Larry's China & Chef Joshi

 Khushwant Singh’s

Chinese Link

WITHOUT MALICE  by Ravi V. Chhabra

The upscale locality Sujan Singh Park in New Delhi is famous for many reasons. But most of all, it prides itself for housing its treasured and most well-read resident, the living doyen of journalism Khushwant Singh. I am not sure if Khushwant Singh, who is fond of all things exotic, is a foodie or not.

The fnbworld has learnt that he adores the succulent Chinese-style sesame tiger prawns - a signature dish by the veteran sous-chef GD Joshi at the Ambassador Hotel (Taj Group of hotels) that's across the road to Khushwant Singh’s residency. Larry’s China is the place he had been frequenting to relish these jumbo prawns since a decade or more.

Mr. Singh has been relishing the special offering from the deep sea for over a decade. At the same eating place, he has been visiting it at sharp eight in the evenings. Of late, he orders the delicacy for home.

“Earlier, Khushwant Singhji used to visit us regularly to savour these special tiger prawns, each weighing almost 400 grams”, says Chef Joshi at Larry’s China, the Chinese specialty restaurant at the Ambassador Hotel. “It’s been a while that Mr. Singh came by, I guess at 95 years, he prefers to be home. But we take the packing order over phone and his favorite Chinese dish is home-delivered. It is our privileged pleasure to get a chance to serve him piping hot sesame tiger prawns”.

Sous-Chef GD Joshi hails from Bageshwar in Uttarakhand and now resides in Delhi. It was compelling to speak with him about his long association with the Taj Mahal Group of hotels. The fnbworld spoke in detail with sous-chef GD Joshi about his experiences at the Ambassador Hotel, Sujan Singh Park, where he has been working for the last 22-years!

   Photo credit: Mayank Austin Soofi's blog

The fnbworld team devoured a few dishes handcrafted by Chef Joshi.

The  fnbworld  has a few recommendations:  Sesame Tiger Prawns, Kung Pao Chicken – it comes with thick gravy and is garnished with finely chopped capsicum and chiselled green chilies.

Indeed, with pieces of non-crispy boneless chicken  it is definitely above average and worth a repeat, the lamb in oyster chilli sauce has a distinct flavor that lingers on for a while after you’re done with the main course, the Singapore rice noodles make a refreshing change, while the burnt ginger garlic fried rice is a must for the compulsive rice-eaters. Price for a  plate of Sesame Tiger  Prawns at Larry's China: Rs 1,200  (good for two persons).

Excerpts from the interview:


fnbworld: Where did you have formal training?

I had my training with the Golden Dragon restaurant at the Taj Mahal Palace Hotel in Mumbai in the seventies. I then worked as a chef at the House of Ming, the Chinese specialty restaurant at the Taj Mahal Mansingh hotel, New Delhi.


fnbworld: Who is your most committed client?

Chef Joshi: It is indeed, Khushwant Singhji who lives right across the road. His favourite dish is also my signature recipe, the Sesame Tiger Prawns.

fnbworld: What makes it so special and adorable for Khushwant Singh?

Chef Joshi: We use imported sauces and Chinese wine for marinating the prawns. These are grilled at a particular temperature to ensure the same taste and feel each time.

fnbworld: A Chef you are indebted to?

Chef Joshi: I joined the Taj Mansingh Hotel in New Delhi in 1978 as a commis chef. I worked and had my training there for 15-years. I did not go to any formal hotel management institutes. I began with Italian cuisine but moved over to Chinese food. I am grateful to the Taj Mahal Group for imparting me training under the superb Chef Michael Pong from China.

fnbworld: Since when have you been at the Larry’s China restaurant?

I was a part of the core team that inaugurated Larry’s China in 1997…


fnbworld: When did Mr. Khushwant Singh order the sesame king prawns last?

Chef Joshi: We regularly get packing orders from him and now it is at least once a month that he orders the sesame tiger prawns for home delivery.  The packed order must be delivered at sharp 8pm at his place. He is a stickler for time. We always look forward to the packing orders from our finest diner.

Note: For Khushwant Singh's resume hit at the hyper link below:

Khushwant Singh's Biography