Long Gong is the exceptional Chinese restaurant so many Miamians are convinced we don’t have. And to find it, you’ve got to drive about as west as humanly possible before the roads turn into alligators and mosquitoes. But both the quality and diversity of dishes make Long Gong worth the trip. Even a casual Wednesday lunch here feels like a birthday dinner in a banquet hall. At least a dozen of your friends can fit at one of the gargantuan, faux marble tables, equipped with a lazy susan the size of a semi-truck’s tire. The dining room doesn’t contribute much to the celebratory spirit of the meal. The only soundtrack is a Chinese news network playing in the background, and the most interesting thing to stare at (other than the food) is the steady stream of puppies emerging from the pet shop next door. So ask for a table by the windows. But the food does make Long Gong feel like a celebration. The menu is huge, and has a few Guangxi dishes we haven’t found anywhere else in Miami. Everything is gorgeously plated, and sometimes dishes arrive in bubbling cauldrons kept warm with portable grills. They’ll toss your guilin rice noodles tableside before helping you portion it out into individual bowls for the table. Long Gong is a special occasion restaurant hiding in casual clothing. And it’s a meal best enjoyed with friends—especially if those friends have also spent a lifetime looking for Miami’s very best Chinese restaurant.