A Brush with Celebrity Chef @ Tang Hong Kong Gourmet

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I was thrilled to receive an invitation to a food tasting session at Tang Hong Kong Gourmet from my good friend Dennis Toh. Although it was quite a rush down on from work for me on a Monday evening, the thought of being able to experience the culinary skills of a Celebrity Chef made it all worthwhile. Thankfully the restaurant was just minutes walk away from Outram MRT Station.

After a round of introduction with friendly fellow foodies seated at my table, we were all ready to start our culinary adventure! First came the choice between 2 signature drinks: Water Chestnut with Sugar Cane ($1.50) or Pink Guava ($1.50). Decided to go for the brighter coloured option which was really refreshing.

First dish served was one of the chef’s speciality – Spicy Coconut Prawn ($12.90). Crunchy golden brown prawns coated with a layer of coconut milk and diced chilli. Rather innovative starter, a definite must try for new patrons.

Next came the chef’s Special Spice Roast Duck ($25 for half portion). I love the roasted crispy skin but the meat is a little too healthy for me. I like it when there’s a little bit of oil oozing out with every bite. But that’s just me, ladies will definitely prefer this healthier version.

Pig Trotter Vinegar ($8.90) – this Chinese dish traditionally prepared for ladies undergoing post-labour has evolved to become a delicacy that everyone, including men can enjoy openly without any fear of embarrassment. Furthermore, the natural collagen of pig’s trotters helps fight visible effects of aging on the skin!

The pig’s trotters are usually moist, tender and succulent after hours of slow cooking in the sweetened black vinegar. But I personally feel that the meat here is a little too tough for my liking.

The Steam Fish Head with Chilli and Garlic Sauce ($16.90) was a lovely sight to behold! The portion was generous and I really loved the fresh, tender steamed fish meat. The fish spicy gravy goes really well with rice.

The Spicy Silver Fish ($6.90) was crunchy and highly addictive. Great finger food for hanging out with friends after the main meal.

Chicken Cutlet ($8.90) was actually not part of the food tasting menu. It was served by the thoughtful boss just to make sure that all of us leave the restaurant feeling full and well fed. You can never go too wrong with fried Chicken Cutlet especially when its hot! This dish usually served with accompanying fries.

Everyone went into trigger frenzy mode when the star of the evening made his appearance.

Introducing our friendly and talented Mr Benson Tong, chef and owner of Tang. Listeners of 100.3FM will know him better as Mr Simple, celebrity chef for ????? program airing every Tuesday at 10:30pm. He has also won Successful Entrepreneur 2010, Singapore 100 Special Commendation 2008 and other culinary competitions.

After sharing with us his entrepreneur journey and the vision behind his cooking, I quickly took the opportunity to take a shot with our amazing chef.

How can a wonderful meal end without sweet endings? We got to enjoy a sweet concoction – Double Boil Papaya with Snow Fungi ($4.60).

The presence of papaya is believed to moisten the lungs, strengthens the spleen, helps restore vital energy circulation and is good for digestion while snow fungus soothes coughs and is a good source of collagen.