Master Kong: this is how you live the experience of eating in the paradise of Chinese snacks in Pueblo Libre

There is not a day that there is not a queue outside Master Kong. Even on Mondays, the supposedly slowest days for many restaurants, the room fills up in less than two hours and people bet on waiting to try the delicious seasoning and the different dishes that make up their menu. Advantage visited their premises, located on Av. Sucre in Pueblo Libre, and we will tell you all about this restaurant, which is committed to teaching the public the wonders of the chinese gastronomy.

In 2019 they opened the Free town, after being successful in the premises of the Center of Lima, located near the Chinatown in the Paruro shred. From the beginning they noticed the success, but then came the pandemic, and the respective quarantine, and they faced new challenges. Thus, they had to enable the local for the formats of take out and delivery, so the first floor became a dispatch area, they invested to comply with all security protocols and ventured into this new normal.

Fortunately, after completely shutting down care for a few months, they were well received even in the most difficult moments. Over time, they opened the second floor living room, complying with all the necessary care and from there they do not stop. His success tripled when influencers gastronomy and content creators such as the team of To eat and the Cholo Mena, among others, they visited their premises and the queues became longer than ever.

The salon experience

Now, let’s talk about what really interests you, the experience of enjoying your menu in the living room. Like the most traditional restaurants in dim sum (or Chinese snacks) feature a menu delivered to diners, so that they can choose and mark what dishes they want and the portions. This step is even educational, thanks to the great team of waiters and waitresses who were trained to explain the ingredients that each preparation contains. As part of their training they had to taste the entire menu, so they really know the cuisine they serve.

That is precisely what it is all about, Master Kong bet to go beyond the already known menu of a good chifa and allow diners to experience the side most traditional Chinese cuisine, tasting classics such as steamed ribs, cha siu, min pao and much more.

The perfect seasoning

If I have to confess something, it is that I am a fan of dim sum. Since I can remember my family gathers on special occasions in the Chinatown and we ventured to enjoy little-known but really delicious (and even addictive) preparations. That is why I arrived at the restaurant with great expectations and they knew how to fulfill them in their entirety.

Let’s start with the dim sum al vapor, which is the healthiest version they offer, but no less delicious for that. A classic of classics is the siu mai, a dough filled with abundant pork and prawns, whose ingredients felt fresh, the meat was juicy and the dough was cooked to perfection. One of my favorites is the me like, which is an artisan rice dough stuffed with prawns. When they told me that they prepare the bites every day, I could confirm it in the smooth texture of this dim sum, one of the most difficult to execute perfectly in my opinion.

The star of the dim sum was the siu long pao, which is a kind of dumpling stuffed with pork meat and a spectacular soup that fills the mouth and surprises with the depth of the flavor. Of course, you have to have the technique to eat it and not burn yourself. We also tested the wo tip is high, which consists of a homemade dough stuffed with pork and Chinese garlic. It is accompanied with red Chinese vinegar, which gives it a touch of perfect flavor.

A dish that attracted attention is the siu as a new style, which offers a portion of siu kao stuffed with pork and prawns, steamed and bathed in hot sauce, kion, Chinese onion and chili peppers. It is spicy, yes, but without affecting the subtle flavor of the meats.

In the fried versions we can find the special fried wontonstuffed with abundant pork and ton ku, and we were lucky enough to see how one of the cooks got ready to prepare the batch for that day. We tested the roll primavera, stuffed with vegetables cooked to perfection and a roast pork like no other. A crisp, fresh and succulent bite you cannot miss.

Other delicacies to try

Perhaps a lesser known preparation is the chin chon fan, which is a kind of cannelloni prepared with artisan rice dough and stuffed with various ingredients. We tasted the version stuffed with minced prawns and another stuffed with vegetables and they were delicious. They are really soft, with very neutral flavors and perfect to eat with soy sauce, which give them the umami touch they need.

In their letter they have ten noodle dishes chow mein type, fansi and lou ming, among others. A surprise was the sa ho fan dry sauteed with meat. The sa ho fan is a type of traditional rice noodle, served with slices of soft meat, onion and Chinese garlic in oriental sauce. The smoke was perfect, it was juicy and perfectly seasoned.

In addition, they offer various types of chaufas, classic backgroundss like chi jau kay, chicken with vegetables and ti pa kay, and specialties like mapu tofu, balsamina with meat and tausi (an acquired taste that takes time but is really healthy) and wact kay chicken, among others.

Although not many of us associate dim sum with alcoholic beverages, but rather with jasmine tea or something mild, Master Kong offers a delicious signature drinks menu that you should not stop trying. We tested the Yin Yang, a kind of frozen drink with lychee, coconut cream, vodka and red berries. They also offer the Mister Kong, with macerated green tea, coca leaf, campari, mandarin, pineapple and grapefruit. Finally there is the showy Lady Kong with pisco macerated with roses and lychee, kión syrup, tamarind juice and soda.

Min pao: the stars of the letter

Probably if you have heard of this restaurant or seen it on social networks, it is thanks to its delicious and colorful min pao. They have two two versions salads (chicken and cha siu, that is, semi sweet pork), but the real eye-catching delights are the sweet. They are a collection of min pao with animal shapes like panda, hedgehog, bear, chick, sheep and pig. They are so precious and there is so much detail in the presentation that it is even sad to eat them, but don’t worry because we did.

They not only experimented with shapes, but also with fillers. The most classic versions are oriental pastry cream or bean candy, but they have others that include strawberry cream, Chinese orange, lucuma candy, pecans, condensed milk and chocolate with peanuts. A soft and fairly neutral dough that allows the prominence of a sweet and smooth filling without being cloying. The perfect way to end this unforgettable feast.

Data

• Master Kong Lima has two stores, one in Free town (Av. Antonio José de Sucre 505) and the other in the Lima’s center (Jr. Paruro 836). They serve in the salon, take out and delivery. To learn more about orders, you can visit the website www.masterkong.pe.
• Remember that they don’t accept reservations, so it all depends on the order of arrival.
• Visit their social networks to learn more about the letter and offers they handle. Your Instagram account is @kongdimsum and on Facebook you find them as Kong.