Destination Seafood House - Westminster

Quite the destination for all sorts of shellfish. 

Don’t be selfish, share the shellfish. The Five Spices Grilled Platter comes sizzling hot with four of everything, best for two to share. 

The corn is the best thing on this plate - that buttery scallion topping really hits. The whelks are chewy, both by nature and by preparation so they won’t be to everyone’s taste. The clams are a bit dry, but the razor clams and mussels are tender. There’s a smothering of garlicky sauce in every shell, and overall this big plate lands well.

The Garlic Roasted Lobster with Noodles is stunning to see, but the lobster is tough from bring overcooked, and I suspect the dry garlic chips also stole some moisture. The garlic noodles beneath, however, are exceptional, with a buttery and pungently sweet finish. 

Shaken Beef is a landlubber option if you want the garlic noodles without the seafood, but the beef, although tender, could be better seasoned so you’d do better to just get just noodles for a fraction of the price. 

Not bad overall, a lot of fun for seafood fans. Not cheap but still reasonably priced - seafood just isn’t cheap. I liked it but I didn’t love it, mostly due to a fair amount of overcooking. I wouldn’t recommend against it, but I would also try some other places in the area before I decide how this one ranks. 

Tan Cang Newport Seafood - Santa Ana

I've really missed those classic Chinatown restaurants with their lively lobster tanks, and Tan Cang is a sight for sore eyes. 

They serve that decadent dish known as the lobster noodle, their Newport Special Lobster. The "small" starts at 3 pounds, and it is pure pleasure to dig those wok-fried lobster bits out of steaming hot shells. Each morsel is coated with a most spectacular sauce. The flavor has a bit of fish, a lot of umami, and plenty of salt and pepper. They even coat and sear the inside-the-head bits, including sizable chunks of grainy red roe. Don't be squeamish, eat all the bites. The bed of noodles have a hand-pulled look, but I do wish they'd been cooked a little less. They could be a bit more al dente, especially with the seeping sauce. 

Beef Loc Lac is another signature dish here, and I love these cubes of tender steak. Each chunk has a perfect crust, and the inside is so juicy. Get some rice to catch the drippings. 

They were out of pea sprouts, but the Ong Choi makes a nice vegetable as well. Green and fresh, and sauteed just so, these are an essential accompaniment for their heavy, banquet-style mains. 

Everyone's going sleek and modern these days, but this place still has that banquet-hall vibe where you celebrate special occasions by spinning lazy susans. It's not fancy and it's not new, but the food is old-school good, and I would never say no to a lobster here.