Dinner at DONS Chinese Restaurant

Chinese restaurants have been popping up across the Greater Malé Area more frequently in recent months, giving food lovers in the city even more options to explore!

One of the latest additions is DONS Chinese Restaurant, located at Barceló Nasandhura Malé. The restaurant, which also has a separate entrance from the hotel itself, is a cosy setting that offers authentic Chinese dishes.

Stepping inside, you're welcomed by Chinese-inspired décor that immediately sets the mood for a long, leisurely meal. The staff are extremely helpful and attentive, which made the whole experience better, even from the get-go.

The menu is extensive, featuring everything from cold appetisers and handmade dumplings to hearty rice dishes, braised meats and even desserts. After much deliberation, we settled on the pour-over beef, pan-fried beef dumplings, Oriental three-cup duck and claypot rice with soy sauce chicken. We also chose to have some pu’er tea, a fermented tea variety unique to China.

While we gave the order, our server informed us that the claypot rice would take around 45 minutes to prepare. If you’re on a tight schedule, it might be a good idea to call and order ahead in advance. However, given the leisurely environment of DONS, we highly recommend that you order at the table and use the time to relax, converse with your guests and enjoy the other food.

Now, onto the tasting itself!

We started off with the pour-over beef, a refreshing cold meat dish (the server informed us of this when taking our order, so there were no surprises!). It consisted of thin slices of braised beef, layered over crisp cucumber sticks and generously coated in a fragrant chilli oil dressing. The beef was wonderfully tender with just the right amount of spice, while the cucumber added a refreshing crunch that balanced the richness beautifully. It was an excellent starter for us, although we think it would pair just as well with a bowl of steamed rice.

Next came the pan-fried dumplings, served with a soy sauce dipping sauce. The first thing that caught our attention about the dumplings was their sheer size, considerably larger than the ones we’ve been used to seeing! Nevertheless, the dumpling bottoms were beautifully pan-fried and crisp while the outside was soft and chewy. The filling inside was juicy and savoury with hints of ginger that added warmth without overwhelming the minced beef.

The Oriental three-cup duck is a Hakka-style dish, where the duck is slowly braised in a soy sauce and vinegar-based broth until it becomes wonderfully tender and flavourful. And this one didn’t disappoint either!

Each bite of the duck was simply packed with flavour. The skin was soft, the meat practically melted apart, and the balance of savoury and slightly caramelly, sweet notes made it difficult to stop reaching for another piece. This one was definitely one of the best ones we tried!

Finally, after the wait, our claypot rice with soy sauce chicken arrived – and it was well worth every minute!

The dish was completed tableside by the server, who poured over soy sauce and added and chopped spring onions to the rice in the hot claypot, expertly mixing everything before serving it in individual bowls.

The result was outstanding. The rice was sticky and deeply savoury with rich umami flavours running through every bite. The hot claypot also created caramelized, crispy bits of rice throughout the dish, which perfectly complemented the soft, tender chicken. 

Accompanying everything was a pot of pu'er tea, a traditional fermented Chinese tea known for its earthy character. Its smooth, clean finish provided the perfect contrast to the richness of the meal, refreshing the palate between bites and tying everything together.

Whether you're celebrating a special occasion or simply looking for a memorable dinner with family and friends, DONS is well worth adding to your list. And if there's one thing we'd recommend without hesitation, it's making time for that claypot rice; you'll be glad you did!