Bennett L.
Yelp
Not sure why this restaurant has such low overall/mediocre ratings here on Yelp, but every time we go up to Seattle to visit my brother, this place is a mandatory stop for some Cantonese Chinese comfort food. Yes, we usually order the same things, but the quality, presentation, and taste are consistently excellent and delicious.
It is located in a small strip mall filled with other Asian restaurants and a 99Ranch Market. Parking is ample, and the location is convenient to get to/find along Aurora/Hwy 99. It is easy to get to from North, East, West, and South. Restaurant is very big, they have banquet tables for big parties, medium tables for 4-6 diners, and smaller tables for couples. The restaurant is big, airy, clean, and decently attractive for the price point. There are a couple of fish tanks in the corner to display the catches of the day/seafood options. The tanks can be somewhat dirty, but then again, seafood in general, especially if fresh, can be somewhat dirty and/or somewhat murky. At least it's not smelly, stinky, or unhygienic.
The service here is very good. It appears to be a family restaurant, run by extended members of a single family (I could be wrong). I see teens, young adults, adults, and older adults who all appear to be related running the operation. I assume that it's the parents who run the operation & cook, while the kids & offspring handle the more physical aspect of bussing, serving, cleaning, and waiting on patrons. It's all pretty seamless and everyone here is attentive, professional, efficient, and welcoming. I like the service here, bonus if you speak Cantonese to them, but every time we come here, there is a mixture of demographics reflecting the area including: Chinese, Anglo-Americans, even African Americans and Latino/Hispanic-Americans. I guess you can say that people from all over like Chinese food and know where to come for good Cantonese comfort food.
Food is delicious. Menu is diverse & plentiful. It is served hot, quickly, and is not overly greasy or seasoned. It is simple, good quality, and tasty. We usually opt for the simpler, comfort foods anyways, so maybe my experience is slightly skewed. But anyways, we usually eat as a party of 4-6 people, so we order a few dishes to share as a table and everything is good and delicious. We haven't tried a dish here that we do not like. We usually start off with a soup, usually some egg-flower/drop soup to warm up with and get our appetites jump-started. The broth is hot, the ingredients are fresh, and the portion is large enough for anyone to get 2-3 bowls worth if they want to. They do not skimp on the ingredients or portions here, people like to eat and we are no exception. Lots of veggies, eggs, and other ingredients in their soup, it almost tastes home-cooked, so nice on a cold & rainy night! Then we usually pick a seafood, it is a seafood restaurant, after all. We get a fish like a cod or bass and they give you the option of what size fish you want and pull that size from the tank. The fish was well-prepared, cooked just right, and offered a lot of meat on its bones, simply seasoned with oil, leeks/onions, and touch of soy sauce.
We usually get a vegetable fried rice, a chow mein noodle dish, a bok choy or broccoli dish, and a tofu dish. Everything comes out promptly, and is cooked well. They also never over season anything to be overly salty, overly spicy, or overly greasy or rich, just simple food where the flavor can really stand out and leave a good impression and satiated palate/stomach. They don't overly sauce either, to mask the taste of the food, which is nice. They even allow substitutions and alterations to the menu, when requested. They never seem offended, stubborn/unwilling/inflexible to satisfy the diner's requests and seem happy to oblige & substitute that for us. I would expect that anyone could ask for it and get it too. Everything comes out quickly, and in sensible stages, so that you aren't overwhelmed, or to crowd the table. Soup first, then starches & vegetables, then meats & proteins. Good order of delivery here. They wrap up dinner by bringing out another fresh round of hot tea and then give you a free bowl of red bean paste soup to cleanse the palate and satisfy any sweet tooth craving, this is totally free and eliminates any need to order dessert (you still can if you want to).
Overall, this is a great family-run operation. They serve great comfort-Cantonese Chinese food. The portions are great, the ingredients are fresh, the taste is simple and clean, and the experience is satisfying. Pricing for a table of six will run you about $25-30 per person for an absolute feast, not bad considering the quality of the food. It can get quite busy here, but that's always a good sign that people know where to find good food. We always come here for dinner at least 1-2x during our stays in Seattle, if I lived here, I would come every day!