The idea is quite clear: real Chinese cuisine, not adapted to Western tastes, but served in a more contemporary setting, including cocktails, which is still quite unusual when you think of classic Chinese restaurants around town. I had a chat with Nico, the owner, who shared the story behind the place. His mother and father are Chinese and came to Luxembourg in the 80s, where they opened a restaurant in Dudelange.
Growing up Nico wanted to bring the dishes his mom used to cook for him into a new space, keeping them authentic, but adding a modern twist to it. It’s clearly not your traditional Chinese restaurant interior, but that’s exactly the point. There’s a more urban feel to the place, and there’s even a cocktail menu.
We went for two very different dishes after asking the waitress what she would recommend. My friend chose the caramelised chicken (€29) – a saucier dish with plenty of glaze. If you enjoy sweet-caramelised flavours and don’t mind a generous amount of sauce, this one will work well for you.
I went for the prawns with garlic stalks (€32), and this was my personal little discovery. The garlic stalks really stood out (something Nico mentioned isn’t easy to find in regular supermarkets and usually requires a visit to a Chinese grocery store in Luxembourg). They look like long green beans at first and even have a similar texture, but the flavour is a milder
form of garlic!
Instead of wine or beer, we decided to go for cocktails, mainly because we were curious about the pairing, and it’s a nice change that reinforces the idea that Chin Chin is playing with contrasts aka traditional food – modern setting.
After talking a bit more with Nico, he explained that part of his vision is also to experiment and fuse ideas. Some future dishes he mentioned include dumplings with chicken and celery, something that sounded unusual to me at first, but is actually very common in China. Nico puts importance on creating this balance between tradition and curiosity that makes the concept interesting. If you’re looking for Chinese flavours in a modern setting, with cocktails on the side, you can find it here.
Food quality – 3.5/5
Family-friendly – 4/5
Budget-friendly – 4/5
Date-friendly – 4/5
Veggie-friendly – 3/5
