After reading a lot of positive reviews about Ying on the Chinese website Open Rice, I decided to check it out.
More disappointed I could not have been, and I wonder if anyone there knows the difference between an appetizer and a main course. Judging from the food in the pictures, I’d say no, because they all look like tiny appetizers to me!
I love how the Marinated Octopus only took up half of the plate, so they did some artwork on the other side just to make it look presentable.
I also got a kick out of the Tiger Prawn, served on top of tin foil on a plate three times the size. That’s supposed to be a main course portion??
It’s restaurants like Ying that always make me defend buffets. I paid $528 for that sorry collection of food, and I defy anybody to tell me that I was not far better off at Urban Kitchen where I could eaten the same kinds of things, and done so with unlimited portions.
Anyway, let’s get back to Ying. Complaints about serving sizing notwithstanding, the Fish Appetizer ($94) was greasy and oily while the Chicken Soup ($68) was ordinary at best.
The Marinated Octopus ($98) and Tiger Prawn ($108) were both masterful, and I believe I finished them in a combined six bites. Afterwards I still felt hungry but cut my losses and went somewhere else to eat. I just didn’t see the point in spending another $150 plus for something that wouldn’t fill me up anyway.
Ying is completely irrelevant unless you like wasting money. If you’re staying at Altira and want to try Cantonese food, go behind the building to Kapok Cantonese. They serve food there that’s just as good for a third of the cost, and you might even leave with a full stomach.
