Gelsomino
In the heart of China Town, among the many traditional Chinese taverns, there is an always very popular restaurant called Gelsomino.
The entrance, like many restaurants in this category, is decidedly anonymous. The interior is a real labyrinth, between two separate kitchens, showcases full of trays filled with various foodstuffs and a large aquarium: Gelsomino offers in fact many preparations based on fish, molluscs and crustaceans. Lobster, crabs, carp, oysters, prawns, cuttlefish, turbot and sea bream, there is something for everyone here!
The rest of the menu is just as endless, it has rarely taken me so long to read the entire menu of proposals, for a total of over 200 items on the menu including dozens of soups, noodles, rice, meat (veal, chicken, pork, lamb), omelettes and vegetables - by the way, here you can order different types of fresh Chinese vegetables off the menu and have them prepared stewed or sautéed on the spot.
Among the many specialties of the house I tried braised and steamed meat dumplings served with rice vinegar on the side (very big and tasty), drawn noodles with garlic sauce (not even these disappointed my expectations), sautéed rice dumplings with meat and vegetables and a whole steamed sea bass garnished with oil, spring onions and a very delicate soy sauce.
At the end of the meal, the staff paid homage to customers with fresh mandarins.
The staff is quick but courteous, almost certainly not used to a Western clientele (apart from me, the only patrons were in fact Chinese). The place is very simple, extremely rustic and messy. The final bill is simply ridiculous, even if you eat good fish you will spend very little. The portions are very generous, so I recommend Gelsomino for large tables or in any case in company.
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