Jewel of India - Indian style Chinese Cuisine

Friday night's passage to adventure was the Jewel of India at Devon and Western Avenues. For weeks I have been intrigued by the awning promising "Indian style Chinese Cuisine." I've mentioned it to several people who all seemed interested, though no time could be arranged. Finally, my friend Helen agreed it would make an interesting destination for the evening.

We walked into a bright white great room with neatly arranged white tablecloth tables and chairs. Yet in the rear was a raised platform with pillows and bolsters surrounding a low set table. I joked to Helen, "This is cool, a restaurant with a bed!" The owner interjected it was a traditional seating arrangement for Maharaja style dining. Later he explained sitting at this table was healthier that at a table and chairs because we scrunch our tummies. This tummy compression reduces the capacity of your stomach thus eating less. They had three traditional seating arrangements for 6-8-10 people. They offered to seat us there. It was such a large space and only two of us, we demurred and sat at the table and chairs. I wouldn?t mind sitting there with a larger group someday.

When we were offered menus, we were guided to the Mughlai (central India) menu. I smiled advising, "I came tonight for Chinese food prepared Indian style just like you had it in India." "I never had it in India." said the Waiter, who then brought us the take-out menu because it explained the Indian style Chinese dishes better. Next week, they plan to provide two distinct menus for Mughlai and Indian style Chinese.

As a reference, we ordered Chicken Hot and Sour Soup for $2.95 described as "Abstract of boiled chicken blended with vegetables, corn, noodles and varieties of Chinese sauce and Indian spices. (Highly recommended because you cannot avoid to place an order whenever you visit)" This was the most familiar dish to our Chinese reference points. It was not as sour as most of these soups, it had the same cornstarch thickening we are familiar with. It also had a yellow brown color which was unusual, which we attributed to curry or turmeric. To accompany the soup, we were provided Pappad, which is an Indian cracker bread. A nice touch, a blending of the cultures.

To get a better picture we ordered two appetizers. At the recommendation of the waiter, we dropped from consideration Fish Fingers, which were "Finger like pieces of fish marinated in yogurt and Chinese sauce, blended with corn and Indian spices and deep fried. (Highly recommended because you have not tasted such fish before)." Instead he suggested Chicken 65 noted as "Small boneless chicken pieces marinated overnight with yogurt, ginger and special Chinese sauces & blended with mild Indian spices and fried. (Most Highly Recommended because it is top of our recipe)" A very generous serving of very red chicken bits, that appeared as a cross between Chicken Tikka and Chinese BBQ. If Chicken 65 was accompanied by a bowl of rice, this could be an entree for two people. I found this dry preparation hard to eat in the quantity offered, I finally did order rice despite the waiter?s recommendation none was needed. The rice, when it finally arrived, was steaming mightily fresh from the microwave. Unfortunately the rice was Basmati, which is somewhat dry itself, so it was not as helpful as I hoped.

Our next appetizer was Veg Manchurian Pakora described as "Shredded fresh vegetables, dipped in a special Chinese batter and deep fried." I popped the first one into my mouth, leaned over to Helen to advise, "Think hush puppies." When she took her first bite, she started to giggle in affirmation to my comment. This was one dish, which did not make it home.

We waited until after our appetizers arrived and tasted to order the main course. Since this was a truly different culinary experience, we wanted a back door in case the food was legendarily awful, we could still cut our losses and move on to another place. We were also not certain of portion size, especially when Chicken 65 was $8.95. This was a good strategy because we were feeling quite comfortable after soup and appetizers. So we shared one entree because of its intriguing name and description, "Jewel of India Masala Chicken: succulent pieces of boneless chicken marinated with yogurt, corn, variety of Chinese sauces and cooked in Indian spices and gravy. (Most highly recommended)"

When Jewel of India Masala Chicken entree arrived, you were immediately impacted by the very deep red of the dish. You almost wanted to weep at the sacrifice of all red dye dropped into this concoction. They could have used the sauce as touch up paint at Friendship Cafe it was that red. Unlike most Chinese sauces, where they are light and thin, this sauce was thick, heavy and seemed like there were ground nuts used as a thickener. It was also quite flavorful, though I was hard pressed where this was remotely similar to Chinese food.

