I've really missed those classic Chinatown restaurants with their lively lobster tanks, and Tan Cang is a sight for sore eyes.
They serve that decadent dish known as the lobster noodle, their Newport Special Lobster. The "small" starts at 3 pounds, and it is pure pleasure to dig those wok-fried lobster bits out of steaming hot shells. Each morsel is coated with a most spectacular sauce. The flavor has a bit of fish, a lot of umami, and plenty of salt and pepper. They even coat and sear the inside-the-head bits, including sizable chunks of grainy red roe. Don't be squeamish, eat all the bites. The bed of noodles have a hand-pulled look, but I do wish they'd been cooked a little less. They could be a bit more al dente, especially with the seeping sauce.
Beef Loc Lac is another signature dish here, and I love these cubes of tender steak. Each chunk has a perfect crust, and the inside is so juicy. Get some rice to catch the drippings.
They were out of pea sprouts, but the Ong Choi makes a nice vegetable as well. Green and fresh, and sauteed just so, these are an essential accompaniment for their heavy, banquet-style mains.
Everyone's going sleek and modern these days, but this place still has that banquet-hall vibe where you celebrate special occasions by spinning lazy susans. It's not fancy and it's not new, but the food is old-school good, and I would never say no to a lobster here.
No comments:
Post a Comment