LONG TENG Seafood Restaurant - Nouvelle Chinese Cuisine Delivers Traditional Flavours

With the principle and spirit to stay truthful to its authenticity and strive to get it right, Long Teng Seafood Restaurant could well be your next best friend especially when you are craving for that “mouthfeel”, taste and aroma of Sichuan and Cantonese flavours…..mylifestylenews writes.

Finding authentic Chinese cuisine that is redolent of flavours you would find in China is not that easy in Dubai, but we think we have just the place for you. We are always delighted to find a Chinese restaurant that serves authentic dim sum, great seafood and covers the gamut of flavours from freshly cooked lobster to Foie Gras and Truffle Fried Rice, Silken Tofu……just to name a few. The joy of such food can be found at Long Teng Seafood Restaurant in Dubai and it is as close to Cantonese dim sum authenticity and Sichuan spicy dishes in true flavour that you can get.

To enjoy a true Chinese food is to savour the delight in the texture of food that is derived from the total sensory experience of eating, and “mouthfeel” (口感 kougan) is essential and inseparable from aroma and taste. As you may already realize finding authentic Chinese cuisine outside of China is not that simple – quite often you are told your food is cooked by a Chinese chef, but then you realize that they are not Chinese or are not a native of the specific cuisine from a specific region. Long Teng Seafood Restaurant has it covered.

Located in downtown Business Bay, which is not exactly a gastronomic wonderland, google map navigation is certainly handy especially when you are not familiar with the maze-like concrete jungle road system in the neighbourhood. Surprisingly, Long Teng Seafood Restaurant is easy to find once you get your bearings and the corporate looking designed glass and steel structure building belies the beautiful interior design inside.

Once you enter the foyer, the fresh bright marble flooring and an airy double height space atrium adorned with the golden spiral staircase that leads up to the upper floors dining area catches your attention right away.

The triplex ceiling height red wall to the left is illuminated by the blinking neon lights with ancient Chinese characters that symbolize the vast dimension of Chinese cooking methods and even various marinade styles that are commonly used in a typical Chinese kitchen. Start counting if that admires or intrigues your inspiration. But we were to be whisked to the fifth floor dining room where our lunch sojourn begins.

There are many elements that firmly place this as a well reputed Chinese restaurant, as they have decidedly chosen to eschew the traditional and kitsch and create a beautifully simple, minimalistic yet tasteful and eye-catching interior.

The interior design in Long Teng Seafood Restaurant did not fall short in details, as there are some dramatic highlights that is certainly not what you would expect: large metal dark bird cage light lanterns hanging in the atrium, ceramic fish swimming across an expansive wall on the upper floor main dining hall, a stunning gold mesh installation cascading down the spiral staircase (we were told that cost a fortune) and a rooftop dining room with a semi-vaulted ceiling and much more designed detailed elements to be inspired.

Dining on the 5^th level is a breath of fresh air, as it were: an internal L-shaped dining room with floor to ceiling glass windows on three sides that look onto the rooftop terrace and the surrounds of the skyscraper maze that is Business Bay.

The interior design is quite elegant with furniture featuring subtle Chinese motif embroidery, statement wooden parquet flooring, all of which is flooded with natural light and makes you feel like you are dining in a conservatory.

The layout of the dining tables gives you plenty of space and we felt like we were having a heightened dining experience as the ambience was fantastic. Not a typical touristy chinzy décor but with a lot of sophistication.

As live seafood is a prime focus, they have big fish tanks on the 2^nd and 5^th floors filled with Boston & Australian lobsters, king crab, mantis prawns and tiny prawns/shrimps and hammour (better known as grouper fish). Other regional signature Chinese traditional dishes are also not to be missed from the well-designed big menu. The service team will recommend which options to have your choice prepared and cooked to your liking.

<滋補菌皇湯 Morel Mushroom with Chicken Broth>
While soup is such an essential starter to warm our stomach, at the same time it is to open up our appetite when it comes to savoring a Chinese feast, Cantonese to be précise. Long Teng’s aromatic morel mushroom chicken broth is second to none – a clear and light broth that is so flavoursome and delightful. An absolute great kick start to the dishes to come.

<獅子頭湯 "Lion Head" Chicken Meat Ball Clear Soup>

Another clear broth that is not-to-be-missed! Light and hearty chicken broth with two well bite size tender and tasty meat balls stuffed with diced water chestnuts, mushroom and other ingredients are superb in texture and flavour. Both soups are perfectly well portioned for one person, nothing more and nothing less to delight your palate.

