We stopped in for a quick Saturday lunch without knowing anything about the restaurant. We were…read morejust wandering around, looking at the photos in the windows, and decided to give it a try.
From what I saw on the menu, I actually think this place would shine if you're ordering the more extravagant seafood dishes, you know, the ones all marked "MP." The steamed oysters, razor clams, lobster, and even the sashimi all looked fantastic. My guess is this is the kind of restaurant that's best for family-style dinners, banquets, or special occasions rather than a casual lunch.
Since we were short on time, we ordered the three dishes and a soup lunch special. After we placed our order, our server informed us that if we wanted rice, we'd have to wait about 40 minutes because it wasn't ready yet. That caught me off guard. The restaurant was already open for lunch, so I was surprised the rice wasn't ready for service. We were on our way to massage appointments afterward, so waiting wasn't an option.
We ordered the stir-fried water spinach, duck blood with chives, sweet and sour fish, and the clam and loofah soup.
The meal was okay.
The water spinach was probably the biggest disappointment. It lacked that vibrant, glossy finish you usually get from a good Chinese restaurant. It looked dull and gray. If I wanted gray water spinach, I could have made that at home.
The duck blood with chives seemed well prepared. I only ate the chives, but my mom enjoyed the duck blood and didn't have any complaints, so I'll take that as a good sign.
The sweet and sour fish was cooked properly, but it wasn't what I expected. I'm not exactly sure what I was looking for, but it definitely wasn't very sweet or very sour. I was hoping for a little more punch and balance from a dish that's usually so bold.
Overall, it was a pretty mediocre lunch. On the bright side, our server was friendly throughout the meal, and by the time we were paying the bill, the rice had finally finished cooking. She kindly packed some up for us to take home, which was a nice gesture.
I'd be willing to come back if I were looking for an elaborate Chinese seafood feast, because those market-price dishes genuinely looked impressive. But for a quick everyday lunch, this would not be my first choice.