(510) 655-3388
Parking: in parking lot
Hours: Dim Sum Lunch Mon-Fri 11 - 2:30pm, Sat 10:30am-2:30pm, Sun 10am - 2:30pm; Dinner Mon-Fri 5:30pm - 9:30pm, Sat-Sun 5pm - 9:30pm; No reservations for weekend lunch
http://www.hkeo.us/
Last Visited: January 31, 2010
Food: 4 stars
Atmosphere: 4 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $$ to $$$$
For the most part, recent visits to Hong Kong East Ocean have been for dim sum lunch, mostly because this is the best way to enjoy their view -when it's actually clear outside. Also, it's harder to order for smaller parties for dinner since you just can't eat a large quantity of food. However, over the last decade, I've been here for two wedding banquet dinners and both occasions were quite lovely.
Enter Hong Kong East Ocean and see an abudance of seafood in the tanks in the lobby. During weekends, the lobby is typically packed with patrons waiting for a table. Just past the entrance is a banquet room that is about a quarter the size of the main dining area. Cozy and quaint, this room is typically spacious, but there isn't a view. The main dining area has a ranch style layout with big columns in the middle of the room and windows all around facing the bay complete with views of the Bay Bridge and marina.
Pricing for dishes: Small $2.50, Medium $3, Large $3.50, Extra Large $4, Specials $5.75.
While the price tends to be higher than most dim sum restaurants in the Bay Area, the food quality is pretty good. Service gets three stars, but is typically a solid four stars or a dismal one star. For example, depending on where you may be sitting, you can have a lot of staff around you to take away dishes, fill your soy sauce dish, and refill your tea. However, while dining with some friends whom rarely have dim sum, we waited thirty minutes for food to arrive. This was appalling and when I checked on why it was taking so long, I learned our server forgot to put our check into the kitchen. This terrible mistake shows a lack of detail and the restaurant didn't even consider compensating any dishes or offering dessert. Once food arrived, service was good, but still, it was a terrible memory for all of us. Had it not been so late in the afternoon when all of us were starving, I would have walked out.
- Shrimp dumpling - As you can see from the photo, five shrimp dumplings are included. This is one more than what other restaurants typically serve. It also allows them to charge a premium for the dish. Great.
- Shrimp stuffed fried tofu - Four pieces of tofu are topped with shrimp paste, deep fried, and then topped with a bean sauce and scallions. Super fresh tasting.
- Pork dumpling - Four dumplings made of pork, topped with shrimp and shrimp roe are steamed in individual wrappers. Flavorful and good.
- Braised chicken feet - Standard fare, the chicken feet were good and well flavored.
- Spareribs with black bean sauce - An ample quantity of spareribs are steamed in a black bean sauce with chili peppers. Slightly spicy. Good.
- Beef balls - This came a little colder than we would have preferred, but the cilantro flavor was a nice complement to the meat. This would have been better hot.
- Sesame Balls - Deep fried and filled with lotus paste, I found the rice flour outer shell of this dessert to be a little too thick. Nice filling inside and crunchy on the outside, but it could be a thinner shell.
To provide a sampling of their banquet menu, I thought I would list the items of a typical wedding banquet. As you will see, there is a lot of seafood, and their food quality for banquet style food is surprisingly good for smaller banquets in the room in the entrance area. For larger banquets (typically they split the larger dining room in two), the quality isn't controlled quite as well, but still okay. The columns between the tables can be a hindrance to seeing the guests of honor though.
- HK East Ocean Assortment Platter (the Chinese version of cold cuts/deli cuts) - bbq pork, roasted suckling pig, jellyfish, meat slices
- Golden Crab Claws - deep fried crab claws stuffed with shrimp
- Stir-Fried Cuttlefish, Fresh Scallop with Jade Greens
- Royal Shark Fin Soup with Fresh Crab Meat - often served with chicken, the crab meat makes this delicacy even more decadent
- Braised Fresh Abalone with Sea Cucumbers
- Braised Lobster with Cream Sauce
- Spiced Tea Poached Chicken
- House Smoked Fillet of Black Cod - this is equally as good as smoked sea bass which was popular several years ago
- Fried Rice with Garlic & Seafood
- Chilled Mango Pudding
While this runs about $500 per table of ten, it's a meal that is sure to impress any of your non-vegetarian guests.
As always, when the dim sum gets cold, it's no longer as good as when it's hot. Hong Kong East Ocean typically serves very high quality dim sum with a great view. It's a place that I visit with friends since the atmosphere is hard to beat and the quality of the food is good almost every time. However, the prices for both lunch and dinner are higher than most places, and service during lunch can be hit and miss. Sometimes they are extremely attentive, and other times, you may feel ignored. Consider going on a clear day to enjoy the view.
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