<雞湯小籠包 Chicken Soup Xiao Long Bao>

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<水晶鮮蝦餃 Crystal Shrimp Dumplings>
In addition to choosing the seafood, we were quite keen to start off with a few dim sum, as this is also a signature of theirs delicately crafted by their in-house chefs freshly made a-la-minute by delivering the freshest flavour.雞湯小籠包 Chicken Soup Xiao Long Bao and the 水晶鮮蝦餃 Crystal Shrimp Dumplings would be the most ideal mouth-full bites to begin with the Yum-Cha culture as a snacker. Both were delicious and the flavours were close to its authenticity and redolent of traditional Chinese dim sum as served despite our main focus is to sample their big menu.

<鮮蝦紅米長粉 Steamed Red Rice & Prawn Cheung Fun>

The red rice paste wrapping made it very eye-catching but what won us over was the crunchy inner deep-fried dough double wrapped over the fresh and delicate prawns filling that creates quite a delight in texture and well paired with the light soy dipping sauce which was poured over the red dough to soak up the flavour.

<鹽水鴨胸肉 Salted Duck Breast>
Thick slices of duck breast are well laid out in a half moon shape and garnished with edible flowers and cilantro as well as homemade spicy chili oil for dipping. The tender breast meat is not as salty as the name suggests which is a blessing but with a well-balanced hint of saltiness to savour.

<麻辣牛肉 Hot & Spicy Beef>
Sliced tender beef topped with plentiful garlic and chilli and special sauce exudes a good kick on the palate. Extremely tasty despite lacking the numbness used of Sichuan peppercorn yet quite a standout dish for the appetizer selection.

<川味口水雞 Spicy Chicken Sichuan Style>
Well presented with stacked of soft boneless chicken overly poured with the Sichuan spicy sauce. The highlight of this dish genuinely comes from its very own recipe of spicy Sichuan sauce where every chef has their very own version to salivate your palate. As the name suggests in Chinese for its pungent spiciness and numbness on the palate with each bite of the chicken that leaves you wanting more and more which made this dish so popular in demand in most Chinese restaurants. Unfortunately, Long Teng’s version failed to deliver such authentic taste and the sauce was rather uninteresting, flat and even a little sweet by not bringing out the best from such a reputable dish.

<蔥香海南雞 Steamed Chicken Hainan Style>
We gave another go by ordering another chicken appetizer dish since the previous Spicy Chicken Sichuan Style did not satisfy our palate as much as it should be. The same soft and tender boneless chicken is used and nearly the same presentation by stacking up the chicken on a bigger shallow plate, topped with aromatic shallots and ginger garlic sauce which is quite pleasant and harmony in taste. A total comfort food for all ages on the palate is delivered.

<波士頓龍蝦 Boston Lobster>
Fang Xing – one of Long Teng Seafood Restaurant’s managers took the liberty to order us the fresh catch Boston Lobster from their live aquarium tank. While seafood dining is one of their specialties and highlights in here, Fang insisted us not to miss out such a signature dish among many others and had it wok-fried with their in-house homemade secret recipe XO sauce to compliment such abundant and tender meat. It was the perfect presentation and while it was the smaller portion yet it had so much flesh to enjoy and definitely great value for money. The accompanied ingredients work-fried together with the lobster such as lily bulbs, onion and snow peas that utterly soaked up the XO sauce are another highlight for this dish. A must-order!

<避風塘瀨尿蝦 Mantis Prawn with Deep Fried Garlic, Salt & Pepper Seasoning>
Two giant mantis prawns nearly a grown adult’s arm length was deep-fried then work-fried in high heat and high speed to absorb the flavour of the accompanying ingredients and seasoning. As fresh as it tastes and best to enjoy with your hand and eventually has the last taste from your fingers licking good.

<基圍蝦 Shrimp Steamed with Garlic and Vermicelli>
Easily more than 20 pieces of butterflied prawns opened up and aligned beautifully on a large oval plate sitting on a bed of garlic soy sauce and vermicelli which is in fact glass noodles were used ideally. This small size prawns are known for thier light springy flesh with a hint of sweetness in taste and best to blanch as whole or steamed. The shrimps soaked up the entire tasty garlic soy that enhanced its flavour as well as the vermicelli, which is always the highlight for this dish.
 

