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Forbidden City Bistro and Art Gallery335 Main St. Middletown 06457-3309 860-343-8288 By MARYELLEN FILLO Courant Staff Writer December 29, 2005 Classic Chinese dining and its culture is what is being served at Eric Leong's newest dining venture, Forbidden City Bistro and Art Gallery in Middletown. Leong, best know for his flagship restaurant, the popular Char Koon in Glastonbury, has taken Chinese cooking, its history and the country's art to heart. Leong offers customers elegant, healthful, unusual Chinese cuisine, complemented by art displays by upcoming Chinese artists, and a well-informed waitstaff that provide the historical background on the exotic dishes being served. "It's a totally new concept in Connecticut," said the enthusiast Leong, bemoaning the fact that Chinese food gets a bad rap because of the preservatives and "fast food" approach too many such restaurants use in preparation and presentation. "We want to show people that a Chinese restaurant can be elegant and modern and that the cooking can be healthy, fancy and sophisticated." Leong has set the mood for a tasty lunch or dinner thanks to sophisticated décor and the first of the art exhibitions, an array of watercolors that are placed throughout the dining area. An equally welcoming bar area offers a place to unwind. In a meticulous kitchen, orders for anything-but-your-standard Chinese offerings including Tinejing Cold Noodles Salad, Chilled Chinese Eggplant, Tsingtao Seafood Soup, Five-Spice Duck Wrap, Hainanese Chicken, and Silk Route Lamb Shank, are prepared with care befitting such specialties. Hours: Lunch Mon.-Sat., 11:30 a.m.-3 p.m. Dinner Sun.-Thu., 3 p.m.-9:30 p.m. Fri.-Sat., 3 p.m.-10:30 p.m. Sun. and holidays, noon-9:30 p.m. Map | Printer-Friendly Page | Email to a Friend
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