China Crown (Marbella): Imperial Chinese Cuisine

On 24 June China Crown opened its doors in Marbella, without a doubt one of the Chinese restaurants that is going to be the talk of the town this summer. To begin with, it is located inside the Don Pepe Gran Meliá hotel, right in front of the swimming pool; it arrives knowing that in mid-October it will have to close its doors for a year due to the refurbishment that the hotel itself will undergo and, furthermore, because it is not a Chinese restaurant like those that are mostly found in Malaga and its province. China Crown boasts, according to its service and its culinary offer, of offering its clientele "haute imperial Chinese cuisine".

The menu of this establishment is a journey through time and tradition. Each of its dishes is a broad reflection of the Chinese culinary legacy, although most of them have been re-interpreted to adapt them to contemporary tastes; one of these reinterpretations can be found in the crispy lobster accompanied by caviar and sautéed with passion fruit and mango. And if we want a more purist meal, then dim sum is the perfect way to get that gastronomic experience around Cantonese cuisine. Dim sum or 'small selections' are portions that sum up centuries of traditional cuisine in a single bite. They include beef cheek, duck and foie gras, prawns with coral and tobiko roe or crispy beef with ginger.

But what I liked most of all the dishes I had the chance to try is precisely the star dish of this establishment, the 'Beijing Imperial Duck', better known to lovers of this cuisine as Peking duck. The owners of China Crown, Li Bao and his brother Felipe Bao, claim that it is made according to a recipe that dates back to the 15th century and was served at meals during the Ming Dynasty. Whether this is true or not, it is one of the most successful dishes on the menu, not only in the Marbella restaurant, but also in the one in Madrid, since 1981.

We'll have to wait and see how the summer unfolds to find out if China Crown will return to Marbella when the hotel is finished. But one thing is for sure, the cuisine here is carefully prepared, rich and varied, and the prices are quite acceptable.

Vegetable rolls : These imperial or spring rolls are a classic on the menu. They are very well executed, with crispy and smooth dough filled with siitake mushrooms and finely chopped vegetables.

Crujiente de bogavante: The lobster is fried until it is a very crispy and a fine point on the palate. The caviar adds saltiness and reinforces its flavour, as does the passion fruit and mango sauce on which it sits, giving it a delicate sweetness.

Variety of dim sum : The wrapping, i.e. the rice paste of the dim sum, must be sturdy so that it does not break when you pick it up and can be eaten in one bite. China Crown's dim sum is perfect in terms of execution and filling and is a culinary experience.

Peking duck: This is the restaurant's star dish and the duck is cut in full view of the diner. The preparation and tasting of this dish has three parts, the caramelised skin, the juicy and seasoned meat and wrapped in very thin pancakes.

Contact : Hotel Don Pepe Gran Meliá. Telephone: 951 579 731. Closing dates: No day. Opening hours: From 18.00 to 00.00 h. Web: restaurantechinacrown.com

Prices: Imperial Rolls: 14€ Dim Sum Assorted: 16€ Peking Duck: 69€.

Rating: Cuisine: 7.5 ; Dining room: 7; Wine list: 7 ; Rating: 7.5 / 10