How does Chef Justin Tan’s Zhanjiang background show up in The House of Dynasties?

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Chef Justin Tan’s Zhanjiang background shows up in The House of Dynasties through distinctive local techniques and flavours tied to his hometown’s coastal cuisine.

Chef Justin Tan, from Zhanjiang in Guangdong, brings his hometown identity to The House of Dynasties through dishes that differ from the Cantonese expectations many Malaysians may have. On the plate, the restaurant’s Anpu-style poached chicken rice and Zhanjiang-style fried lobster reflect Zhanjiang’s culinary signature, while even the seasoning method for wok-fried beef points to Tan’s local roots.
The poached chicken rice is built around Zhanjiang-style “purity” and texture
The Anpu-style poached chicken rice at The House of Dynasties resembles the white-cut chicken Malaysians are familiar with, but it diverges in two clear ways. The flavour is described as extraordinarily pure, with clean chicken taste and no familiar presence of scallion and ginger, and the chicken is denser and firmer rather than slippery and supple.
Fried lobster is flavoured with Zhanjiang ferment and produces firm, savoury meat
Zhanjiang-style fried lobster is served buried under fermented black beans and garlic, which shapes a deeply savoury profile. The meat is described as startlingly firm, matching the dish’s overall texture-forward character rather than a softer bite.
Wok-fried beef uses oyster brine made in-house from Zhanjiang oysters
For wok-fried beef, Tan explains that instead of soy sauce, he uses oyster brine, made in-house and reduced down to oyster sauce. This is used to highlight a pure, savoury, briny flavour tied specifically to Zhanjiang’s famous oysters, and it is presented as a key difference in how the dish is seasoned.
Tan’s hometown influence appears as repeated, consistent “house” choices across dishes
Across the meal, Tan’s Zhanjiang identity is not limited to one item; it shows up in multiple preparations that share the same coastal-throughline of briny and fermented flavouring. The combination of Anpu-style poached chicken rice without scallion and ginger, lobster with fermented black beans and garlic, and beef seasoned with oyster brine all links the restaurant’s cooking back to Zhanjiang.

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How does Chef Justin Tan’s Zhanjiang background show up in The House of Dynasties?

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