The meat was fresh and tender and the sauce was hot, sour, spicy and savory all at once.

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As winter fades, spring brings tender shoots, young sprouts and fresh greens.

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The locally sourced potatoes are twice fried in a healthy coating of duck fat that results in a crunchy exterior but leaves each fry's interior fresh and tender.

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Instead, they're sending fresh fish from pristine waters, tender meat of coddled lambs and untainted dairy products.

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These include The Principal, which serves creative, modern European dishes under the watchful eye of a chef who hails from the Canary Islands, steak haven Strip House, and Zhejiang Heen, which delivers lauded homestyle renditions of signature dishes such as braised pork belly and squid from Zhejiang, a coastal Chinese province south of Shanghai known for its tender, fresh seafood.

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As they get older they branch out, and foodies are on the lookout for the places that add a twist to old flavours, like making a particularly crispy oyster omelette (an egg omelette with tender fresh oysters) or using eel balls instead of fish balls in their wonton mee (noodle and wonton soup).

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