Henry's Cuisine - Review - Alhambra - Los Angeles - The Infatuation

"This Cantonese restaurant, which looks like a midcentury tea party on the inside and autobody shop on the outside, is a love letter to shellfish (if the gold-painted crab shells on the walls and hefty two-page picture menu of seafood didn't make it obvious). You go to Henry’s to splurge. Specifically, on the House Special Vietnamese Style: a gleaming lobster that's stir-fried with fried garlic and black pepper and swimming in a sea of basil and scallions. They'll bring it out to you to admire beforehand, and it'll probably be a big one, but we guarantee you'll be thinking about getting a second one by the time you're poking around for bits of lobster at the end. photo credit: Andrew Ryce You could also get away with coming here for a smaller, more casual feast of deep-fried prawns and bite-sized pork chops and leave satisfied. Either way, you should arrive with an entourage—not only to cover the cost, which can add up quickly, but also to split the leftovers. Food Rundown House Special Vietnamese Style Lobster This is the reason that Henry's Cuisine exists, at least in our opinion. You can get noodles tossed in the sauce for an upcharge, but you're better off ordering one of the Singapore stir-fried noodles or fried rice to fill up on. photo credit: Andrew Ryce Vietnamese Style Filet Mignon A Henry's rule of thumb: if something says “Vietnamese style” on the menu, it's a wise order. This dish is like a punchier version of Chinese black pepper beef, on a bed of half-cooked onions that offers some crunch to contrast the tender beef. photo credit: Andrew Ryce Spicy Bean Curd Water Spinach Another helpful rule at Henry's: if a dish has the little spicy red pepper icon, it's going to be good. And probably not all that spicy. Here, strands of water spinach are tossed in a slightly gritty sauce with peppers and bits of tofu for a vegetable side that's a little more exciting than the usual bok choy or gai lan. photo credit: Andrew Ryce Salted Yolk Fried Shrimp You need some kind of shrimp on your table, and this dish is a fine candidate: crisp-tender and bouncy with a savory coating that's delicate and crunchy at the same time. photo credit: Andrew Ryce Singapore Curry Beef Stew Think of the richest, thickest yellow curry you can imagine. This one's probably thicker. The coconutty sauce sticks to pieces of beef shank and tendon like it doesn't want to let go, and there's enough coriander to fight through the fat. photo credit: Andrew Ryce Singapore Style Fried Vermicelli This fancier-than-usual Singapore noodle dish is spiked with curry powder and features the usual jumbo shrimp, but also big, fatty pieces of Chinese cured ham. Not a bad choice for a carb." - Andrew Ryce