This place feels like home.
I'm Chinese and I've grown up on Chinese food, so I think I have a relatively sensible palate when it comes to judging food deemed Chinese. Fortunately, Long Fang indeed provides authentic Chinese food, usually between 4-6 quids a meal. I usually get the mapo tofu (spicy tofu) with rice or braised beef with rice, and on hungrier days, I also order a soup for an additional 2 quids (usually wonton soup for me) and a sweet warm taro tapioca dessert (or the warm red bean dessert) for another 2 quids. Since I'm a smaller-framed girl, their meals are usually big enough for me to split into two portions (so I save the leftovers for the next evening).
If there's something specific you want but you can't find it on the menu, just describe to them what you want and they can most likely make it. If you're not quite sure of what you want, they can make suggestions that fit what you normally like to eat. They do have all the other stock you can't typically find in small Chinese diners/takeaways, such as zong zi (Chinese sticky rice "tamales" wrapped in bamboo leaves), Guilin noodles (noodles from the province of Guilin), ba bao fan ("eight treasure rice" that can be eaten as dessert and has medicinal purposes), and much more.
This is set up more like a takeaway, but I usually eat there; they have two tables inside with four seats each in addition to windowsill benches. There's always TV playing in the background, typically of a 90s Chinese film that brings me back to my childhood (e.g. Jet Li and Jackie Chan films before they were exported to Hollywood). Given I've only moved to Cardiff for two months, this place certainly gives me a sense of home. A lot of fellow overseas Chinese-speaking students also eat or buy takeaway from here.
The couple who owns the place is very nice and hardworking--they typically open every day from noon to midnight, or until there are no more customers in the night. Since I live ten minutes away from the restaurant, I usually call them to place an order and eat there upon my arrival; they also do free deliveries. read more