Tang Shian, Exeter
After craving a Chinese for what felt like years, my mum and I decided to seek one out in Exeter when she dropped me back. Being quite a small town, I didn’t expect much of the Chinese food scene, but was pleasantly surprised by Tang Shian- a Chinese restaurant tucked down South street off the top of the high street.
Unsurprisingly, on a Wednesday night, it wasn’t heaving, but I found it welcoming nonetheless. The waiter and waitress both wore smiles on their faces and were extremely polite when dealing with any request. The restaurant is spacious, with minimalistic but modern décor. What stood out to me was the large window spanning across the front of the restaurant, allowing customers to sit back, eat and watch the world go by.
To start with, we ordered the handmade duck spring rolls and vegetable tempura, at £6.20 and £5.50 respectively. The spring rolls were a great size and brimming with duck, and the tempura proved equally as delicious. The healthy colour of the vegetables confirmed what I thought when tasting the dish- the ingredients were fresh, and the batter wasn’t too greasy or thick as I often find with tempura. No wonder we quickly polished off both plates.
Our mains had a lot to live up to, but luckily, did not disappoint. We ordered Szechuan chicken (£7.80), Singapore noodles (£10.20) and egg fried rice (£3.20). The portions, following the trend of the mains, were very generous and the food came piping hot. The rice was your standard egg fried rice, but the noodles were gorgeous- spicy yet sweetened by the peppers and lavish with chicken, beef and prawns. The Szechuan chicken tasted more like a sweet and sour dish, but I won’t hold a grudge because it was still so tasty.
All in all, I enjoyed a great meal at Tang Shian, and know where I’ll be eating next time my craving for Chinese food hits. The prices were a bit steeper than my local Chinese back home, but given the size of the portions and quality of the ingredients, they’re still very reasonable. However, opting for the take-away menu will save you a few pounds.
Overall Rating: 7/10