1625 El Camino Real #9, Belmont CA 94002
(650) 595-0228
Parking: parking lot
Hours: Tues-Sun11am-2:30pm, 4pm-8:30pm; Closed Mondays
Last Visited: March 22, 2025
Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 2 to 3 stars
Service: 2 to 3 stars
Price: $$
I had heard about Blue Sky Cafe for a while now and had never made the trip to check it out. Friends had told me the food ws good, and the clay pot rice was the thing to get.
I arrived on a Saturday just after 5pm and there was already a line outside the door. It would be super easy to drive past this small office complex without a second look, but there were folks standing around the entrance which made it easy to spot. I peeked inside and there was an iPad to enter our name and party size. On this sunny afternoon, the name was quite fitting - it was a blue sky day and warm for March. An hour later, we were seated.
Inside, the decor does not seem like that of a typical Chinese restaurant. In addition to the television, which does seem typical for a Chinese place, there are pictures of lighthouses, dolphins, and beach scenes. The space is a bit overcrowded with tables once folks are seated and it gets noisy. The menu includes typical Cantonese stir fry dishes, wonton noodles, and porridge. Lunch combination sets are also available if you like Hong Kong style Chinese food or the regular lunch plate with rice.
Of course, I had to go with one of their clay pot rice. They have seven to choose from; most are typical of what you see on other menus, but they have one unique offering that I haven't seen - Yellow Eel Clay Pot Rice. Pricing for this one is higher than the others, but that makes sense given that it's not as easy to source.
- Spareribs with Black Bean Sauce Rice in Clay Pot - The menu says that clay pot rice takes 30 minutes, and ours took closer to 45 minutes as the restaurant was completely full, in addition to many takeout orders being received. They brought it without the soy sauce (which is typically poured over the rice), and when we asked for the soy sauce, the waiter said he would bring us some right away. A few minutes later, we saw that he was busy so we flagged down the waitress, but she didn't seem to believe us that we didn't receive it. She looked all around the table for the serving container (stainless syrup container like you would use for pancakes) and finally provided us with some. The edges of the rice were slightly crispy, but not as much as it should be. The flavors were on point and the dish is served with a few stalks of yau choy. Good, but not the best we've had. The best clay pot rice has cooked the rice so that it's golden on the bottom and you get a layer of slightly crispy rice. You can eat it as is or traditionally, you pour tea over that crispy rice and scrape it away from the bottom. In the spirit of the Great British Bakeoff, not a soggy bottom, but no crispy bottom here. One would have to go again to check whether this experience is consistent with their regular quality. Small $17.95, Large $33.95
- Beef with Chinese Broccoli - This was another solid dish, but it came out 30 minutes after ordering. Wait times were just so long this evening. The beef is tender, the carrots add color, and the Chinese broccoli was fresh. A few mushroom (canned) are sprinkled amongst the dish. Solid flavors and fresh food - can't really go wrong ordering this one. Good portion considering the price. $13.95
In short, the food is good and the prices are very affordable; I would definitely eat their food again. However, the wait time is much too long to make the trek worthwhile for me as there are a lot of good Chinese restaurants that serve similar fare. A better clay pot rice is offered not too far away with a crispy golden bottom. Takeout would be the best option if you want to check it out. Online ordering is available through their website. Restrooms are located in the adjacent building and require a key.
