gracecheung604 | write on time: Trying the Classics at Longtail in New Westminster

Wednesday, March 16, 2016

Trying the Classics at Longtail in New Westminster

Despite all the hoopla about Longtail, I'm ashamed to say that I haven't made a trip out to New Westminster to give them a try. Well, I finally rectified that recently. Because they are a bit far for me, I made sure I was starving so I could sample as much as I could in one go. I think we made a good dent in the menu...we spent close to $80 in total, since Sherman paid, I guess the next meal overload is on me!   
Longtail 
As suggested by everyone, I had to try the Chicken Wings, which has been compared to Phnom Penh's and proclaimed just as amazing. They were delicious but aren't comparable at all. 

The ones from Phnom Penh are garlicky, salty and crispy with a deep-golden fried goodness. These ones are fried with a light crispy coating, but there the similarities end. The ones here are less fried, so lacking a bit of crunch (though they did reheat well the next day in the toaster oven), and there was a lack of garlic flavour. Also, the light sprinkle of sugar gives the wings a whole different flavour profile. 

I didn't really use the sauce since I like to keep my wings crispy but after eating the skin, I did try it with just the wing, and it did have a very pleasant tang. I can see why people say this is a "must-try".       

Longtail 
In continuing with the deep fried theme, we decided to get the Crispy Oysters with Nam Jim Sauce. These were juicy, with a nice crunchy exterior. I didn't care much for the sauce but it gave the oyster a tarty perkiness. I prefer to eat oysters raw, but this is probably the only other way I would eat it other than the Giant Oyster Pancake from Phnom Penh.
Longtail
After the two deep fried starters, we decided that something healthy would be in order...how can you go wrong with Stirfry Gailan (er, with Pork Belly). Truth be told, there wasn't a whole lot of pork belly in the dish, but its contribution was noticeable in the slightly overly oiliness to the dish. The gailan was sparkling with the pork fat, and the pork tucked within was flavourful with a nice briny saltiness. The crispy garlic chips helped too!  Longtail Now, onto the carbs! The Chinese Sausage Fried Rice is reminiscent of the Phnom Penh version, but this one had a lot more Chinese sausage. The rice was nice and loose, showcasing the hot fiery wok-styling of the kitchen. Add a fried egg to make everything creamy and you've got a definite winner. The heat from the wok was unmistakeable, even after the few minutes it took for us to take the pics. Despite the Thai cuisine being featured at Longtail, I keep finding myself comparing their dishes to a Vietnamese restaurant...I'll stop now.   Longtail Our next carb dish was the Pad Se Ew with Beef. I do love me some flat rice noodles. It's a classic Hong Kong cafe dish, however, there was a different flavour profile here...not as salty as the Chinese version, and less saucy. My biggest complaint about rice noodles usually is that they tend to be overcooked; it was the opposite here. They were slightly undercooked when I actually would have preferred it softer to serve as a complement to the beef. Nevertheless, this dish was good; this was one of the few dishes we polished off.  Longtail Let's keep going with the carb fest! We tried Mama Cheung's Laksa. This was really good. I'm not usually a fan of coconut but it was very subtle in this dish was pleasant. There was plenty seafood to make it worth the price and the noodles were a bit more well done than in the Pad Si Ew...probably because it was still cooking in the coconut broth. At $12, I'd say this is a solid lunch choice. You might even have leftovers. Longtail Okay...we're getting to the homestretch now...Our final dish was the Chiang Mai Noodles with Beef. I was so full at this point, I don't know if I had meat sweats or carb overload, but all I could do was to take a few sips of the soup, and a few bites of the noodles, the beef seemed overwhelming. The red curry broth was spicy, but not mindblowing. The noodles were better than the laksa...not sure why? And according to Sherman, the beef was tender, but I didn't actually try it myself...well, there's always next time! 

If you are ever in the area, it's definitely worth a visit. It's a casual food court atmosphere and the staff are very friendly. 

Longtail Kitchen Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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