Wang's Kitchen (Chinese-Indian Fusion)

Meh. This was pretty decent Chinese food. But it didn't seem especially Indian.

The honey crisp lamb tasted very much like good General Tao's chicken (and not very much like lamb). The prawns Manchurian had a nice tanginess to them, but didn't really distinguish themselves from curried prawns at other Chinese joints. The Hakka noodles were fresh, but bland.

The one stand-out item was a house specialty appetizer - the chicken lollypops. The name alone made them worth ordering. Then these intriguing treats arrived - the meaty joints of chicken wings with the grisly end parts stripped away so they really did look like lollypops. The boney ends are ingeniously wrapped in foil to keep your fingers clean of the spicy Kung Pao-type sauce.

A fine Chinese meal, if you're in the 'hood, but not worth the trip to Mississauga.

Dinner for two $40 (before tip)

Wang's Kitchen
4559 Hurontario St. (and Eglinton)
Unit 12A
Mississauga, ON
905-712-4370

Saravanaa Bhavan (South Indian Vegetarian)

This modest mall joint in Mississauga has lots going for it. The dishes pack a lot of flavour punch and the price is right. Everything was fresh and tasty. But, on our first visit, we left wishing there had been more variety on our plates.

The meal started with idly, steamed rice and lentil patties that are white and fluffy, like the traditional bread dumplings that Mom used to make for Irish stew. But instead of accompanying bland root veggies and tough meat, these babies soaked up an array of colourful, spicy chutnies and sambar. The onion bajji were a bit different from the usual - a round slice of onion with a thick, smooth, fried batter. More of the dipping sauces with this one.

Mains were rava masala dosa and the thali plate. The dosa was delicate and crisp, stuffed with curried potato and onion. The chutnies made yet another appearance here. The thali plate offered more selection with about 10 small dishes, ranging from soothing yogurt to firey pickles, surrounding steamed rice, a pappadam, and two puffy fried breads.

The real novelty on this trip came from spying the resto next door - Wang's Indian-Chinese Fusion. It sparked much curiosity. An inquiry on the Chowhound board informs us that Wang's is not alone and that this type of food - Hakka - is quite tasty. Stay tuned for an investigative report.

Dinner for two $34 (before tip)

Saravanaa Bhavan
4559 Hurontario St. (at Eglinton)
Unit 12B
Mississauga Market Place
Mississauga, ON
905-290-0769

Carnaval (Brazilian)

Is there an adjective for a meal that features an excessive amount of well-cooked meat? I think meatiful best describes the plentiful fleshly offerings at Carnaval Brazilian Grill.

The concept here is pretty straightforward. You pay a flat price - $30 most nights, $40 on Saturdays when there's a floor show - and get to eat all the meat you could ever possibly desire. Fourteen different cuts. A buffet of sides and desert is also included.

Each patron has a wooden marker by their place-setting. When you want meat, you turn the green side up. When you're sated, you turn it over to the red side. Such is the binary world of gluttony.

A team of waiters circulate through the dining hall with large skewers of grilled meat for the taking. There are seven kinds of beef, two cuts of lamb, three pork offerings and two chicken. All are juicy and tender. And you can choose a cut cooked to your liking. (A full inventory of the types of meat, including photos, can be found on Carnaval's website, listed below.)

To top off your meal, there's also grilled pineapple with cinnamon making the skewer rounds.

Dining at Carnaval on a Saturday night feels like being at a big family wedding reception without a bride and groom to distract you from the meal. Or what I imagine it must be like at supper time on a cruise ship. The food is abundant. The crowd is all-ages and game for a good time. The floor show involves a lot of booty-shaking, and audience participation is encouraged.

Dinner for 4 on a Saturday $160 (plus drinks, tax and tip)

Carnaval Brazilian Grill
160 York Blvd. (East Beaver Creek and Hwy. 7)
Richmond Hill, ON
905-709-4900 (Reservations recommended)
www.carnavalgrill.com