Fortunately, the owner chooses to visit at precisely the right moment. Since the waiter never had Indian style Chinese food in India, I inquired if the owner had. He affirmed immediately advising it is his wife who is crazy about Chinese food and prepares and/or conceived of all the recipes used at the restaurant. He further elaborated Indians don?t exactly like Chinese food in the original form. Yes, it is healthy but it doesn?t have the spicy profile Indians prefer. So they use Indian spices and Chinese methods, which allow a happy medium Indian's enjoy. I suggested maybe this was really a Chinese-Indian fusion cooking? He seemed slightly taken aback, then the mind went "click," "Yes! That is an excellent explanation of Indian style Chinese food." He then shifted gears and hoped we would return someday to try the Mughlai Cuisine.

Before he drifted away, I did inquire about the deep red color in both the Chicken 65 and Jewel of India Masala Chicken. It seemed to be more an aesthetic choice to differentiate the dishes rather than any tradition. If and when you choose Jewel of India Masala Chicken, then please report your reaction to the color. It is so deep, you really cannot decipher any ingrediants beyond the chicken, you must rely on taste only because there are no visual cues.

I took home leftover Chicken 65 and Jewel of India Masala Chicken for my parents to try. For the second time in a week, they wanted to know which restaurant this food came from because they want to visit themselves. My Mother said the food tasted just like the Indian food she at in London while pregnant with me. Who knew after all those years, it wasn?t Indian food she was seeking rather Indian style Chinese food!

Not that it matters really, and maybe it is American Chinese food protocol, no token dessert of Fortune cookie, almond cookie or fruit was offered.

Jewel of India
2401 West Devon Avenue
Chicago, IL
773/465-3266

P.S. I did bring my camera. I left the memory card at home.

Great review - I've been wondering about that place.

I had assumed it was food from the Uygur (bordering India) province or some such. Sounds pretty tasty as Chinese-Indian fusion tho!

Cathy, thanks for the report. Some more info on Indian-Chinese Cuisine can be found at thisold discussion on chowhound and the older threads linked off it

Zim,

Is Manchow still there? I checked the link, which indicated the url was for sale. Either they closed or didn't renew fast enough. When I began reading your report, I remembered it. That's what happens when you make sweeping statements like the ONLY Indian style Chinese restaurant. Such rarified restaurant styles and to find two examples says a lot about Chicago.

Yet another dining destination on glorious Devon Avenue.

Thanks for the reminder.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:Zim,

Is Manchow still there? I checked the link, which indicated the url was for sale. Either they closed or didn't renew fast enough. When I began reading your report, I remembered it. That's what happens when you make sweeping statements like the ONLY Indian style Chinese restaurant. Such rarified restaurant styles and to find two examples says a lot about Chicago.

Yet another dining destination on glorious Devon Avenue.

Thanks for the reminder.

Regards,

Cath,

Manchow is gone (and not much lamented, I think) - its old spot is now
occupied by "Amrit Ganga", the kitchy Indian sweet/savoury shop (which
has a palmist or some other such nonsense on Saturdays I think). Someone
a few days ago had wondered about the strange decor at Amrit Ganga -
that is the explanation, it used to be a Chinese-ish restaurant Manchow
should have been very good, btu for some reason wasnt - their lunches
were quite ordinary in particular for some strange reason.

Have been to this spot, BTW - and mentioned it in passing on here, a
while ago, at

http://www.lthforum.com/bb/viewtopic.ph ... ia+chinese

BTW, "Jewel of India" was decent enough - but I really dont know if they
do their Indian-Chinese things all that "authentically". For example the menu
items you mentioned - Chicken 65 is really a quite Indian dish, Iam not sure
it even belongs in the Indian-Chinese section of the menu (though Iam
sure it was made well and was pretty good. BTW, Ive eaten quite a
few pretty decent versions of Chicken 65 at Hyderabad House and
also Daata Durbar- both, as you know, are "cabbie joints", and really
wouldnt claim to be Indian-Chinese spots. I think Chicken 65 is sort of
a Hyderabadi/Kerala style dish, really - and can be very tasty if
prepared well). Iam not positive Ive seen Chicken 65 on a Chinese Menu
in India either, at least I dont remember it.

