Long Gong disproves anyone who says Miami has no good Chinese food - Review - Miami - The Infatuation
"Long Gong is the exceptional Chinese restaurant so many Miamians are convinced we don’t have. And to find it, you’ve got to drive about as west as humanly possible before the roads turn into alligators and mosquitoes. But both the quality and diversity of dishes make Long Gong worth the trip. photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc Pause Unmute Even a casual Wednesday lunch here feels like a birthday dinner in a banquet hall. At least a dozen of your friends can fit at one of the gargantuan, faux marble tables, equipped with a lazy susan the size of a semi-truck’s tire. The dining room doesn’t contribute much to the celebratory spirit of the meal. The only soundtrack is a Chinese news network playing in the background, and the most interesting thing to stare at (other than the food) is the steady stream of puppies emerging from the pet shop next door. So ask for a table by the windows. video credit: Julia Malavé video credit: Julia Malavé video credit: Julia Malavé Pause Unmute But the food does make Long Gong feel like a celebration. The menu is huge, and has a few Guangxi dishes we haven’t found anywhere else in Miami. Everything is gorgeously plated, and sometimes dishes arrive in bubbling cauldrons kept warm with portable grills. They’ll toss your guilin rice noodles tableside before helping you portion it out into individual bowls for the table. Long Gong is a special occasion restaurant hiding in casual clothing. And it’s a meal best enjoyed with friends—especially if those friends have also spent a lifetime looking for Miami’s very best Chinese restaurant. Food Rundown Hot Green Pepper Preserved Egg Every meal here should start with these eggs, which look like they’ve been preserved in the depths of the ocean where no natural light penetrates, while listening to a steady soundtrack of My Chemical Romance. But despite their midnight-black appearance, they contain a rainbow of flavors and textures. Each one is a combination of creamy, salty, crunchy, and gelatinous that’ll have you reaching for another before you’ve even swallowed. photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc Scallion Pancake Crisp, golden, flaky, and just what you want for mopping up messy plates. PlayMute video credit: Julia Malavé Braised Pork With Taro The jiggly pork is braised to the point where all it wants to do is disintegrate. Pop one in your mouth and grant its wish. photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc Tomato & Scrambled Egg This goes beautifully with a side of white rice, and is perfect for a solo lunch. It can also be a refreshing break between bites of rich, braised meats. photo credit: Cleveland Jennings / @eatthecanvasllc Sautéed Duck In Iron Wok This dish has two delicious lives. First, the bone-in chunks of duck arrive in a hot wok of its own juices. When you’re nearly finished with that, your server comes back armed with chicken stock, tofu, and cabbage, and turns the dish into soup to finish the meal. PlayMute video credit: Julia Malavé Guilin Rice Noodle The broth is pretty mild. The most impressive part of this bowl are the rice noodles, which are so light and bouncy that you could roll them up and substitute it for a regulation basketball in an NBA game. PlayMute video credit: Julia Malavé" - Ryan Pfeffer
