Experience authentic Chinese right here in Colombo at Tang Dynasty!

Yes, I admit, we all love the sauce filled, oily, MSG loaded Sri Lankan Chinese but you do tire of it. Especially if you have MSG allergies or don’t want to feel like all that oil is solidifying in your system. Tang Dynasty down Dickman’s Road was a refreshing find especially if you like to savour some truly authentic Chinese fare.

The restaurant doesn’t have a dingy feel, instead it is well lit and very clean. The food is fresh and you can even see the water tanks where the live seafood are kept and taken for cooking. Most of the ingredients including sauces and condiments are imported from China so as to maintain the most authentic of flavours.

Keep in mind that it is still a new restaurant and the Chinese folks working there, speak very little English so always question them or the English/Sinhalese speaking staff a few time before you place your order so as to avoid any confusion. The chefs at Tang Dynasty are from the Guangdong region which is known as Canton or Kwangtung in English. Ingredients like chicken scraps, duck gizzard, chicken feet and pig’s  tongue to name a few, are favoured in this type of cuisine so if it may seem a little too adventurous for you, make sure to double check.
My meal was less adventurous in terms of ingredients but in terms of flavour it was wonderful. Subtle flavours are a highlight in cuisine from the Guangdong region as condiments and flavourings are used very minimally. The food is almost airy and light, which is a lovely experience.

We started off with what we were told is a typical soup from the region. It takes over seven hours to prepare and it is called Nourishing Soup (Rs 588). It consisted of some dried mushrooms which were not to my liking but the broth was lovely. The soup doesn’t come in a large serving dish but in individual portions. It is best enjoyed with Steamed Sweet Potato Buns (Rs 998 for a large portion). The steamed buns are, sweet, obviously but not overbearingly so while they were soft like cotton.

The next on my list for the tasting included the most divine Dumplings with Pork (Rs 998 for a large portion). They had a light crunch on the outside and were soft and on the inside with a mixture of pork, egg and what seemed like spinach. You can easily knock down at least four to five of these. Another favourite for me was the Spicy Beef (Rs 1,388 for a large portion). This dish I feel will be more favoured by Sri Lankans as it is spicy and slightly oily in comparison to the other dishes I tried.

For dessert we were offered a platter of steamed buns, deep fried buns and fried flat bread, which are delicious when dipped in condensed milk. The fried bun was similar to a doughnut in flavour while the steamed bun was soft, sticky and gooey at the same time.

Address: 75, Dickman’s Road, Colombo 5
Hours of operation: 11.30am to 2.30pm and 6 to 10pm
Email: [email protected]

By Natasha Fernandopulle
Pics by Kanishke Ganewatte