On Thursday evening last week I took Emirhan out for dinner to celebrate his birthday, and for once we deviated from our (always excellent) Konyalılar and elected to eat at a place called China Garden instead. I was told to expect a smart dress code with low prices, which I couldn’t imagine, but we dressed up anyway and headed out for an early dinner.
To put it mildly, we were impressed. China Garden sits directly on the cliffs in Konyaaltı, overlooking the Mediterranean, and both the scenery and the restaurant itself are breathtaking. We were amazed at the surrounding gardens and the tasteful, minimal dining room decor. The dining room is enclosed by sliding plate glass windows, and as the weather was cool and breezy, we asked if they could open the windows so we could feel like we were dining outdoors. They happily obliged, and we sat enjoying the wonderful evening while waiting for our set-menu banquet to be prepared.
I’m forever grumbling at the irony that we live in Asia and yet we have no Asian supermarkets like they have everywhere else in the world. I have yet to find anywhere to buy water chestnuts or pak choi or disposable wooden chopsticks. It’s frustrating. The head waiter at China Garden was, not surprisingly, quite vague when I asked him where they purchase their Asian products. No doubt they’d rather I buy from their menu instead. Perhaps once I become a more regular patron I can get them to divulge some of their shopping secrets.
When the food arrived I forgot all my troubles— it was that good. Prawn toast, barbecued spare ribs, crispy seaweed, and vegetable spring rolls made up the starter platter. After that, the main course included ample portions of chicken in black bean sauce, squid satay, Asian vegetables in oyster sauce (including water chestnuts!), and shrimp egg fried rice. By the time we finished eating I thought I would pop, and then came dessert: fried toffee apples with ice cream, which reminded me of home more than anything.
The restaurant were aware that it was Emirhan’s birthday, which worried me because so many restaurants put on an embarrassing show, but China Garden played it down with one slice of birthday cake and another of cherry pie, each decorated with a single candle. No obnoxious singing, no clapping or unnecessary attention. Unfortunately, though the desserts were all delicious, we were so incredibly full at that point that we could only manage a bite or two of each one before giving up. We left very happy and agreed that next time we’d have to come back with friends and make a night of it.
The prices weren’t as low as I’d been led to believe, and in fact they were about twice what I’d seen mentioned in online reviews. I’d say if you’re a couple and you’re looking to have dinner with wine, expect to pay about 100YTL. That may sound like nothing to those living in Europe or North America where restaurant prices are high as a rule, but in this part of Turkey that sort of tab is definitely heading toward the pricier side of things. Still, I’d say it was worth every penny, and we’ll definitely be heading back to China Garden on a regular basis. Link