where jess ate

After Anthony Bourdain visited this restaurant in 2007 for an episode of No Reservations, Tung Po immediately shot up to the top of every tourists list.

Tung Po occupies a large space on the second floor of the Municipal Services Building in North Point. The restaurant is far from fancy and if I were to describe the atmosphere here in one word, it would be rowdy. The music is pumping, customers are downing beers with servers dancing to the music as they make their way around the restaurant. Most notable is Tung Po’s owner, Robby Cheung. He’s just having a blast with the customers – drinking and singing along with them to the music.

Speaking of music, they really blast it here so I don’t recommend coming if you’re sensitive to noise. Forget about hearing what the folks across the table are saying unless you feel like shouting the entire night.

If you’re planning on visiting Tung Po, I highly recommend coming with a large group. It’s a lot more fun and it allows you to try a variety of dishes. It’s always tricky coming to a Chinese restaurant in groups of two since it really limits what you’re able to try. Oh, and definitely make a reservation. Reservations are only accepted by phone between 2:30pm and 5:30pm so plan accordingly.

To join in on the fun, we ordered some beer. Our server brought over a few bottles of beer and proceeded to pour them into rice bowls. Gotta love drinking beer from rice bowls! It reminds me of the time in University when we ran out of shot glasses and started using whatever we could find in the cupboards… I recall someone taking a shot from a ladle. Those were the days!

Anyway, let’s get to the food. A must-order at Tung Po is the Wind Sand Chicken. I’m normally not a fan of this Chinese style of chicken since it’s often dry and bland but this was a game-changer. Topped with a generous amount of fried garlic, the skin was incredibly thin and crispy while the meat was moist and flavourful. Our only regret was ordering a half chicken and not a whole one!

Up next was the Deep Fried Salted Yolk Shrimp. Deep frying the entire shrimp made the shells extra crispy so you you can eat the entire shrimp – shells included. The plump shrimp were cooked well and overall, it was a solid dish. Not my personal favourite but it seemed to be a popular dish at the restaurant.   

I preferred the Deep Fried Oysters. They were fried well – not too greasy and wonderfully crispy on the outside while maintaining all the juice inside. These plump oysters were a definite hit!

We also ordered the Pork Ribs in Salad Sauce. The pork ribs were tender, meaty and sufficiently fatty. They were heavily coated in a creamy white “salad sauce” which is basically the same sauce that coats shrimp salad at Chinese restaurants. The ribs were good but not particularly memorable. 

After all the deep fried and meat-heavy dishes, I was relieved to see the Cold Vegetables arrive at our table. It consisted of cucumbers sitting in soy sauce and covered in slices of scallions and ginger. The presentation reminded me of Chinese steamed fish. The greens were light, refreshing and very much necessary.

The last dish to arrive was the Squid Ink Pasta, one of Tung Po’s signature dishes. Be warned, this pasta will make your teeth and mouth all black. You just know this will be messy as it stains all the white plates. You’ll have a good laugh seeing everyone around the table with black mouths.

The noodles were cooked to a nice al dente but I found the dish to be very one-note. I didn’t find the squid ink flavour to be very predominant but it certainly left a mark!   

Overall, we had a fun experience at Tung Po. However, if we were to strip away the lively atmosphere, the food overall didn’t wow me. It was certainly a memorable experience but not because of the food.

At a glance:

• Located on the 2nd floor of the Municipal Services Building in North Point
• Loud, lively atmosphere; the music is REALLY loud
• Reservations are recommended; call between 2:30pm and 5:30pm
• Recommend coming with a larger group
• Must order: Wind Sand Chicken
• The atmosphere was very memorable; The food was solid but it didn’t wow me

Ratings (out of 5):

• Food: 3 stars
• Service: 3 stars
• Atmosphere: 4 stars