Tung-Nam Chinese Restaurant

I've been going to Tung Nam in Brandon for as long as I can remember, dating back to the early 1980's. It is a small family-run restaurant The buffet is small, but the menu is extensive. The draw is that the food is very well prepared.

There is almost no ambience at Tung Nam, but the service is friendly & fast whether you choose take-out or dine in. Portions are pentiful, so plan to take some home.

Most of the newer Chinese restaurants in the Brandon & Riverview area seem to cook in a highly starchy white sauce with thick breading on fried items. Tung Nam is a bit more old fashioned, using light breading on fried items and a wide variety of sauces in their dishes. One of my barometers for a Chinese restaurant is to try the Dim Sum (dumplings). If the pastry is thick & doughy, I usually won't go back. Tung Nam uses a thin, light pastry (probaby a won ton skin) that does not overwhelm the filling or stick to your teeth.

Over the years, I have moved from Brandon to North Tampa, and down to Apollo Beach. And I drive past a dozen other Chinese restaurants with a smile on my face to get take out from Tung Nam. I'd rather reheat their food when I get it back to my house than eat most of the competition's food while it's still hot.