📍 41, Gana St, Maitama.
Uni resumed a few weeks back and I already miss having free time to do things I want to do. Like going back to this restaurant just so I can have their dumplings again. Enjoy reading. Xx
While I was away my friend told me there was this restaurant called ‘Charme’ I had to visit when I get back to the city. She mentioned it had good food and the ambience was amazing too. Well I finally got to visit the other day with Jacqueline and it was worth the wait. As I’ve always said nothing beats great food, good views and most importantly good company!
AMBIENCE:
I absolutely loved it here. It was evident that there was a lot of thought into the interior decoration of the restaurant. As a fan of art, I like how at almost every turn or corner, I was surprised with a new art piece. It was a fun one for me cause it felt like I was in some form of art gallery.
The first art work to welcome you is at the reception, which is a woman feeding a man some dumplings. Thought it was funny and engaging and would make a fun backdrop.
As you move into the main dining space, a huge framed art work is presented to you which I thought was really beautiful. I got the sense that this was the focal point of the space.
At the end of my tour, I observed that some walls had floral murals, while some had framed photographs filling up all the white space and some were just plain with a few art pieces hanging.
I thought the choice of furniture was really minimal and represented modern Chinese restaurants with some traditional elements. I also liked the continuity of earthy tones and textures in each of the various seating zones.
The outdoor space was my favourite actually. You know me, any suspended dining space overlooking something is always a win for me. You almost catch the sunset in that space and it’s somewhat relaxing with all the cool evening breeze.
SERVICE:
Waiters were welcoming and helped make good recommendations but service was a bit slow, despite us being the only diners in the whole restaurant. You’d assume things would come out stat.
FOOD:
I had high hopes cause like I said, my friend vouched for the restaurant before hand, and I wasn’t let down at all. One of the decent chinese meals I’ve had in the city in a while.
Siu Mai Dim Sums – N2000
(steamed chicken and shrimp dumplings)
Soon as I saw this, I said “these are the biggest dumplings I’ve seen in my life”. I liked that it was a combination of shrimp and chicken. Was a bit too salty when soy sauce was added, so maybe don’t.
The dough itself felt light, so it didn’t feel like a lot in your mouth, however I wished they were smaller so it could be eaten more easily.
Handmade Fried Noodles – N3500
The star of the night for me! Absolutely loved it and couldn’t stop eating either. A tad bit on the oily side and could’ve been a bit more al dente but I still enjoyed the sauce and spices that the noodles were tossed into.
Beef Fried Rice – N2500
Not sure how I forgot to try the rice but the texture looked fluffy and the condiment to rice ratio was apt. Should try this next!
Seafood Hot Plate (Prawns) – N5800
Seafood lovers, this ones for you. The hot plate could either be made of prawns, fish fillet or calamari, but we went for prawns. I liked how rich and tasty the sauce was as it added more ‘oomph’ to the noodles. Also, the prawns had a fresh texture not the chewy type you get sometimes.
SALMAH’S SIDENOTE:
There’s bubble tea area on the ground floor I think, but you could also request for it at the restaurant. Haven’t tried it yet, but please comment if you have or plan to soon. 😁✨
SPEND SUMMARY:
Siu Mai Dim Sums (4) – N2000
Seafood Hot Plate – N5800
Beef Fried Rice – N2500
Handmade Fried Noodles – N3500
Soft Drinks Sprite – N500x2
Total Bill – Aprox N20,000
SalmahXO 