David Zincavage
2004-08-03 00:56:10 UTC
The wife and I visited this one twice recently. They've got another
restaurant, serving the South Bay Chinese community, in Milpitas. It's
located in a shopping mall next to the office buildings, on the north side
of Hillsdale in Foster City. This is one of quite a few Chinese
restaurants in this area, where most customers are Chinese, and much of the
service staff is not really able to communicate in English. If you don't
speak Chinese, I'd recommend trying to get the maitre d' over to your table
to resolve the inevitable questions.
They have a reputation for dim sum, but we just came in for dinner. They do
a deep fried calamari in salty pepper appetiser, which is addictive. We
much liked the seafood soup with sizzling rice. It contained a really nice
variety of fish and scallop and shrimp, and this new-to-us form of rice
(sort of popped or puffed rice cake -- snaps, crackles, and pops in one's
soup) was a real hit. I wanted to order some sashimi'd lobster, but the
maitre d' urged me to get the Geoduck clam two ways instead. He assured me
that the Geoduck had just come in, and was really really fresh. Well, I've
often seen those bizarre looking bivalves lurking in front room tanks in
some of the harder core Chinese restaurants in these parts, but for some
reason or other, never actually tried it. I'd heard good things about the
Koi Palace's geoduck four ways, and if I could ever get in there again (my
wife objects to two hour waits for a table), I was hankering to give it a
try. Eating geoduck two ways seemed like a reasonable beginner's effort.
Well, I've got to tell you: geoduck sashimi makes it. That gross-looking
enormous clam-that-devoured-Cleveland had been sliced into delicate little
thin pieces you could practically read through. Biting into it, was like
taking a bite of the ocean. It didn't really taste like the traditional
chowder clam at all. It tasted (delicately) of essence of the sea, and was
just a little chewy. I loved the stuff. My wife was a bit skeptical, but
I did get her to try a piece. The second way was a repeat of our favored
deep fried calimari in salty pepper, just geoduck instead. Not bad, but not
the gourmet's delight that the sashimi was.
I've seen some reviews complaining that you get rude service at ABC Seafood.
I haven't found them rude myself, just seriously non-English speaking, and
unacquainted with round eye customs like ordering wine by the bottle. But,
rudeness is a good sign. There's a rule: the ruder the service (usually)
the better, and more authentic, the Chinese restaurant.
restaurant, serving the South Bay Chinese community, in Milpitas. It's
located in a shopping mall next to the office buildings, on the north side
of Hillsdale in Foster City. This is one of quite a few Chinese
restaurants in this area, where most customers are Chinese, and much of the
service staff is not really able to communicate in English. If you don't
speak Chinese, I'd recommend trying to get the maitre d' over to your table
to resolve the inevitable questions.
They have a reputation for dim sum, but we just came in for dinner. They do
a deep fried calamari in salty pepper appetiser, which is addictive. We
much liked the seafood soup with sizzling rice. It contained a really nice
variety of fish and scallop and shrimp, and this new-to-us form of rice
(sort of popped or puffed rice cake -- snaps, crackles, and pops in one's
soup) was a real hit. I wanted to order some sashimi'd lobster, but the
maitre d' urged me to get the Geoduck clam two ways instead. He assured me
that the Geoduck had just come in, and was really really fresh. Well, I've
often seen those bizarre looking bivalves lurking in front room tanks in
some of the harder core Chinese restaurants in these parts, but for some
reason or other, never actually tried it. I'd heard good things about the
Koi Palace's geoduck four ways, and if I could ever get in there again (my
wife objects to two hour waits for a table), I was hankering to give it a
try. Eating geoduck two ways seemed like a reasonable beginner's effort.
Well, I've got to tell you: geoduck sashimi makes it. That gross-looking
enormous clam-that-devoured-Cleveland had been sliced into delicate little
thin pieces you could practically read through. Biting into it, was like
taking a bite of the ocean. It didn't really taste like the traditional
chowder clam at all. It tasted (delicately) of essence of the sea, and was
just a little chewy. I loved the stuff. My wife was a bit skeptical, but
I did get her to try a piece. The second way was a repeat of our favored
deep fried calimari in salty pepper, just geoduck instead. Not bad, but not
the gourmet's delight that the sashimi was.
I've seen some reviews complaining that you get rude service at ABC Seafood.
I haven't found them rude myself, just seriously non-English speaking, and
unacquainted with round eye customs like ordering wine by the bottle. But,
rudeness is a good sign. There's a rule: the ruder the service (usually)
the better, and more authentic, the Chinese restaurant.