Video
Read full review
2014-08-31
2813 views
Tung Shing is a very local seafood restaurant located near Yat Tung Village, it is not one of the easiest place you can find, i spent fifteen minutes walking from the bus stop, not to mention a half hour journey on the bus and a full hour by the MTR. But as people always say, "good things (food) are worth the wait”.I was there at around 12 and two out of three of their dining lounge was full with hungry eaters. What really caught my eye was their large fish tanks filled with marvelous and varied
I was there at around 12 and two out of three of their dining lounge was full with hungry eaters. What really caught my eye was their large fish tanks filled with marvelous and varied seafood. I was amazed by how fresh the fish is, as they swim around the enclosed space with their mighty force trying to escape. A step closer would get me covered in water. The first criterion to cook good seafood dish is to have fresh ingredients plugged right out from the habour that same day. The inside was quite old, not much decor to be told. At least, you can't compare this to the shangri-la's Summer Palace. The menu was very straight forward and what you would typically expect from a seafood restaurant. Nevertheless, I started chatting with the lady who was in charge of our table to ask for some recomendations and what was in season.
She pointed me to this restaurants signature dish, Roasted pork belly in chinese style . This dish is very traditional and it is mostly served in wedding banquets. Just by looking at the meat itself the distribution of the fat and pork and skin was very equal, if you have tried some bad interpretation of the dish, you will know that the balance of texture and taste between the three component is the key to success. Just by looking at it, the fat glistens as arrays of sunlight shine through the window and the moment you place it in your mouth, the heat melts the fat just enough. The meat is cooked at the right temperature, allowing the tenderness to remain in the meat. The crispy skin is my favourite part of the combination. Eating the three together, gives you a party in the mouth. The dish comes with two sauces, I personally recommend the yellow mustard as the residue spiciness from the mustard excites your palette even more, giving you another sense of flavour.
Another dish that was recommended was Fried soy pepper with clams. The dish is made up of evenly chopped vegetables and clams cooked at extremely high heat very quickly. This style of cooking in the right hands delivers a sense of "wok hei" that cannot otherwise be accomplished. Also, the sauce develops strong flavour profile for this dish and create the depth of flavour, which complements the clams just right . Just by looking the dish, the colour and consistency of the sauce looks right, the diversified colour of the dish looks very appetising and the smell of garlic, chili and cooking wine kept wafting into my nose. At my first taste, i get some of the saltiness coming through and a bit of sweetness, I think its a bit over-powering and too strong for my palette. Then the spiciness starts getting in. Overall, the balance is managed satisfactorily, but there is still room to improve. the clams, however, were overcooked, giving them a rubbery texture like chewing gum.
The third dish was Deep fried salted squid. The deep frying technique plays a crucial part in the dish, the right amount of frying batter and the temperature of the oil is very important, the gap for error is marginal. The thickness of batter was controlled well, giving equal parts of squid and batter. The batter is also aerated, giving pockets of air sac in-between the batter and the squid, allowing wonderful texture in the mouth. The squid was cooked through, while remaining it soft and moist. The batter was fried to golden brown and crunchy. But the seasoning lacks a bit, it could require more salt and pepper. My surprise was the dipping sauce, at first glance i thought it was some plain, boring soy sauce. After tasting, I found out that it has rich flavour profile, some sourness from the vinegar, sweetness and saltiness, which complements the squid perfectly. I strongly recommend dipping half of the squid into the sauce, as remaining part of it crunchy would be nice.
The fourth dish was a Deep fried golden shrimp. This dish was somewhat new to me and the dish looks very intriguing. The shrimp was rather big, the oiled shell gives a slight translucent view under the sunlight, hiding the white meat. The carmelization on the shrimp imparts a fresh and delicious flavour. Breaking apart the head and encased inside, is a dot of rare orange shrimp paste, which is very delicate and sweet. The streaked white meat is springy and moist, the flavour from the shell were able to penetrate inside, oozing into every strands of the meat, good seasoning was used.
Last but not least was a Dongjiang tofu pot. This dish is served in a clay pot, wrapped with tin foil, to remain the heat inside. I loved the way that they not only present the tofu, vegetables and minced fish, but they have prepared a stew to come with it, which is able to capture the essence of the ingredients. The soup is very light, and contain subtle flavours. The main ingredients were cooked to a very soft state, especially the vegetables. The tofu is still moist and firm inside, without breaking apart. The smoothness of the tofu travels through your mouth at ease. The minced fish is cooked just right with a bouncy texture. If you observe closely, you will notice that the minced fish has different shape and sizes, which means that the restaurant mince its own fish, instead of buying already minced fish from factory.
Verdict - Tung Shing seafood restaurant has lived up to its expectation of a warm-hearted and regional restaurant. I had this meal for $398, the price was fair after you take into account five dishes, rice and beverages. Overall, it’s pretty comparable actually.
Other Info. :
By the way, this restaurant provides free daily made soup when requested and free bean curd dessert for dinner.
(The above review is the personal opinion of a user which does not represent OpenRice's point of view.)
Post
