Chinese premier Wen Jiabao may no longer be in India but you can still discuss the state of India-China relations, and maybe even get a flavor of China in the wake of his visit.

Not only is Chinese cuisine hugely popular across India, it has also evolved into a hybrid of its own: “Chindian” or “Chinjabi.”

The hallmarks of “Chindian” are the use of paneer, a variety of cottage cheese widely used as a meat substitute in India but pretty much unheard of in Chinese food elsewhere. Because of religious dietary restrictions, pork is hard to find and beef isn’t available at all.

You can also be almost certain you’re in a bonafide Chindian place if you see anything “Manchurian,” a generic gravy sauce that can accompany anything. Cauliflower also tends to crop up in Chindian menus, as do dishes garnished with coriander and cumin – staple ingredients of Indian cuisine which are not as popular in mainland China. You’ll also see something called sweet corn and chicken soup, which is a popular cornstarch-heavy concoction.

But not all Chinese restaurants in India are Chindian. We tried five in New Delhi, that fall on various points of the Chinese-Indian spectrum.

1. The Chinese

It’s difficult to stand out with a name like that but “The Chinese” makes up for it with its extravagant interiors. This starts from the ceiling, which is studded with three-dimensional Chinese characters.

But there’s more to The Chinese than its novelty character. Hailed as one of Delhi’s best Chinese restaurants, we were impressed by their “Top-Class Dou Fu”, fried tofu tossed with pepper and salt, and their “Midnight Phoenix,” spicy batter-fried chicken with honey.

But when we tried their “Black Pearls” – served in Sichuan sauce, with garlic, chili and ginger – the eggplant was undercooked. If you want to try their selection of dim sum or their Peking Duck, make sure to call at least an hour in advance.

Average per head: 1,000 rupees ($22)

Bottom-line: The Chinese – something of a landmark in the Connaught Place area – is the place to go for a reasonably-priced selection of good Chinese food in the city.

The Chinese. Middle Circle, F-Block, Connaught Place, New Delhi. Tel. 011 23708888.

2. FU - Better Than Chinese

When leafing through a menu, few would instantly have their heart set on “Spicy Turnip Cake” – a dish made of steamed grated turnips and rice flour. But go to FU and think again: Before you know it, you’ll be craving for more.

FU’s influences are Malyasian – such as the turnip cake – as well as Cantonese. The result is some of the best pan-Asian food in town. Come here to try dishes you’ll be hard-pressed to find anywhere else, like the “Samabal Fish in Banana Leaf” with sticky rice, or to sample their great range of dim sum.

Some dishes – like “Grandma’s Traditional Mutton,” a spicy mutton stew served with flat bread – feel less exotic to the Indian palate, making this a place more adventurous foodies can enjoy in the company of friends with more conservative taste buds.

Average per head: 1,500 rupees.

Bottom line: A refreshing newcomer in Delhi’s food scene. We’ll definitely be coming back – and not just for the turnip cakes.

FU – Better Than Chinese. M-53, M Block Market, Greater Kailash 1, First Floor, New Delhi. Tel. 096 50106767.

3. Fujiya

Fujiya is your classic Chindian: Come here only if you are craving things like stir-fried paneer or chicken “Chinese style.” Even then, the food is underwhelming. Stay clear of its Chicken Manchurian, for instance: batter-fried (but not thoroughly cooked) chicken served in a bowl of thick gravy. Their spring-rolls were soggy, and not very pretty to look at either.

About the only thing we could eat were their vegetarian momos, a Tibetan variety of dumpling. And there’s no need to get outraged if on the menu you spot shark-fin soup, a controversial dish environmentalists have long been battling against: Their version is actually made with chicken.

The place – like much of its staff – has been around for about 40 years, making it one of the oldest Chinese joints in town. By now, some might think of Fujiya’s dishes as comfort food. That maybe why at lunch time Saturday, the place was bustling.

Average per head: 500 rupees.

Bottom line: Come here only if it brings back childhood memories of a bygone era when you could count Delhi’s Chinese restaurants on your fingertips.

Fujiya. 12/48 Malcha Marg Shopping Center, Malcha Marg, Chanakyapuri, New Delhi. Tel. 011 26114209.

4. The House of Ming

One of the many high-end restaurants in Delhi’s Taj Mahal Hotel, The House of Ming offers some of the city’s best selection of Chinese dishes. The restaurant prides itself on its dim sum selection, which includes prawn and scallop dumpling and glutinous rice wrapped in lotus leaf.

But the menu is not all Cantonese: Many of the dishes are Sichuanese, prepared with ground ginger, garlic and bright-red chili paste. Worth noting is their lightly caramelized spicy Sichuan Eggplant. We were very excited to see soft-shell crab on the menu – just to be disappointed when we actually tried it. It was a pity to see they spoilt an otherwise great dish (we tried the Sichuan soft-shell crab) with excessive seasoning.

The House of Ming is also one of the few places where you’ll find plenty of good-quality pork and tenderloin dishes.

Average per head: 2,500 rupees.

Bottom line: The service is impeccable but for the price you pay, you’d be right to expect more from the food here. It may be worth trying out their recently-introduced dim sum brunch: All you can eat (drink included) for 1,500 rupees. On Saturdays and Sundays only.

The House of Ming. The Taj Mahal Hotel, Church Mission Road, New Delhi. Tel. 011 23026162.

5. Nanking

Nanking has been on the map as a good Chinese restaurant in Delhi for a while.

We loved their pork bun, one of several good dim sum we tried there. Of note are also their prawn-based dishes. But we were hoping for something a little more nuanced when we ordered their honey chicken – chicken fried in batter then literally dipped in honey. Their Peking Duck was decent but we wouldn’t necessarily go back for it: The meat was dry more than crispy and the whole thing pre-rolled, which took away much of the fun.

The portions were bountiful and the service was good. But we weren’t so convinced by Nanking’s atmosphere – it was rather sterile when we went there (a few weeks before Christmas), save for some sinister bodiless Santa Claus dolls hanging around the place.

Average per head: 1,500 rupees.

Bottom-line: Nanking is an above-average in Delhi’s Chinese restaurant scene though it loses points on atmosphere. For what you get, you would hope the bill would come up to less.

Nanking, Vasant Kunj, Delhi. Tel. 011 26138936