Let me start by speaking about the location of Chopstix. Chopstix is located just beside KPC Hospital which is close to Sulekha crossing at Jadavpur. KPC is a hospital which formerly treated tuberculosis patients only and later it was renovated to cater to different kinds of patients. Honestly, a continental restaurant sitting beside a hospital will give you the creeps! Wonder what the owners were thinking!
There is no parking space whatsoever. Chopstix is situated on the main road itself leaving almost no space to even park your bike. One has to take the trouble to park their vehicle on the opposite side of the road, a place which is reserved for minibuses.
Well, the restaurant is true to its name and provides Chinese and continental dishes. I visited the restaurant last week with a couple of friends of mine. We all were in the mood for some adventure and decided to try our hands at something new. At that point, none of us were really hoping what to expect and honestly speaking, what followed was a shocker!
The main gate of Chopstix is designed with Oriental chimes and lanterns, giving you an Asian feel as you enter. As I entered through the main gate, I was met by a flight of stairs which led us to the main dining area. The setting of the dining space was oriental in all aspects. There were Chinese wall hangings depicting dragons, Chinese lamp shades and lanterns. The tables were mainly set for four while a couple of tables at the corner were set to accommodate six diners. Wooden mats were placed on the tables and I was expecting food to be served in Chinese bowls. Sadly, that was not the case though. But I will talk about it later.
Moving on, I was completely shocked when a steward came forward and greeted us! Honestly, this was completely unexpected and a pleasant surprise for me. He greeted us and in the meantime, a waiter came forward and gave us face wipes. I ordered for baby corn soup for starters, followed by chicken Hakka noodles, schezuan chicken and green chicken chili for the mains. We decided to order the dessert while having dinner.
The food came on time and one must appreciate the promptness of service. The soup was good, though a bit more corn would not have been harmful. The mains were a complete letdown. The noodles were thick and not at all seasoned. Moreover, I could smell kerosene oil from the noodles! Speaks a lot about the condition of the kitchen, doesn't it? Schezuan chicken is meant to be on the hotter side with a lot of spices, but Chopstix gave us €sweet€ schezuan chicken. The green chilly chicken was the saving grace although the amount of garnishing on the plate was scanty. Major letdown: although the name is Chopstix, there were no chopsticks given to have food!!! Lame!
Now comes the climax. As we were busy having our dinner and chatting with one another, the steward came forward and asked us about the food. I told what we felt. His reply was that their food is great, nobody else ever complained and moreover, taste depended on perception. The moment I heard such a comment from the steward, I asked for the bill, paid it off and walked away, deciding never to come back again.
To sum up, creepy and unhygienic location, no parking space, unhygienic kitchen, bad customer service - many reasons for me to avoid Chopstix. Wonder what you will do?