Veni, Vidi, Vici – Another Victory

There’s only one place since 1989 that can claim victory. I am talking about the Cantonese restaurant Victory 胜记 in Shenzhen that has claimed victory over the more venerable Victory 炳胜 from Guangzhou.

I was so glad that I had the chance to come here for a meal before the year 2020 was over. In a business trip to Shenzhen, we managed to host a dinner party here.

Double-boiled Dried Vegetable and Pig’s Lung Soup 干菜炖猪肺汤

As you peeled beneath the dried Beijing cabbage, the soup revealed itself with sudden rush of fragrance from the clear, boiled soup. Pieces of pork ribs (which were usually not eaten because all the flavours had been boiled into the soup) and pig’s lung can be found and I would immediately pick out the lungs. They had soaked up all the flavours like a sponge. Pig’s lung is almost impossible to get in Singapore, so I always tried to order this soup if I can in Hong Kong and at Victory. I have yet to see this soup sold anywhere else.

Stewed Yellow Beef with Preserved Mustard Lettuce 酸菜焖黄牛肉

The beef is from the local yellow cow. The meat is tough and the skin is usually served together with the meat. The only way to cook them properly is slow-cooking in a stew. Together with preserved mustard lettuce, yellow wine and other condiments, the slow-cooking rendered the fats, soften the skin and made the meat fork tender. It was a very delicious casserole that can only be enjoyed with a nice bowl of steamed rice.

Boiled Shrimps 白灼基围虾

Absolutely simple dish, yet it can only be found in Guangdong Province. Marsh shrimps 基围虾 are only available live in this part of the world, and the only way to enjoy them is to simply boil them in water.

Tofu in Two Styles 煎酿养生豆腐

The first style is like the Hakka Yong Tau Foo in Singapore where the tofu is embedded with minced pork – that’s the white ones. The second style is the black tofu, where instead of soya bean, black bean is used to make the tofu giving it a more robust flavour.

The two types of tofu were stewed in a flavourful sauce made from stock and salted fish thickened with corn starch. Not for the gluten intolerant. Delicious.

Stir-Fry Yellow Clams with Ginger and Scallions 姜葱炒黄蚬

The simple way to enjoy the umami of the clams was a quick stir-fry with julienned ginger and scallions/spring onions and let the high heat make magic with the clams. If the clams are fresh and the technique perfect, you will have a very delicious plate of shellfish for your cold beer. Eat it while it’s hot.

Roe Crab Vermicelli Casserole 羔蟹粉丝煲

Not your Thai-style crab vermicelli casserole, although inspired by it. There’s none of the Thai aromatics like lemongrass or basil. Instead dried shrimps and oyster sauce took centerstage and the female roe crab did little to enhance the vermicelli. However, it was the season to have roe crabs. So you can get morsels of roe with every bite.

Steamed Oysters with Minced Garlic and Ginger 蒜蓉蒸黑沙蚝

China was not known to be cultivators of oysters that can be eaten raw, at least not the producing areas that I know of. These were oysters from Zhuhai that were cultivated under a special plan to help the local oyster farmers to increase and improve their outputs. It was recommended that we either eat them grilled or steamed. Surprising they were very succulent and delicious even when cooked. I was really surprised by the fact that cooked oysters (other than omelette) can be good.

HK Kailan with Shrimp Prawn 虾酱渚芥兰芯

The moniker referred to HK, but the kailan is from Guangdong but has always been wrongly referred to as HK Kailan because it was readily available in the SAR. Cooked inside the casserole with shrimp paste and lots of garlic. Smoky and delicious.

Steamed Rice with Lard and Thick Soy Sauce 猪油捞饭

In good old days that I did not even have the opportunity to live through, it was very rarely that folks will get meat in their staple. Even pork was rationed and so the fats that were cut off the pigs were not wasted. They were used to clarify some pork lard and these were used as a wonderful addition to steamed rice and as cooking oil. These days, the health conscious frown upon this clarified lard. Until recently, these lard are proven to be more nutritious than manufactured/blended cooking oils that it starts to make a comeback.

Fried Turtle Jelly 炸龟苓膏

OK, technically no turtle was hurt to make this dessert even though the turtle bottom shell was traditionally used. Because of their rarity, the dessert version of turtle jelly stopped using them. And yes, this is a dessert. It has cooling characteristics and is good for health. All destroyed by the deep frying.

The restaurant did not disappoint. The food was great, service has improved, and the general surrounding has gotten better too. The snakes were gone but luckily the live seafood tanks remained. Overall, still my favourite seafood place in Shenzhen.

胜记·园林酒家(荔枝公园店)
红岭中路1001号荔枝公园东门(近国信证券)
Tel：+86 722 82095333

Date Visited : Dec 2020