THE MOST POPULAR DESI CHINESE RESTAURANTS IN LUCKNOW

The advent of swanky Chinese restaurants serving authentic cuisine has raised the bar so high that sometimes you crave the places which grew up on you and you grew up on, where you go to satisfy not only your craving for food but your craving for something familiar. The list of desi Chinese joints that have survived competition from Chinese restaurant chains includes:

CHUNG FA
In a bylane of Gole Market, stands Chung Fa, dressed up in red walls and dim lights. There’s a generation of Lucknowites that swear by Chung Fa’s Chinese food. The place opens for lunch and dinner and is closed from 3 pm to 7 pm everyday.
What to Order: Chicken Chillie, both boneless and with bone are good. Try the pan fried noodles or Singapore Chowmien if you want your noodles in gravy. The chicken fried drumsticks are a must have.
Location: 57, Picnic Spot Rd, Gole Market, Mahanagar, Lucknow

KOOL BREAK
What started as a four-tables squeezed inside a tiny space serving only reheated burgers and thick shakes soon transformed into a Chinese joint which now has everything from Chinese to Thai and Indian and Continental fare too on the menu. The afternoons at the restaurant are a lot about ladies’ kitties, and there’s a waiting for  tables at dinner time.
What to Order: The mini meal with a portion of soup with a choice of noodles or rice, Chicken/Paneer Chillie or Manchurian is a favourite among guests. The wantons are totally wanted and Drums of Heaven are heavenly. Try their Tomato Fish and Special Pudding as well.
Location: Tekarees Chambers, Ashok Marg, Hazratganj, Lucknow

JONE HING
The Chinese restaurant right opposite the Hanuman Mandir in Hazratganj was the go-to for Chinese food in the 80s and 90s, run by a Chinese family. It’s not the place we go to now for a fancy meal or even a date, as it is used to be. In fact, people who have never eaten here in their hey days, might never take to the food here. But for those of us who have, well, we still love it.
What to Order: If you have to order just one thing – let it be the Mutton Chillie. Please do not compare it with anything you’ve eaten before. Can also try soup, Fried Rice and Chowmein.
Location: Mahatma Gandhi Marg Opp Hanuman Mandir, Hazratganj, Lucknow

Recommended by Nitin Prakash
 Nitin, a businessman and self-professed foodie and bibliophile, is first and foremost a Lakhnawi at heart. The magic words to get anything done by him are a). food b). books and c). Lucknow