However, Chinese restaurants in India have a lot of items on the menu,
some of which *do* show up at Jewel. "Haka Noodles" is a very
Indian-Chinese thing. As is "Manchurian" - in chicken or veggie form
(or even cauliflower, for the vegetarians). And Chop-Suey (both
"Chinese Chop-Suey" and "American Chop Suey" show up on almost
every Chinese menu in India). And, of course, "Sweet Corn Chicken
Soup" - no meal starts without that (though some will go with "Hot and
Sour Soup instead" And a fair bit of the Indian version
of Szechuan food - that fits very well with India, because of the higher
level of heat.

Ive been to several Chinese Restaurants in India, but I dont think I ever
saw Veggie/Chicken/Shrimp Pakoras on them either. However these
can be just completely awesome (the first time I had em was in this
Indian-Chinese restaurant in Toronto, the Shrimp Pakora was just
fantastic and Ive been a fan ever since. The much lamented Chutney
Janet's used to do a damn fine shrimp pakora too, and a wonderful
chicken one). Toronto, BTW, supposedly has 3 or 4 Indian-Chinese
places at least - and has had, for a very long time. The one I went
to was called "Lucky Chinese", run by a Chinese guy who spent most
of his life running Chinese restaurants in Bombay (I loved the place, so
much so that we picked up about 40 bucks worth of takeout for dinner
after having lunch there, and brought it across the border, finally stopping
to eat most of it at a rest-spot in Michigan somewhere And believe
me, 40 bucks buys a whole heck of a lot of takeout in that place -
because its very good, but also very cheap.


BTW, I think quite easily superior to "Jewel of India" for Indian-Chinese
food (even on one tasting), IMHO, is "Hot Wok" - which sparked this
whole thing in Chicago. Chinese food is hugely popular in Indian cities,
but for some reason the Indian version of it hadnt arrived in Chicago - we
always wondered why (especially because it is big in Toronto, and also
in some other cities in the US). "Hot Wok" opened in Atlanta and did huge
business, but or some reason nobody followed up in Chicago at all.
Finally Hot Wok opened its own branch in Chicago - out in the burbs,
on Golf Road on the edge of Schaumburg and Hanover Park (IIRC the
intersection is Barrington Road). And "Hot Wok" immediately became
the hottest single Indian restaurant in the city - young Indian professionals
flocked to it, on weekends they had reservations and long waiting lines etc
(I know a few people who drove from downtown to Schaumburg for
it regularly). This was a while ago, a couple of years or more - it isnt
"new" and so not quite as "hot" anymore, but still does very good
business. They tried doing Manchow on Devon (it was a branch of
Hot Wok), but for some reason Manchow just wasnt anywhere near as
good as Hot Wok in terms of quality, and it has since vanished.

Anyway. If you do want a probably more authentic version of Indian-Chinese
(if its possible to be authentic and Indian-Chinese simulatenously , you
might try Hot Wok. Or maybe even a couple of other dishes at Jewel -
Gobi Manchurian or Chicken Haka-Noodles or something might well be
more Indian-Chinese in nature than Chicken 65 was, conceivably.
Though Jewel is much more convenient (and has nice guys, as I said
in my previous post on them - I actually want to try their "Indian" food
sometime but havent gotten around to it yet).

c8w

Cathy2 wrote:We walked into a bright white great room with neatly arranged white tablecloth tables and chairs. Yet in the rear was a raised platform with pillows and bolsters surrounding a low set table. I joked to Helen, “This is cool, a restaurant with a bed!” The owner interjected it was a traditional seating arrangement for Maharaja style dining. Later he explained sitting at this table was healthier that at a table and chairs because we scrunch our tummies. This tummy compression reduces the capacity of your stomach thus eating less. They had three traditional seating arrangements for 6-8-10 people. They offered to seat us there. It was such a large space and only two of us, we demurred and sat at the table and chairs. I wouldn’t mind sitting there with a larger group someday.

