Tang Pavilion Chinese Restaurant at The Langham, Xintiandi, Shanghai, has been awarded three Michelin stars in Shanghai for two consecutive years, and is currently the only three-Michelin star Chinese restaurant in mainland China. The Langham, Hong Kong has been awarded three Michelin stars since 2009, and the Shanghai store is in the same vein.
The previous head chef of the restaurant was Tam Sze Yep, who has now left the company, and the new head chef is Chef Sun Wai Lun from Hong Kong. In his early years, Chef Sun worked at Maxim's and Lee Garden Restaurant in Hong Kong, and also worked at Ming Court in Hong Kong.
Fried lobster with three shallots is Tang Ge's housekeeping skill. Previously, Chef Tam went to Hong Kong to study and learn from the experience, but this dish is very different from the production of Hong Kong's Tang Court. This dish is fried first and then stir-fried at high temperatures, with shallots, shallots and onions as side dishes, Hong Kong's Tang Court is an amazing product, the lobster meat is tender and juicy, and the green onion is fragrant. However, Shanghai Tang Pavilion put his mind on the plating, and the sales were considerable, but the whole dish was completely hot, not to mention the aroma. When you take a bite, the lobster meat tightens, the sauce cools and wraps into a layer, and the plate is not even heated, a low-level mistake that makes the whole dish just look good and not delicious.
Stir-fried Wagyu beef with wild mushrooms with black pepper is recommended by the Michelin Guide in Shanghai, but it is not as expected. Wagyu beef does not have the strong aroma of being fried over high fire, it is just a plate of warm and smooth tender beef grains, the whole dish is overcolored, it looks black, the sauce is thick, and the cold plate further loses the temperature of the hot dish. Candied mushroom buckle sea cucumber is also a signature dish recommended by Michelin, but in fact, it is decent and not outstanding.
The next award-winning signature dish is here. There are two portions of money shrimp balls, which are money cakes and shrimp balls. The waiter suggested eating the money cake first, which was crispy and delicious, and was relatively greasy; The shrimp balls are seasoned with crab roe, which is fragrant and springy, and the taste is great, but after eating the money cake, the taste buds are overburdened, and the shrimp balls look very ordinary. It is recommended to do the opposite, eat the shrimp balls first, and then try the money cake. Tang Ge salted fragrant chicken is a bit like freshly cooked salted crispy chicken, with crispy skin and tender meat, and the chicken is juicy and rich, and it is worth waiting 40 minutes for the kitchen to make it fresh. The baked fresh crab cover is a high-value dish, the crab meat is dug out, mixed with cheese, onion, and white juice and stir-fried, and then refilled with the washed crab shell, smeared with egg liquid, sprinkled with thick Cheda cheese baked, the surface of the cheese after baking is slightly burnt, close to smell the milky fragrance, dig a spoonful to taste the sweet and fragrant crab, it is an elegant way to eat crab dishes.
Tang Pavilion's after-dinner dessert brought it back. The swan quicksand crisp is made in the shape of a delicate swan, with a round and full goose body, a golden puff pastry on the surface, and a few black sesame seeds embellished. Take a small bite, and the hot egg yolk pulp flows out, which is fragrant and sweet, and you have to taste it. Almond tofu is white and slightly frozen, apricot is mellow, and a little mango sauce is the finishing touch, refreshing and greasy.
Tang Court is located at The Langham, Xintiandi, Shanghai, with only 6 tables in the lobby and the rest are private rooms. Private rooms can only be ordered as a set menu, and the largest private rooms can accommodate 14-16 people. As a high-end restaurant focusing on Cantonese cuisine, the antique decoration just fits the brand concept. The decoration style with crimson and tan as the main tones is very quiet, and the fancy decorations that can be seen everywhere vaguely reveal the elegance and luxury. The service ecology is friendly and polite, and the name of the dish will be reported and the method will be explained briefly for each dish. Unfortunately, the details are not satisfactory, such as the silver-plated utensils that are a little worn and faded, and the hot towels before the meal are only changed when the dessert is savored. In addition, when dining in the hall, the waiters come and go frequently, and they have been waiting for service not far away, and the dining atmosphere is not relaxed enough, which seems deliberate and stiff. For a high-end restaurant, 16% service charge and VAT are normal, but the service is not as comfortable as a Western restaurant of the same level. Dim sum is only available for lunch, with a small selection in the evening. In addition, you can't bring your own alcohol, and the restaurant has a rich wine list. The nearby transportation is convenient, and you can drive to the meal, so it is recommended to book in advance.
Objectively speaking, the ingredients of Tangge are very careful, shrimp dumplings are filled with hand-peeled shrimp, fish soup is boiled with sea groupers, and tofu is also made by grinding soybean milk in the kitchen. Many people come to Tang Pavilion with high psychological expectations, so the possibility of disappointment is greater. If you discuss whether Tang Pavilion is good or not, the production is good, but it does not make mistakes in every dish, and the signature dishes are not exciting enough. If you want to say whether Shanghai Tang Ge is qualified enough to be the first Michelin restaurant in the mainland, it can only be said that Tang Ge is willing to admit the second, and no one dares to admit the first.
