with a side of pineapple chilli sauce. In their amiability, the staff also threw in a vial of plum sauce. Delicious. And did I mention fast? The food was helped on its way by a helping of fried rice. It was the usual, but fun nevertheless.

China Times holds true to just about every cliché you can think of when it comes to decor. The vases are in abundance. The colour scheme is red and grey. I’m sure I saw some lanterns. But no matter. The food is good, and more importantly, shows up very quickly. It’s the ideal place for a quick meal. Or even an extended one.