<清蒸石斑 Steamed Hammour>
The hammour (grouper) is very authentic Cantonese style – perfectly steamed with ginger and dressed in light soy sauce and topped with refined julienned spring onion which is such a delight to enjoy by its own or over a bowl or steamed jasmine rice. The entire fish was beautifully presented and it is just picture perfect in every way and absolutely delicious, with the meat just falling apart at the touch of a chopstick but still firm in texture. A full score!
 

<龍騰特色牛肉 Long Teng Style Roasted Beef>

While we have done with the seafood selection, we segued to meat dishes by ordering another house specialty, Long Teng Style Roasted Beef. Instead of roasted, it is more like a braised ribs slow cooked at low temperature with special Chinese marinade. The presentation is with more than ten large, sliced pieces well placed on a large plate together with the rib bone with rather sweet and overpowering dipping sauce provided. The meat is incredibly juicy and tasty in flavour and texture, so eat as is and you will be in heaven!
 

<三杯鴨 Aromatic Braised Duck>
 As the name suggests in Chinese, it is derived from an infamous and iconic Jiangxi dish which was later made popular in Taiwan – San Bei Ji where chicken was used instead of duck for its distinctive, aromatic scents and smoky flavour. Three sole ingredients cannot do without by making this triumphant dish a champion, are the thick soy sauce, rice wine (some would substitute with sesame oil) and fresh basil leaves. Woefully, none of these had it on this duck version and not to say the duck was awfully tough and lacking in flavour (no matter which sauce it was cooked with and yet not well absorbed for its essence). Despite its generous portion, this dish did not hit the mark from our perspective.
 

<干煸四季豆 Stir-fried String Beans with Chili and Garlic>
Work-fired string beans in high heat were delicious and expertly cooked for the smoky flavour with the right amount of heat on the tongue.

 

<石鍋海鮮豆腐 Seafood & Tofu in Claypot>
A very large portion (family size) of silken tofu with diced seafood (shrimps, cuttlefish) served on a hot and sizzling iron-cast plate and topped with Japanese dried fish flakes. Watch the “dancing” tofu and fish flakes move against the high heat while it is brought to the table. This is a superb dish and the perfect comfort food.

<黑松露鵝肝炒飯 Black Truffle & Foie Gras Fried Rice>
It smelled so good when it arrived at the table and once the clay pot lid opened, it continued to wow us, as it tasted so good and the rice was perfectly cooked, fluffy and glistening grains that separated. So delicious and moreish!

<椰汁桂花糕 Osmanthus & Coconut Jelly>
Three pieces of fragrant layering Osmanthus & Coconut Jelly was ordered by another manager, Robert who insisted us to have a sweet ending after a lavish feast. This classic lighthearted dessert that freshens the palate with clean and delicious flavours does not disappoint.

<蛋撻 Egg Tarts>
These a-la-minute egg tarts may take 20 minutes to deliver to the table but is certainly worth the wait. Lightly baked with the flakiest of pastry comes with a creamy egg mixture in the centre. One of the best very best we have had in a long while.

The food in Long Teng Seafood Restaurant is cooked with passion and skill and Chinese food is predominantly to be piqued to delight your taste bud. Essentially, the authentic flavours have got to be right with every dish. To just hit the right spot with Cantonese dim sum is not easy, as a lot of care and attention is required with the cooking methods and presentations, so are many other traditional dishes from other parts of the great China regions.

The restaurant was buzzing an hour after opening which is testament to the value and quality of the food. What was not to like? Eminently, we were quite impressed with the quality of the food, the speed of service and never felt there was too big a gap or too much came at once as we requested to only bring three dishes at a time which was observed. Long Teng Seafood Restaurant is truly an absolute gem if you are in search of that authentic Chinese flavour especially in this region or just Dubai alone. With the inherited traditional dishes, they strive to deliver the most desirable flavours to satisfy your home food cravings with a nouvelle touch. They have nailed it!

Tried & Tested:

Location: 4/5
Design & Decor: 5/5
Food & Beverage: 4/5
Service: 4/5
Value For Money: 4.5/5
Experience: 4.5/5
 

LONG TENG Seafood Restaurant

Ground Floor, U-bora Towers,

Building #3, Al Abraj Street,

Business Bay, Dubai

United Arab Emirates

Tel: +971 04 241 1666

Reviews are based on actual day of visit and experience. mylifestylenews reserves the right of final decision in case of any disputes. All images are photographed by mylifestylenews team without any photoshop enhancement and are the property owned by mylifestylenews unless otherwise stated.