2010 Dec 01 A Tasty & Classy Airport Alternative: Ming Court at Langham Place
Ming Court may be a bit far from town, but just think of it this way: It’s a tasty and classy alternative to the airport food court. Take, for example, the fried grouper cooked two ways (RMB 218). Half is covered in a heavy sweet-and-sour sauce, not so unique – but the half stir-fried with mushrooms and dried shrimp roe brings out the tenderness and taste of this sea creature.
Claypot rice with dried shrimp, scallop and matsutake mushroom (RMB 128) is savory with a brilliant sauce. The joy of tiger prawns (RMB 138) is tripled when stir-fried with crab meat and soft egg whites, with cracker-crispy shrimp heads and delicate basil to add texture and fragrance. That dish pairs well with baby cabbage and fish dumplings boiled in a ginkgo-infused broth (RMB 68).
The roast meat platter (RMB 138) – a classic test of any Cantonese restaurant – manages to pass muster. Its soy-braised chicken, though plump, was bony. The BBQ pork had the right flavor but was a little tough in texture. The crackling-skin pork belly would have been close to perfect if it had been cubed instead of sliced.
But where else can you count planes while nibbling on Cantonese delicacies? The dim sum buffet (RMB 98) is a definite bargain. However, if you choose to order a la carte, as we did, skip the sticky-rice chicken (a bit dry and heavy) and the equally clunky “siew mai” (RMB 25) and BBQ pork buns (RMB 22). Go instead for the shrimp dumpling with its delicately elastic skin (RMB 32), juicy Shanghai-style crab dumplings (RMB 32), tender turnip cake cubes with XO sauce (RMB 28) and hearty steamed buns filled with runny, creamy custard (RMB 22).
Standout dishes: Tiger prawns with crab meat and egg whites (shengchai xierou haixia chaodanbai 生拆蟹肉海虾炒蛋白, claypot rice with dried shrimp, scallop and matsutake mushroom (xiagan yaozhu songrong baozaifan 虾干瑶柱松茸煲仔饭), steamed shrimp dumplings with bamboo (sunjian xianxiajiao 笋尖鲜虾饺)
Also try: Lei Garden, Lotus Garden
Ming Court 明阁
Daily 11.30am-2.30pm, 5.30-10.30pm. 2/F, Langham Place, 1 Er Jing Lu, Beijing Capital International Airport (southwest of Terminal 3), Chaoyang District (6457 5555)
朝阳区首都机场二经路1号朗豪酒店2楼 (T3航站楼西南侧)
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