Being in the restaurant business, my perspective on a dining establishment is two fold. Two questions are explored- Is the food good? And how does the overall business work? If the food is good, people will basically come back. Even if people get bad service, as long as its not outrageous, people will come back if the food is good. For example, how many times have you gone back to that Chinese Restaurant that just had ludicrous service, but the food was delicious? I know I’m guilty. But if the food is just slightly bad, then why ever go back? And then there’s the business…how profitable a restaurant is, is due to many factors, but mainly product, service, and overall efficiency of the preparation of the food equals X. Boiling Crab in Alhambra seems to have built on these two factors very well in my opinion. There is usually an hour wait during the week to eat at this place and even longer on the weekends. It is a Southern styled Vietnamese steamed seafood joint that has taken a simple concept to complete success. You basically order a bag of various weights (depending on your party) of shrimp, crab, lobster, corn, sausages, and or crayfish in its respective southern seasoning and you eat it. Yes, they literally give you a plastic bag of boiled food in the sauce you choose and you eat. So simple, so delicious, so efficient.
40 comments ↓
I think it depends on your target audience. Chinese restaurants are notorius for poor service and a general lack of cleanliness.
In fact, if a Chinese restaruant is actually clean and provides excellent service, you might even question its authenticity. Asians may not mind, but as for whites….that’s another story.
I’ve been in a kitchen at a Chinese resturant and found it utterly disgusting, but the food is so delicious, that the kitchen didn’t phase me.
I’ve never had bad service. So for me, it’s about the food. For others, it may be the presentation, or the overall ambiance of the resturant. Some people dig kareoke while eating.
You can never please everyone, but if you have your core customers, they’ll always come back for more.
omg a bag of boiled food sounds revolting, but I haven’t tried so maybe it is ok…
^^
Sung, you are right when it comes to some types of restaurants. Like for fresh, authentic stuff, I prefer good service, but I can overlook a few gaffes for great tastes at a great value. On the weekends, I waitress at a casual-dining chain (not my first choice, but it’s temporary :)) and with our older clientele, the service is actually more important than the food. Go figure, but it’s part of the brand the chain has built.
I’ve had a “boil” like this in a private home, but not in a restaurant. So when you say Southern seasoning, do you mean Southern US or Southern Vietnam?
Ok… I have nothing constructive to say about that bag of food. I will say that I am not, in any way, experimental about food… barring that time I went to New Orleans and ate alligator… NO crawdads, but the gator was just too intriguing.
My brother was a waiter for many years in 3 select and very prestigious restaurants… and I have been in a few very customer service related fields. The customer service rates as high as the food for me. I don’t want to sit there with a problem whether it is no drink or something wrong with the food for 15 to 20 minutes before someone notices I’m just sitting there looking around. But I’m also a great believer in compensating for good service.
There was that one waitress, at breakfast one morning, that, in an effort to save the tower of plates that was toppling from one hand, she tried to catch it with her other hand and wound up throwing scalding coffee in my face and hair. But that wasn’t bad service… just a tremendously bad day for the both of us. She felt so bad that I did joke with her that she was either baptizing me in the name of the coffee, the bean, and the caffienated spirit or she was trying to tell me to WAKE THE HELL UP!!! Worked. =)
I’ll put the gout and highblood pressure on hold for some that seafood any nite.
This literally made my salivate…
As a HUGE foodie I’m always looking for great places to eat when in a different city… this will have to be added to my list… Thanks!
What is with chinese restaurants partularly in my town I’ve had food poisoning, an eyelash in a spring roll, hair, a grub in my vegetarian tom yum soup, lol. Well at least we have one cafe that has awesome food and reliable, you can see into the kitchen. In the OZ capital city Canberra where my siblings live the restaurants are top class or they wouldn’t survive. My Favourite in Canberra if your ever in OZ and loaded(well I presume it’s pricy, I wasn’t the one paying at the time) is Sakura Teppanyaki restaurant. It’s like OH MY GOD? WOW! LOVE IT! ARRRHHH! They have traditional Japanese tatami mat rooms and the food was gorgeous apparently they usually allow the lobster (crayfish) to crawl across the hotplate in front of the customer. The chef at the time could tell by the way I walked that I work in hospitality hmm never had that happen before. I totally agree with you Sung as for things to look for in restaurants, I’m one of those lucky people who are suffers from attention to detail. I guess thats why the like me at work they know when they ask for a job to be done it’s going to be done immaculately. I would so love to learn Japanese and Korean cooking techniques but there are few chefs with those skills in this town apart from my boss whom has worked in Japan and is currently begging to buy all my asian cook books from me lol.
