The Weekly Eater: Yong’s Kitchen feeds the Cantonese soul

These days everyone seems to be on a ketogenic diet, high in fat and low in carbohydrates to help turn the body into a 24-7 fat-burning machine.

Keto be damned. I wasn’t a big carb fan even before the current diet fad. I can go without bread, pastries, rice and ramen for weeks on end. But when I saw e-mein being delivered to tables at Yong’s Kitchen, I had to have it.

I recently heard a discussion about the misconception of “soul food” as a reference to African-American cuisine, when it is really about all cooking that comes from the soul. For me, many of the dishes at Yong’s are just that, Cantonese soul food. This is the comfort food I grew up with, but I don’t think you have to be of Chinese ancestry to appreciate these dishes that come across as humble, sustaining and delicious.

If the food seems familiar, it’s because owner Cuong “Yong” Hinh was a partner in the popular Moon Garden restaurant on Vineyard Boulevard, before opening this restaurant in the heart of Chinatown. From first bite, it was clear Yong’s is several notches above most Cantonese restaurants in town.

E-mein was just the starting point, and what a way to begin. It was a constant presence at banquet tables and celebrations while I was growing up because the ribbons of golden yellow egg noodles are associated with long life. But because they were being served in mass quantities, the noodles were often soggy and flavorless. That’s not the case here, where, as modest as these wok-boiled and stir-fried noodles are, e-mein with seafood and vegetables ($13.95) was a main attraction, right up there with what we’d usually consider entrees. As much as I try to avoid carbs, I kept refilling my plate.

Before you even set foot in the door you need to do some planning. In the interest of freshness and preventing waste, a handful of the restaurant’s specialties are available only with a day’s notice. These includes Dungeness crab and lobster stir-fries (market price), whole fish, taro and stuffed duck ($39.95 each), and honey BBQ spareribs ($24).

Taro duck is in short supply in the islands so was a rare treat. Somehow the alchemy of hot oil, taro, wheat flour and potato starch creates a fine crisp and flaky crust so satisfying when combined with the tender duck meat layered with creamy taro. There’s a push for healthier food here, so reduced oil and salt content is noticeable in a lot of dishes like this one, which I think is a good thing. Others may feel the need to add a bit of table salt.

Taro duck is typically a special occasion dish, but just making time to spend with family and friends can be special in itself.

For those who fail to order ahead, there’s still a lot to enjoy on the daily menu. Most popular are the Cantonese standard of kau yuk (roast pork belly) interspersed with slices of taro ($13.95), and salt and pepper deep-fried pork chops ($11.95). These were notably more tender and juicy than at other establishments, where the meat has a tendency to be tough and dry. The same style of preparation applies to quail, at $3.95 per two pieces.

Even a dish of spicy eggplant ($11.95) features thin slices of pork instead of the usual negligible amounts of ground pork used elsewhere.

A half tea-smoked duck ($13.95) was one of my favorites at Moon Garden and the same goes here, the crisp-skinned duck bearing a light touch of smoke.

Seafood lovers might gravitate to a stir-fry of oysters ($13.95) with ginger and green onions. There are only four oysters in the dish, but they are so rich, a single oyster goes a long way.

Other soup noodle, rice dishes and hot pot casseroles complete a menu worthy of much more exploration.

Nadine Kam’s restaurant reviews are conducted anonymously and paid for by the Star-Advertiser. Reach her at nkam@staradvertiser.com.