This *is* quite traditional BTW - not for "Indian Chinese" restaurants as such,
but for general seating in India. I loved the fact that it was there on my
visit - immediately suggested to my friend that we sit there But
unfortunately they were near closing, and the place was already
occupied - so we couldnt really wait around for it to open up.

I say "Bah" on the "healthy way of eating, cos it makes you eat less"
argument, BTW. And also "Pshaw". Some of the biggest meals Ive
ever had in my life have been sitting on that sort of thing on the
floor (or just on the floor, without the ornate stuff added on). This is
because some of the traditional meals are often still done on the
floor, sometimes in "community eating" type settings. And, because they
are special occasions, the food is invariably just awesomely brilliant
in such settings - leading to one eating till one is about to burst (the
best biryanis and pulaos in my life, bar none, have been in these
type of settings many many years ago). Healthy cause it makes one
eats less, forsooth! (Also, BTW, if proof were required - it was, as
the chap said, traditional for "maharajah style eating". Indian History is
replete with maharajah's who were gluttons, many legendary for their
gluttony - I dont think there was a "small stomached" chap among
em

c8w

HI,

I kind of thought it was a lot of bunk. However, it is very appealing bunk to Americans who just glow at the healthful benefits.

What did concern me somewhat was how my back would feel. I don't know about you, but I tend to slouch under those conditions making for an achy back later.

Before I forget, is Chutney Janet's closed?

At Jewel of India, I tried to get as much input from the waiter as possible. Of course, that is somewhat like the blind leading the blind when he never had it in India; though one can learn. I think I saw the noodle you refer to on another table, it alone looked like a 2nd trip was required. What I really should do, is consult with you before placing an order. My friend Helen makes Chicken-Corn soup for her family. AS I stated earlier, we were interested in the Hot and Sour as a reference point.

Though now intrigued to try Hot Wok, thanks for the information.

Regards,

HI,

I kind of thought it was a lot of bunk. However, it is very appealing bunk to Americans who just glow at the healthful benefits.

Indeed - Bhabi's seemed somewhat similar actually. While actually a lot of
Indian food (especially on Devon) is not particularly healthy at all IMHO - they
load it up with huge amounts of oil. Especiallyt he cabbie joints, where the
gravy dishes are just swimming in them (which, of course, usually makes
them taste better).

What did concern me somewhat was how my back would feel. I don't know about you, but I tend to slouch under those conditions making for an achy back later.

Before I forget, is Chutney Janet's closed?

Yes Dropped by there a while ago, and found some other restaurant in
its place (also Indian). Went in and inquired if they were related to Janet's,
and they said they werent. Very disappointing - IMHO it was *the* best
tasting Indian food in the city, and the most varied menu. This new place
seems, going only by takeout menu, to be just a standard spot - the "normal"
dishes you find on Indian menus in Chicago, and nothing else. Not a bit
like Janet's, which was loaded with items you'd find only on some menus
in India, but nowhere in Chicago. And all very well done,too.

I do believe Janet used to do some catering when she had the restaurant -
and it may even have been a bigger part of her business. I must try and
find out if that exists anywhere - it would be a tragedy to lose that sort of
food entirely in Chicago.

At Jewel of India, I tried to get as much input from the waiter as possible. Of course, that is somewhat like the blind leading the blind when he never had it in India; though one can learn. I think I saw the noodle you refer to on another table, it alone looked like a 2nd trip was required. What I really should do, is consult with you before placing an order. My friend Helen makes Chicken-Corn soup for her family. AS I stated earlier, we were interested in the Hot and Sour as a reference point.

Though now intrigued to try Hot Wok, thanks for the information.