Asfor the Boiling Crab place do they do shrimp (prawns) in chilli pineapple sauce it is so yum!
Down in the South we call that Low Country Boil. And it is wonderful. I am planning a trip out to Long Beach next month and I’m alway looking for great places to dine. I will add Boiling Crab to my list.
Tony what are you trying to say about whites. Keep this in mind when you throw out about race. It will come back in bit you in the ass.
Guess what I am white and I eat chinese. Matter of fact I had it last night. I had the pepper steak, My son had the sweet n sour chic, And 6 shrimp egg rolls with duck sauce and I go there all the time. If I go in a resturant and the service is bad I kick it back at them. If you don’t know by now I have the a don’t give a fuck att. But you need to watch those statements about whites. See people get mad when it is said to them but have no promble put it out there. why is that. If you want to be treated fair, you need to do the same for others. Some of the whites you run into might have acted like that but you are putting all whites in the same cat. so who is the one not being fair. I get so sick of people sreaming racist when they are the ones putting it out there. That is uncool and and fake in my eyes.
Sorry sung. HE did not need to say about whites like that.
Finish your statement Tony. What about Whites
I love the idea food in a bag. That means I can walk with it. If I don’t feel like sitting
I am half Italian and other half cherokee. If anything I have the right to be mad as all hell. This was my land frist. The whites killed my familiy for the land. killed the men, slaved the some women and childern. Force the women to do things. Most of my familiy going back was killed or in slaved. just for this land that we call the u.s.a. Read your history book. But I don’t hate no race because of it. It was the past. Being made fun of is alot different then what happened to my people. Where was my people rights. this was our land frist and we still don’t have the same rights as others. But we are not bitching about it as much. What I am trying to say is every race has gone though some thing.
I love chinese food
Most minorities have problems along the way. It’s sad, but it’s a fact. I don’t hold any grudges toward any race at all. What happened in the past is unfortunate. We live, we learn. And we all need to learn to respect everyone.
This is not meant to ignite any kind of war of words. Maybe Tony had a bad experience. I’ve had bad experiences in a mainly white area. It’s a shame that prejudice still goes on. But I will always take the high road.
I’ve learned to be very open-minded when it comes to other cultures and their food. I’ve eaten at Japanese, Thai, Chinese restaurants and I’ve never had a bad experience. And I think that it all boils down to “your” willingness to be open and polite. You treat others the way that you want to be treated.
Whoa whoa whoa, ladies…there’s no need to get all upset…I wasn’t trying to imply anything negative about whites. What I was actually trying to say is that, speaking as an American Chinese person, it bothers me as to how dirty some Chinese restaurants are. Every time I go to Chinatown, I ask myself…damn, why are we so messy and dirty? Trash on the streets, boxes and crates all over the place, and there’s always some kind of sour or fishy smell that wafts through the air.
My dad used to have a hamburger restaurant in a white neighborhood. But I don’t think he really knew what it took to run it. I think that he ran it like a typical Chinese restaurant…that’s all he really knows (he only goes out to cheap Chinese restaurants to eat) so the place was unkept, dirty, and the service wasn’t all there. Business got worse, and worse, and worse until it went out of business…
My intent wasn’t to say that all whites are this way or that way. My intent was to say that Chinese people…some Chinese people…need to step it up a notch when it comes to cleanliness. (Is it a wonder why many Chinese patrons, the first thing they do when they sit down is to wipe their chopsticks, spoons, plates and cups?)
Anyway, I know I’m generalizing…but, I think that there’s at least some grain of truth to what I’m saying. I don’t know….maybe it’s just Chinatown that really bothers me.
Tony, I have no “ill faded” feelings toward your posts. I’m not judging you. People just have different preceptions on what people say, especially when things are typed. It’s easy to see what you want to see.
I’m a very relaxed type of person. I don’t judge.
Teresa…love your story about the waitress spilling coffee on you. Catherine, props to you for toughing it out in the hospitality industry. There are a few rewards, and it’s cool that you are committed to excellence.
