Decent Chinese-style dishes in an almost empty restaurant: Restaurant Hua Lan (17. July 2023)

Despite the fact that the place was basically empty shortly around 9.30pm, I was positively surprised by the quality of the food. Now, what was a bit annoying were the super-attentive waiters. I mean, to be fair, I get it, if we are almost the only customers that evening, you kind of want to compensate for the lack of work as a waiter. But it was just too much. Given, we all arrived at different times, which made it obviously a bit harder on them, I was happy to get some “pickled vegetables” with spicy sauces served. And they were actually quite enjoyable.

We ordered a ton of different dishes, and frankly, the “lobster bao (lobster, lettuce with teriyaki mayo sauce)” (55.00 SAR) weren’t the greatest start. Sure, it sounded nice and it wasn’t even bad, but it was just lacking something somehow.

The “butter lobster (lobster off the shell, cooked with butter and oyster sauce)” (190.00 SAR) was definitely better, but also far from exciting. I mean, the lobster was good in terms of flavour profile, but it was still a bit bland.

The “fried platter (collection of four types of fried dumplings, total 8 pieces (duck roll, pumpkin beef, Shanghai chicken and prawn toast))” (95.00 SAR) was really a mixture of everything. And while I wasn’t able to try everything, the majority of things I tried were actually quite enjoyable, but – largely – the stuff was just fried.

I actually liked the “chili chicken (chicken with dried chili, spring onion, garlic, and szechuan pepper)” (75.00 SAR), because it was nice in terms of flavour and spiciness, and it was good in terms of texture.

The “crispy sesame beef (crispy beef with sweet and sour sauce)” (70.00 SAR) was great in terms of flavour and texture – what was missing, though, was the actual meat. It felt a bit like they took the smallest pieces of meat, breaded them and finally threw them into a pan.

The “duck salad (crispy duck salad with plum sauce)” (90.00 SAR) was a dish I could just keep eating and eating. Not only because it went well with pomegranates and pine nuts, but also because there was some meat on the bone, and because it was actually delicious.

The “steamed platter (a collection of four types of steamed dumplings, total 8 pieces (pumpkin beef, scallop shumai, prawn and chives, sea bass))” (95.00 SAR) wasn’t bad either. Personally, the dough was a bit too gooey for me, but other than that, the dumplings were quite nice.

The “BBQ chicken bun (steamed bun with BBQ sauce, chicken and chopped onion)” (38.00 SAR) was a fascinating flavour combination – mainly because there was the savoury element to the dish, but there was also – due to the dough – a hint of sweetness.

I can always go for fried rice, and the “spicy fried rice (fried rice with beans, mushrooms, and soya sauce)” (38.00 SAR) was indeed nice. It wasn’t necessarily spicy, but it was definitely nice and enjoyable.

Last but not least, the “curry prawn (stir-fried prawns with green curry sauce, with homemade mantou bread)” (120.00 SAR) was quite interesting. The prawns themselves were okay – what I found interesting, though, was that mantou bread, as it is a type of bread I haven’t tried before.

All in all, the Hua Lan is a good place for a simple and nice, but sufficiently sophisticated meal. Hence, if you are looking for something like that, the Hua Lan is quite perfect. Is it something memorable – not really? Is it something you can definitely do in terms of visiting – yes.

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Contact Details:

Restaurant Hua Lan

Al Diuhak Ibn Soufian

As Sulimaniyah

12243 Riyadh (KSA)

Tel.: +966 11 211 09 99

E-Mail: info@foodinternational.sa

Homepage: http://www.hualan.sa

About the Author: Sven

I started the blog in October 2009, while living in Milan which I definitely consider to be one of the food capitals of the world. I was in touch with food since my early childhood (as my father is a former chef). Whenever I can, I travel the world to discover new places, to meet people but mostly to try local dishes and to find hidden gems! If you know a place worth going, please drop a line to: info@thediningexperience.org. Currently, I am a member of the following food-related associations: Chevalier @Chaîne des Rôtisseurs Zurich-Ville; Membre Gourmet Dégustateur @Ordre Mondial des Gourmets Dégustateurs [OMGD]; Gesellschafter @Goldener Fisch and Member @Slowfood Convivium Zurich City.