Shining Garden 麥田餐廳

REVISIT POST ON SHINING GARDEN [HERE]

SECOND REVISIT POST ON SHINING GARDEN [HERE]

THIRD REVISIT POST ON SHINING GARDEN [HERE]

FOURTH REVISIT PST ON SHINING GARDEN [HERE]

On the way to dinner for Japanese, my friend and I noticed a new restaurant, Shining Garden. Shining Garden is the new replacement of Ming Dynasty which I have never visited, but have always wanted to. Walking up to the banner, my first impression, live seafood? Hmm, perhaps a newly renovated upscale Chinese restaurant. My second impression, wonton noodle and bubble tea? Maybe not so upscale after all. Giving up the option of going for Japanese, we decided to try the new restaurant. Plus, the photo of the claypot rice sausage posted outside restaurant is what sold my friend.

Upon entering the restaurant, we were greeted as well as seated by the friendly and welcoming staff. On a weeknight, there was a birthday party going on with an extended family that used up three private rooms. The restaurant's interior is spacious as well as comfortable, and booth seating arrangements are available along the far wall.

COMPLIMENTARY DAILY SOUP, PORK WITH VEGETABLES.

The soup has a flavourful, tasty, healthy as well as slightly refreshing, pork with vegetable broth which does not taste salty. Some of the ingredients in the soup are beans and dried bok choy.

1.8LB LOBSTER IN SUPREME BROTH ($11.98/LB).

The supreme broth tastes clear, rich and flavourful, definitely properly made. As for the lobster, the meat tastes more tender than usual due to the smaller size, and bouncy. By the way, I rarely say that every supreme broth tastes good, however, Shining Garden's is honestly one of the tastiest.

EGG TOFU WITH ENOKI MUSHROOM AND DRY SCALLOP ($12.80). 

The broccoli is perfectly cooked and tastes soft with a nice crunch. For the egg tofu, the tofu tastes smooth as well as soft and the exterior has a slight crisp. Moving to the sauce, it has a nice, refreshing, flavourful dry scallop taste and the dish has a generous amount of enoki mushroom as well as a bit of shredded carrot.

2 3/4LB CREAM AND BUTTER SAUCE CRAB ($9.99/LB).

Cream and butter sauce is one of those flavours when you know if it is properly made or not. The sauce tastes perfectly creamy as well as buttery and not one taste overpowers the other. As for the crab, the legs are lightly battered as well as deep fried, and tastes extremely delicious because of the flavourful sauce.

HAINAN CHICKEN, HALF ($12.80).

The free range chicken tastes tender with a nice stiffness and has a nice flavourful hainan taste. For the accompanying sauce, the ginger and green onion tastes fresh and has a perfect flavourful ginger taste.

CLAYPOT RICE SAUSAGE ($8.50).

The claypot comes with smoked chinese sausage, duck as well as pork belly, and is topped with two pieces of gai lan. In addition, the rice tastes perfectly cooked and has a flavourful smoked meat aroma. Also, I appreciate the waitress for giving us a heads up that the claypot would take a few minutes.

COMPLIMENTARY PUMPKIN TAPIOCA SOUP.

The dessert soup is served hot and tastes slightly sweet with a tasty pumpkin flavour. The soup does not have any mushy pieces of pumpkin and has a good amount of tapioca. Also, the the pumpkin tapioca does not taste watered down and has a nice rich consistency.

POSITIVES

- Friendly staff

- Above average eats and properly made dishes

- Seafood is charged right to the dot

NEGATIVES

- Could have larger sized seafood

LITTLE THINGS

- Revisit post on Shining Garden [here]

- Second revisit post on Shining Garden [here]

- Third revisit post on Shining Garden [here]

- Fourth revisit post on Shining Garden [here]

- One of the better Chinese restaurants that I have visited lately

- We thought the restaurant undercharged us for the chicken but they gave a discount without mentioning (how modest!). Ironically Cindy at Cindy's Palace, mentioned a 10% discount which was miscalculated as 1% and overcharged us for an extra 1LB of lobster. That is definitely a lesson to check the bill and not wait until you are home to question the amount you paid! LOL

- Do not even bother going to Phoenix Garden next door!

- If the restaurant is considered as only a wonton house, it is a pretty good one that serves other dishes

- Shining Garden is here to stay

Food: 4/5

Service: 3.5/5