I don’t hold anything agaist anyone but I get tried of people going there. Leave it out of it. Tony I have no ill feeling toward you. I just did not like the way you stated that about whites. I teach my kids that they can like anyone they want to as long as they treat you right or be friends with whoever they want. I know the chinese rest. I go to is always clean. They keep it up real well where I live. But the Mcdee’s where I live is always dirty. It is really bad in there and it is run by whites. I don’t eat there. I am very open minded to others but just because you have a bad experience with one doesn’t mean everyone is like that. Everyone is different in some kind of way. I just get tried of people always going to race is what it boils down to. That has nothing to do with nothing. If one person of a race treats you bad doesn’t mean others will. You just found the one jack a** of the bunch. But I understand where you are going now Tony. It was the way you put it up top. didn’t sound right. you will always find dirty rest. Try eating down town pittsburgh ( where I live ) you will find alot of them and rats size of kittens. even wendy’s is dirty. We have 3 rivers around the city and it brings the rats in like crazy. try walking down the street and one will run right on your foot they are not scared of people.
and Tony, Nicky Mac was not juding you. She was just putting in her input and how she was feeling about it. Which everyone has that right as people and she is right and I like her input. And that is the best thing is that we are living and learning as we go on in life and that is what makes us stronger as people. You never stop learning
Elena, thanks. Stuff happens… nothing to do but laugh.
Now this issue about whites… hmmm… I don’t think I notice the cleanliness unless a place is outrageously dirty such as things in the food or more dirty utensils than clean or has multi-legged “guests” that make an appearance or stop by my plate for a handout… then I would have to say that I might mind… just a little.
Well, I always encourage people to speak out what they’re really thinking. I think that being honest and open is extremely refreshing, in a world where people are always trying to be what they’re “supposed” to be.
Racism? Yeah, there’s probably going to be some kind of discrimination in one form or another. Hypocracy? Yup, there’s gonna be that too.
I’ve never claimed to be a saint. And I don’t think that anyone else here…anyone else PERIOD…can either. I do what I can to be a decent person, and that’s it. I’m not going to please you…I’m not going to please them…hell, I’m not even going to please myself…but I’ll give it all I’ve got, and no more.
I have no intention of putting down one race over another…no, that’s not true. In the last posts, I put down Chinese restaurants. What can you do…you really can’t talk about race issues…without talking about racial generalizations…
So…I apologize if I offended anyone. It wasn’t my intent…I think I was just expressing some frustrations I’ve had over my dad’s restaurant closing…so many years ago. (for some reason, I still have re-accuring dreams of me being in the restaurant)…
Anyway, I guess I just have some strong feelings when it comes to restaurants…almost as if I want to relive the whole experience, but do it right this time….weird…
Tony…
pretty good latest post.
I quit striving to be what I’m suppose to be decades ago… I have enough on my hands just being what I am… which is a work in progress at best… we won’t visit the “at worst” part. =)
I enjoyed my one experience. I waited for 45 minutes and ate like a King. Efficient, Unique and Tasty, though I don’t think it did anything good for my cholesterol level.
Thanks Teresa, I appreciate it. I think that learning to accept things…(the good…the bad….and the VERY VERY VERY ugly)…is one of the most important, things in life (and also, probably the most difficult).
Anyway, every day, I try to appreciate the things that I have…a nice sunny day, a place to live, health in my body, my family, my wife, my friends, money in my bank, etc…
This is a little off topic, but I just saw an advertisement for Clint Eastwood’s new film “Gran Torino”. Dude, talk about a big step for American Asian men…
Tony, Some times I even say things people don’t like. Well alot of times. I was not trying to jump on you. I just wanted your veiw and where you where going with it. Some times well most of the time I just don’t care. I speak how I feel and then some.
oh I know I am not a saint. Been lost that long ago. I have my sugar and spice sides. And fire sides.
Seen It. (gran Torino) looks good.
The more Asian men openING doors is better chance for my son to have. HE’S HALF ME HALF DADDY. Even at the asian awards they fin. said about half asians and honnored them. ( which my son is half asian). iT SHOWS HIM HE CAN DO ANYTHING HE WANTS TO
Hm…doing anything he wants to might be kind of a stretch. I think it’s a lot safer and more accurate to say that he can achieve as much as he can possibly achieve.
Saying that you can do anything you set mind on means that any failure is due to a lack of effort.
People actually have much less control of the world than they really think.
Tell him to put what he has into what he does and to always do his best. It’s the only thing he possibly can do anyway…other than that, for better or worse, you’ll just have to accept things…
Tony… I like that remark you made about control. I think most people really give themselves a hard time about things they didn’t have more control over.
