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Sep 10, 2009
China Plate is surprisingly relaxing: very calm and sedate and serene. We were there on a Tuesday evening, and there were only four tables taken — us, one solo diner in the corner, a family adjacent to us and we were later joined by a<br>couple.
By Ernest Bazanye
China Plate is surprisingly relaxing: very calm and sedate and serene. We were there on a Tuesday evening, and there were only four tables taken — us, one solo diner in the corner, a family adjacent to us and we were later joined by a
couple.
It was still a quiet evening in a half-empty room. Most of the other patrons preferred the verandah outside.
The atmosphere of calm could have come from the general elegance of the décor and the soft light. Maybe it was the framed picture in the corner which had these mesmerising twinkling lights incorporated into the design.
Maybe it was because we were in Kisementi, which we know better as being flooded with yelling night-crawlers on a Friday night, spilling from Fat Boyz to Just Kicking to Iguanas.
The contrast accentuated the feeling of calm. Our waiter spoke very softly and listened even less keenly—when my guest asked: “What do you recommend?†He turned tail and left. He apparently thought she had said: “Give us a minute.â€
How that is possible, I still do not know. He apologised and suggested chicken-fried rice, ginger mutton and sweet and sour pork.
It took a while to get to our table, but then, it was evening after work. We had time and the surroundings were not hostile, so there was no rush.
When the food arrived it was fine. The pork was tasty. The ginger in the ginger mutton was very prominent.
The little candle under the plate of rice which was meant to keep it warm burnt some of it after a while, but in the end the food was only one detail of the general experience.
This is an excellent place to wind down after work, burnt rice or no.
I should warn you of something before I finally recommend China Plate.
It is not a problem to me, because The New Vision pays my bill, but the total came to more than I had anticipated when I read the prices off the menu:
There is a bar charge and then VAT added. Most of the time we find VAT is included in the prices stated on the menus, but not here, so this could come as a nasty surprise if you are not prepared.
China Plate is surprisingly relaxing: very calm and sedate and serene. We were there on a Tuesday evening, and there were only four tables taken — us, one solo diner in the corner, a family adjacent to us and we were later joined by a
couple.
It was still a quiet evening in a half-empty room. Most of the other patrons preferred the verandah outside.
The atmosphere of calm could have come from the general elegance of the décor and the soft light. Maybe it was the framed picture in the corner which had these mesmerising twinkling lights incorporated into the design.
Maybe it was because we were in Kisementi, which we know better as being flooded with yelling night-crawlers on a Friday night, spilling from Fat Boyz to Just Kicking to Iguanas.
The contrast accentuated the feeling of calm. Our waiter spoke very softly and listened even less keenly—when my guest asked: “What do you recommend?†He turned tail and left. He apparently thought she had said: “Give us a minute.â€
How that is possible, I still do not know. He apologised and suggested chicken-fried rice, ginger mutton and sweet and sour pork.
It took a while to get to our table, but then, it was evening after work. We had time and the surroundings were not hostile, so there was no rush.
When the food arrived it was fine. The pork was tasty. The ginger in the ginger mutton was very prominent.
The little candle under the plate of rice which was meant to keep it warm burnt some of it after a while, but in the end the food was only one detail of the general experience.
This is an excellent place to wind down after work, burnt rice or no.
I should warn you of something before I finally recommend China Plate.
It is not a problem to me, because The New Vision pays my bill, but the total came to more than I had anticipated when I read the prices off the menu:
There is a bar charge and then VAT added. Most of the time we find VAT is included in the prices stated on the menus, but not here, so this could come as a nasty surprise if you are not prepared.