Review: China Tang
China Tang is an upmarket Chinese restaurant, but sure, what else would you expect in Monkstown. It comes from the same owners as casual spots Hakkahan and Little Dumpling (a personal favourite) and the more upscale Nan Chinese.
Walking through the glass door and marbled interior, I’m immediately getting Dynasty vibes. With a mirror ceiling that amplifies the room and low lighting, this spot is making a statement.
Impressive red circular booths with tables covered in white linen fill the centre of the room, but the row of small uncovered tables where we are seated is decidedly less impressive. Located along the route from the kitchen, they feel like the economy seats towards the rear of the plane, staring at the passengers in business class.
The menu is a blocky affair that I struggle to fit across the cutlery on the table. It starts with a range of dim sum and congee dishes, then the impressive signature roast Peking duck (€88 and requires ordering in advance). The rest of the menu wanders through Cantonese, Hunan, Sichuan and other Chinese cuisines with main courses ranging from €22 to €45. In a nice touch, steamed or fried rice is included.
I spy one of my favourite dishes, turnip cake, on the dim sum menu, flavoured here with dried ham and XO sauce (€8.50). For those a bit apprehensive at the thought of turnip, this isn’t your standard Irish variety. The Chinese version is more elongated, closer to a daikon, and comes perfectly cooked. But I find it overall a bit flavourless and the accompanying melange of mixed diced peppers feels out of place.
A steaming basket of three xiao long bao, or soup dumplings is a much better affair (€14). Just like their cousins at sister restaurant Nan in town, these are filled with a fragrant pork broth and a chewy (in a good way) crab filling.
If, like me, you’re not organised enough to order the signature roast duck in advance, fear not, there are smaller versions available. The BBQ Roasted Platter (€26) is a great way to sample the different BBQ meats of duck, roast pork belly and honey glazed char siu pork, and comes with little dishes of both a tart plum sauce and hoisin sauce. It’s a solid meaty affair, representing some very good tasty value.
Sichuan stir-fried green beans (€18) have a pleasant smoky flavour, flavoured well with garlic, chilis and Sichuan pickles. It’s a really good example of this Sichuan classic and we happily pile the beans on top of our rice bowls.
Deep-fried diced chicken with Sichuan dried chilies (€22), also known as La Zi Ji, or Chongqing chicken, is another of my favourite Sichuan dishes. In fact, I order it pretty much every time I go to a Sichuan restaurant, and I like to think I know where the best versions are to be found in town. The China Tang version is decent but not amazing, with zingy Sichuan peppercorns lurking amongst the crispy chicken bits. Overall, I find it a little dry, lacking the little puddle of fragrant oil that often gathers underneath, which is perfect for bathing over rice.
One point to note. Our small table struggles to hold our three main dishes, plus rice, glasses, cutlery and assorted bibs and bobs. At this stage, I really am gazing longingly at the bigger centre tables and their luxuriant space. I also have to ask for chopsticks and a bowl, as the table comes set with knife and fork only.
As it’s a Sunday lunchtime, we take it easy on the wine, ordering two glasses of the Sao Miguel, a blend of Viognier, Encruzado and Antão Vaz from Portugal. At €7.50 a glass, it’s very decent and nicely crisp against the spicy flavours.
All in, we spend just over €100, which doesn’t feel bad these days, though obviously if we’d had a bottle of wine or cocktails, it would have been higher. But as someone who lives in the city centre with easy access to the multitude of good Chinese restaurants around Parnell Street and Capel Street, I just don’t feel enough draw or specialness to warrant a return trip to Monkstown. Local residents however will probably be delighted to have authentic Chinese food available in the neighbourhood.