"Newport Tan Cang Seafood will make you rethink how lobster should be served at other places. Last week I attended a Pleasure Palate event hosted by Cecilia. I saw all the positive reviews on Yelp and realized that if I didn’t go then, it would be a long time before I would visit this place on my own since its best to visit this type of restaurant in a group. The restaurant said that it gets crowded and wanted us to be there by 6:30 PM, even though our reservation wasn’t until 7 PM. However, when we arrived, the place was almost empty. Empty enough, that the servers suggested that our party of 10 take up seating in one of their private rooms. We took them up on their offer. We were also told that all their 6 chefs were present that evening, and they encouraged us to order as many house specials as we can to take advantage of each chef’s specialty dish. I was a little irked at having to rush there from the West LA, after seeing all those empty tables, but the clean and modern decor pacified me. I could tell from my other foodie friends that we weren’t expecting the place to look so nice. Someone in our group was gracious enough to bring a bottle of wine. the corkage fee is $10. I think 2 people in our party ordered Tsing Tao beverages which cost $3.25 each. I didn’t try the wine or the Tsing Taos, so have no comment on them. They start off the dinner with a plate of complimentary fried cashews and peanuts. It was very greasy and rather unsatisfying. Good thing that appetizer was not indicative of the rest of the courses. The first dish to come was the crab and fishmaw special soup $18.95). It resembles congee, but is since it has egg whites, its very similar to your run of the mill egg flower soup. You could taste crab and the even feel the cartilage like texture of the fish maw, but the soup was a bit on the bland side. You’ll probably find yourself adding sauces and spices to it like my dinner companions did. The next dish we ordered was the Newport Lobster $15.95 per lb, so total was $75.76) – their signature dish. Definitely a different way to prepare lobster compared to American/European style establishment. Rather than broiled and served without the head, this lobster is fried in a garlic based sauce and served chop up with the head included. The lobster definitely is packed with seasoning and spices that make it a very different type of lobster most people are used to with the typical lemon butter preparation. I grabbed the head because I love the lobster guts and fat, but noticed it was mostly empty of its contents. I was wondering where all the good stuff was, and I noticed my dining companions digging in to the the vegetables that served as a garnish the lobster was placed on. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that the lobster guts and fat were mixed in. I took a bite of the veggie mix and it was delicious. Needless to say, we gobbled up all the veggie ‘garnishment’. The next course that arrived was the Black Seatrout 412 per lb, total was $39). The fish looked like it was sculpted. It was covered with a sweet and sour like sauce. I loved the crispiness texture of the skin, but the the meat was very mushy. I liked the dish, but wish that the flesh was more firm in texture. After the fish, we had the Spicy Clams $10.95). I was a bit surprised by how large the manila clams were. They normally aren’t served that large because as they get larger, clams become more tough and chewy. This was the case with this dish. It had a nice lobster like sauce with a hint of ginger, but the sauce wasn’t enough to makeup for the chewiness of the clam meat. The next dish we had was their LocLac French beef $11.95) . This dish really caught me by surprise – it was very tender and almost had a slight gamy taste to it like venison. Absolutely a stand out dish that should be always be ordered. The next dish we ordered was the Kong Pao Chicken. I wasn’t impressed by this dish. It was boring and bland compared to the other seafood and meet dishes that we ordered. Its a ‘safe’ dish to order for those with less adventurous palates. Following the chicken, was Vege Deluxe, which was mostly bok choy with some baby corn and typical veggies you see in most stir fry dishes. It was fine for what it was, but nothing I would describe as exceptional. The final dish that we ordered was the Salt and Pepper Pork Chop $9.95). It was greasy and overcooked and definitely on the salty side. I can prepare better pork chops myself at home. A side order of white rice for 10 people cost $5.00. Overall, I enjoyed the lobster, fish, and LocLac beef dishes and would order them again when I eventually return. Instead of the lobster, I would recommend trying the either the rock or Dungeness crab instead, since they would be a lot more affordable than lobster. The restaurant has a large parking lot."