Regards,

BTW, "Sweet Corn Chicken Soup" is one of those strangely Indian things. Yes,
it is on some Chinese menus too - but it is on *every single Indian Chinese menu*,
no matter where you see it. And plenty more besides. (For example, if you
go to JK Kabab House on Talman just off Devon, IMHO one of the best kabab
joints on Devon especially for their Chili Chicken, it is basically a purely
Indian restaurant - great with dry items like kababs, a very few "wet" items
mostly with their specials, good rice and parathas. Owned by a Hyderabadi
guy, it has purely an Indian menu, predominantly non-vegetarian - with about
3 veggie dishes on it I think. But... when you eat there, what do you start
your meal with? Why, "Chinese Sweet Corn Chicken Soup", of course
Might seem completely incongrous, but it really isnt - seen as almost quite
normal by most city Indians

Also, BTW, not sure if youve been to "Sizzle India" much? If you have, they
have a few "Indian Chinese" dishes too, along with their staple Andhra-style
cuisine. Basically "Hot Wok" was such a huge hit with the Indian community
in Chicago that a lot of restaurants jumped on the bandwagon - realizing
there was a big "Indian Chinese" demand, a few added "Chinese" items
on their menus at the time. Thus "Sizzle India" has Cauliflower Manchrian,
Veggie Manchurian, Bean Curd Szechwan style, Fried Rice, Szechwan
Shrimp and so on. (BTW, they also have "Chicken 65" on the takeout
menu Iam looking at - but it is not listed in the Chinese section).

Still, if you want an exclusively Indian-Chinese experience, and probably
the most "authentic" such in the city (if thats possible with Indian-Chinese).,
Hot Wok is probably the spot. It is, however, a bit of aways off (Golf
and Barrington roads IIRC). It is, as mentioned before, the second Hot
Wok in the country - the first was in Atlanta. An Indian website had a
review of that one, along with some explanation of the history of Indian
Chinese food - it can be found here:

http://www.rediff.com/us/2001/sep/03us3.htm

c8w

Cathy2 wrote:HI,

Though now intrigued to try Hot Wok, thanks for the information.

Regards,

BTW, forgot to add - they did used to have a website, which hasnt been
updated in a while I think. But it still exists, with directions, menu, information
etc - and can be found at:

http://www.hotwokvillage.com/


c8w

Could someone explain what Chicken 65 is? There is a mini-chain of Chinese restaurants on the loop called 65 Chinese Restaurant (or something close). Is the name somehow a tie in to this dish?

Hi,

Chicken 65 noted as "Small boneless chicken pieces marinated overnight with yogurt, ginger and special Chinese sauces & blended with mild Indian spices and fried. (Most Highly Recommended because it is top of our recipe)" A very generous serving of very red chicken bits, that appeared as a cross between Chicken Tikka and Chinese BBQ. If Chicken 65 was accompanied by a bowl of rice, this could be an entree for two people.

65 Restaurant, according to their take-out menu:

Quote:
Our family's last name is 'Hong' which when spoken or written in Toi Sahnese ( a Chinese dialect) means 'soup.' At that time (post WW2), a large bowl of soup was a dollar and a small bowl of soup 65 cents. Since my father was much shorter in height than my uncle Kim, all of his relatives and Chinese friends called him "Small Soup."

One day, my father came back to his apartment where many other Chinese men lived. They shared the apartment to save money. He knocked on the door and one of them asked, "Who is it?" My father answered "Small Soup," in Chinese. Another said, "Small soup, that's 65 cents," again in Chinese. My father then tried to who off his English and said, "Look Moe Five." 'Look Moe' means 'sixty' in Cantonese (anther Chinese dialect). Five was what little he could pull out of his limited English vocabulary. All of them, being amused, then gave him the nickname "Look Moe Five." These days, his friends from way back then have almost forgotten his real name since they've called him "Look Moe Five" for all these years.

I opened a tofu factory some years back. This was just after my mother had passed away, so I named it after her, as "Mei Shun Tofu Products, Co." I then established these restaurants and wanted to name them after my father's real Chinese name, but he said he'd rather have his nickname used. This was how the name "Sixty-Five Restaurant" came about.

Louis Hong
Owner of Look Moe Five[/quote]


Yeah, there are solid reasons why I keep take-out menus to answer questions just like these!

