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| - YES. This is the simple, affordable, homestyle Chinese restaurant I've been looking for in Pittsburgh. This gem can be found in a super unimpressive box of a building in Oakland, which an interior as unadorned as the outside. My fiance pointed out that half the tables are numbered by marker drawn on the walls. During our roughly hour and a half there, he was the only Caucasian amongst the 20 or so tables that filtered in and out until another fair-skinned gentleman showed up as we were leaving. Our Pitt-graduated friends, who used to be regulars but hadn't been there for over a year, were remembered and warmly greeted with a "long time no see" in Mandarin by the owner at the door. To me, these are the type of things that signal a Chinese restaurant's authenticity cred, at least in a small, Chinatown-less city like the 'Burgh.
The four of us each ordered a dish to share family-style, which ended up being the perfect quantity for our table. We sampled a mix of authentic and Americanized dishes, including the SPARE RIBS WITH POTATO, WATER SPINACH WITH FERMENTED TOFU (comes with choice of being sautéed plainly in the wok or with the fermented tofu), BEEF AND BROCCOLI, and AMAZING CHICKEN. None of these were dishes that would ever blow my frickin' mind with its novelty, but all were unassuming, decently-prepared, fairly priced, and tasted like home. The authentic dishes, at least, are the restaurant versions of what our parents make at home.
In particular, the spare ribs suspiciously like how my dad prepares them, although he doesn't slice his potatoes with wavy edges (now a clear oversight in my upbringing). Porky, tender, amazingness. I don't often eat meat, but when I do, I want it to be SPARE RIBS, PLEASE.
The water spinach, a must-order for me at any homestyle Chinese place, was a bit overcooked, which prevented it from reaching its wonderfully crunchy potential. Luckily, I don't mind veggies cooked to death (but give me undercooked and I'll cry), and its wonderfully distinct flavor shined through, enhanced by the fermented tofu sauce. I wish there had been even more slices of jalapeno tossed in, as I appreciated the heat in an otherwise chili-less meal (a rarity for this incorrigible chili-head). And a big, heartfelt thanks to Tong's for not slapping a ridiculous $14 price tag on this $2 dish like most Chinese restaurant in town. (I love you Sichuan/Chengdu/Whatever Gourmet but your prices are laughable.)
The beef broccoli, my go-to Americanized-Chinese order, was perfect in its brown saucy-drenched goodness. It scratched the itch, hard. Aaand our Korean friend was responsible for his signature syrup-sauced fried chicken order. :) But my typically orange chicken-deploring fiance gobbled it up, so I assume it wasn't too terrible.
Our $43-ish dollar bill (also including a pot of hot tea and 2 extra bowls of rice) came out to $45 including tip if we paid cash, an option we most certainly opted for. Add in its proximity to our home, and I can certainly see us being regulars at Tong's. It's the perfect option for when I don't feel like cooking, or when I'm craving my dad's cooking, or a weekend brunch like today, orrrr basically any other occasion I can make up. Yes, I pretty much couldn't believe how satisfied I was with this cheap meal considering how not spicy it was. I am only disappointed that it took us over a year in Pittsburgh to this bastion of bare-walled happiness.
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