Dining
as a table of two in a Cantonese restaurant can be difficult given dishes are
generally for one type of food (i.e. protein, vegetable, grain) rather than a
complete meal. T’ang Court does offer tasting menus for smaller groups, but
they’re comprised of the abalone, shark fin, and swallow’s nest offerings … love-it
or detest-it type dishes. Luckily, they do offer some items per person and even
proactively suggested changing our noodle dish to a half order to better fit
our table.
It’s
this helpful attitude that aided T’ang Court to earn and keep their three
Michelin stars. Indeed, their staff is attentive (god forbid you try to pour
your own tea), patient, and professional … qualities that are rare in other
Chinese restaurants since the customer to staff ratio is overwhelmingly high.
It’s also surprisingly calm and quiet: my husband and I were seated at a table
that in similar places would fit six and the tables were well-spaced for
privacy.
We even
received an amuse bouche, which wasn’t the typical bone broth, but rather a
fair-sized scallop. While the pastry was a bit floury at the bottom, the
seafood was sweet and meaty and the pickled vegetables a nice fresh contrast
against the deep-fried scallop. In fact, the amuse closely mirrored our dishes
to come – deep fried and roasted options that made for an indulgent meal.
You
can’t go wrong with the baked stuffed crab shell ($180 each); if you like crab
cakes, this brings it another level! Break through the crispy panko crust and
you’ll be treated to forkfuls of the crustacean mixed with bit of onion for
contrast in a light creamy sauce. It’s a fantastic dish that while priced per
person can also be shared as it’s a significant portion of seafood.
To make
the roasted suckling pig ($330) in the BBQ duo lighter, the chefs remove the
layer of pork fat (after cooking) and replaced it with a thin slice of steamed
bao, which adds a softness against the thin crackling skin and delicate tender
meat. Oh it’s good, the best roasted pork I’ve had. The duck’s meat is also
succulent and encased in golden crispy skin, but needs some plum sauce as it’s
fairly neutral tasting.
I don’t
know what we were thinking, with all the barbequed meat, we really didn’t need
half of a crispy salted chicken ($300) as well. Another tasty version of a
classic dish, the skin well-rendered and crisp, the chicken meat still moist,
and everything seasoned adequately so you don’t need any condiments.
The
Inaniwa noodles with fresh shrimp dumplings and mixed vegetables in fish soup ($130
for a half order) was a welcomed respite, the hot broth helping to cleanse the
mouth of the oilier dishes. The noodles, a thinner udon, were silky and soft
and still a sizeable bowl with the half portion. While the wontons were plump
and filled with prawns, the actual seafood didn’t taste of much. I was happy
there were vegetables included, something sorely missing from the rest of the
meal due to our haphazard ordering.
To end,
complimentary sweets consisting of a ‘pear’ made of dry pastry filled with red
bean paste and goji berry jello that could be a touch sweeter.
T’ang
Court’s dining room is of course regal and comfortable. Yet, I couldn’t help
but notice the interesting choice of artwork: directly in front of us a large
portrait of moldy strawberries.
Indeed, it could be a well-known work of art,
but while eating, the last thing I wanted to see was rotting food. Perhaps it’s
me, after all, art (not unlike food) is in the eye (or mouth) of the beholder.
Overall mark - 8 out of 10
How To Find Them
Location: Tsim Sha Tsui, Hong Kong
Address: 8 Peking Rd (Langham Hotel, 2nd floor)
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Gastro World's Grading System
- Anything under 5 - I really disliked and will never go back
- 6 - decent restaurant but I likely won't return
- 7 - decent restaurant and I will likely return
- 8 - great restaurant that I'd be happy to recommend
- 9 - fantastic restaurant that I would love to visit regularly and highly recommend
- 10 - absolute perfection!