Cathy,

That is such a sad case of missed opportunity, I just don't know what to say. I mean, we could have had a chain of restaurants in Chicago named Look Moe Five (not a bad name for a band, BTW). They could have expanded their offerings to a small artisan cheese shop next door and called the place Moe Larry Cheese.

65 is apparently a very lucky number, so it turns up a lot in Chinese contexts, unrelated otherwise I presume.

Hi,

I remember when 65 Restaurant had a more ambitious plan than the fast food for office workers approach they now have.

For a while they had 2-3 restaurants in Chinatown all named the same: 65 Restaurant. Early on the story of the Dad's nickname was not present in their menu. Instead, they boasted of their ambition to have as many restaurants as the number in their name.

I was on their mailing list in the early 1980's. Each time they opened a new location, they sent a postcard for a free lobster entree. Goofy me, I never took up their offer. 65 Restaurant was the first in Chinatown where they had tanks of live crabs, fish and lobsters waiting in the lobby. Maybe others did it before, I didn't see it.

Once upon a time, 65 Restaurant offered a quality Chinese seafood experience, then they changed their business direction. Too bad.

c8w wrote:Toronto, BTW, supposedly has 3 or 4 Indian-Chinese
places at least - and has had, for a very long time.
c8w

From what I understand a lot of the chinese from calcutta migrated to toronto after they started closing the tanneries in calcutta where they traditionally where employed, I think there is even a long standing association in toronto.

FWIW, the dish I always look to order at these places is gobi manchurian. IT can be really very good.

stevez
PostPosted: Wed Dec 01, 2004 10:03 am Post subject:
Could someone explain what Chicken 65 is? There is a mini-chain of Chinese restaurants on the loop called 65 Chinese Restaurant (or something close). Is the name somehow a tie in to this dish?

This reply is a few years late, but one of my Indian coworkers told me that it's called Chicken 65 because the chicken is only 65 days old, to ensure tenderness.

HI,

Thanks for the answer.

Bad news: Jewel of India recently closed.

Good news: According to Erik M, Khan's BBQ will be moving in soon.

Again thanks for answering despite the long passage of time.

Regards,

Recently seen in Jackson Heights, Queens, New York, on 37th Ave. between 74th and 75th St.:



No, I didn't go in...it was too early

Cathy2 wrote:HI,

Bad news: Jewel of India recently closed.

Good news: According to Erik M, Khan's BBQ will be moving in soon.

Regards,

It will indeed - there is a big ole sign outside proclaiming the fact
("Khans BBQ, Coming Soon, Inshallah" is what it reads, IIRC
Was really hoping it would be open last weekend since there
were some guests in town, thus drove by 2 or 3 times to make
sure, but it still wasnt open.

Despite the closing of Jewel of India, there will not be a lack of
Indian-Chinese food on Devon soon. The old location of Usmaniya
(before they moved to their swanky new digs across the street)
is soon to be Usmaniya-Chinese. And sometime this summer
Sabri Nehari will also expland next door into the extra room
they have purchased from Sizzle India - and the menu will
expand with the restaurant, to include (so I was told),
"Barbecue, burgers, and Indian-Chinese food".

BTW, on an unrelated (Indian-Chinese-wise) note... was at
Usmaniya for lunch a week or so ago. It was really firing
on all cylinders that day - a near-perfect meal on the day,
with kadai gosh, mutton korma and goat biryani all being
quite fantastic. Only the naans on the day were only "ok" -
which is very unusual, because Usmaniya's naans are
often the most outstanding thing on the menu (a friend went
last Sunday, and said the naans were among the best he's had
in ages on that day - yet two days earlier they had been only
ok, while the rest of the stuff was ridiculously good).

Any lingering concerns I had about possible drop in quality
after the move across the street is long gone now - even
as a fairly regular visitor to Usmaniya, that one .iunch last
week may have been the best single meal Ive ever had there.
(On checking in in passing on Saturday night, BTW, they
looked to have nearly an hour's wait despite the expanded
digs - were doing absolutely roaring business).

c8w