Before going to the Chinese restaurant From Zhong in Via Aleardo Aleardi, in the heart of the Milanese china town, make a list of all the favorite Chinese dishes of us Westerners - Cantonese rice, chicken with almonds and soy noodles included - and then, forget it. The only great classic allowed are the mini spring rolls, really excellent.
In this little known restaurant, the menu offers a wide selection of authentic Chinese cuisine, specifically in Southern China, all served in a spartan and welcoming environment. Certainly it is not the ideal place for a candlelit evening, but it is perfect for a good and cheap dinner with friends (if you overdo the orders you can get to a maximum of 15 euros).
So what to order if we discard the most popular Chinese dishes? After opening the menu, close it and take a look at the refrigerated counter where you can choose the freshest meat and fish directly. In addition to the mini spring rolls, the specialties that I can recommend are the Bamboo in Chinese sauce, le stewed eggplant, taro grilled (Chinese potatoes), Wenzhou noodles with vegetables, rice dumplings with shrimp and vegetables. The most popular steamed or grilled ravioli are also good.
It seems incredible to go out to eat Chinese without ordering fried food, yet this also happens here. To finish with a flourish, choose one of their grappas, or the Wu Cha Pi Chew, an amaro made with unidentified herbs.
Da Zhong is an easy-going restaurant where you can order many dishes with different flavors to share, so as not to miss any specialties of true Chinese cuisine.
Warning: if you come here during the week, it is possible that you will find the owners sitting at a table cleaning vegetables or helping their child with homework, you will feel at home.
