This was my first visit to Loong Toh Yuen and the first thing I noticed was how quiet and peaceful it is. What a pleasant change from all the noise you normally have to endure in Chinese restaurants. No crashing of crockery, no shouting among the staff, no elevator music – just a relaxing retreat for a quiet dinner.
When visiting a restaurant with such an elaborate menu for the first time, it is wise to go with the manager’s recommendation, and so we let him decide for us. The first dish we had was the shrimp and avocado fritters. These crispy rolls were fried, yet light and disappeared quickly in our mouths. Next we had some cubes of angus beef and mushroom with garlic. This must’ve been the BEST and juiciest beef I’ve tasted outside of Buenos Aires! The cubes were perfectly seared, sealing the moisture inside, but they were also plump and bursting with flavour. The meat just melted in your mouth – glorious! Then followed the scallops stuffed with shrimp mash. The old habit of always eating fried food with a sweet & sour sauce made us wonder if they forgot the dip, but one bite of these juicy nuggets made us realize that there was no need for any sauce at all. The main event of the dinner was an astonishingly tasty concoction of succulent mutton with fine slices of tender mandarin fish. They were served in a broth with lotus seeds, celery and precious mushrooms. The manager recommended that we leave the mutton until last, and then finish it off together with the accompanying garlic & vinegar dip. It was a delight! (I never would’ve thought of ordering a dish that contains mutton and fish in one bowl, but this was a match made in heaven.) Last but not least, we had some veggies. The braised winter melon with skinned tomatoes and flowering cabbage was just right. We drank a German Mosel white wine (a Kabinett), which was perhaps a bit sweet, but it was light and so it went well with the food.
Overall it was a very well balanced meal, perfectly cooked – a satisfying experience. We surely will be back again.
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