The only thing I have control over is what I do and what I say… and I work hard to make sure I never lose that.
If my name is attached to something I want to make sure my best effort is in it. If you do your best, you never have anything to be ashamed of… you can always hold your head up and move forward in whatever direction you choose.
Thanks Teresa….yeah, I think that people spend far too much time focusing on things that they can’t control, rather than things that they can. They worry about what they don’t have, rather than cherishing what they do. And worse of all, they want to accept the person that they’re not, rather than the person that they are.
I can’t go and say that I never do those things…I’m not sure if anyone could either. But still…I suppose it’s just good to know that it happens, at least.
As an American living in China I can fully appreciate the lack of health codes in chinese restaurants. There are basically none here. It’s to the point where mice and rats not only don’t phase you anymore, but they are on the menu. It is all what we are custom to, in Thailand there is rat on a stick, here we eat bbq rabbit head, in Japan you can get omelets with ants and at a b-day party raw horse is a treat and once i had to eat raw sea urchin just to please my host. As westerners we may tend to think that monkey is not a delicacy but to some people in the world, sitting down to 29oz of med rare beef injected with hormones isn’t too appealing either. It’s all a matter of taste.
O M G ! !
Well… I was jonesing for an ice cream snack… glad I read that BEFORE I went out in the bad weather to get it… it would have been a wasted trip. YAK!
lol
Let’s face it… if we knew all of the “industry secrets” there are to be had… if we knew what all of the kitchens of our favorite restaurants looked like (with the exception of the kitchen of our beloved host - of course) all of us would probably go back to growing or raising our own food.
Thanks Elena, the reward at the moment is been able to work under a dedicated, happy, creative headchef who has such a positve, can do attitude and it makes work a joy rather then a misery.
Tony I suggest you watch Gordon Ramsay’s Kitchen Nightmares. And just what did you say you did for a job again was it antagoniser or thoughtless fool.
Tony, it is if you set your mind on it. Think about this if you don’t put your mind on doing great things you are not doing to and to say you will never have failure, is not living in the real world. people are going to fail. That is how we learn as people and the next time you try you are going to put your mind on it harder so you don’t fail the second time. Failure is a part of life and you can’t sugar coat it and say you are not going to fail. If you have a child you are not going to mis lead them and oh everything you do is going to work out. The safe thing to say to a child is you can do any thing if you put your mind to it. There are things you can control in you life. It kind of sounds like you gave up. If you hit rock bottom there is no where else to go but up. By the way you can control your self and what you are going to do in life or not. You can chose this path or that path it is up to you in what you do for youself.
Hey Tiffany, yeah, the term “I did my best” has been so misused by people who have failed…people that succeed never say “I did my best and I succeeded”.
No, it’s not that I’ve given up. It’s that every day, I ask myself, “am I doing all I could”? If I’m not, then I go do more. If I am, then I stop. People sometimes get really frustrated when they’ve done all they could, but it’s still not enough.
OK…all great accomplishments take work. All work takes motivation and effort(….every single day(almost))
After a week, a month, a year, 5 years…every single day…that’s a lot of work…vs…put in 100% for a week, a month, even a year….get frustrated and angry….stop and never attempt again. We’ve all been there, I’m sure.
Today, I feel good, give 100%. Tommorrow, I feel bad, give 50%. Next day, I feel better, give 80%….vs “I have to give 100% every day even when I don’t feel well…leads to frustrations, then failure.
It’s what we do EVERY SINGLE DAY that leads to great things. So how are you going to motivate yourself? By looking at the final goal and telling yourself…”man, I’m still soooo far behind”….or telling yourself…”today, I only feel 10%, so I’m gonna give 10%…I feel good about what I give so that tommorrow, I’ll keep giving.”
Trust me, speaking as someone who’s had to deal with clinical depression and chronic anxiety, this method works….unfortunately, the world is much more results oriented instead of effort oriented.
Kids have enough pressure as it is in terms of how they’re suppose to be, what they’re supposed to do, what they’re supposed to look like…just let him fulfill his ultimate potential instead of boxing him. You might even be amazed at how much he can accomplish if he’s able to give whatever he’s got…every single day…anyway, take all of this with a grain of salt.
I’ve always been very open about my bipolar and clinical depression disorders… I can relate to feeling bad one day and only giving a smaller percentage… until I see the little to poor feedback that I’m getting from others around me. When I see that the people around me are not vibing great around me, I always pull myself to a stop and realize that they aren’t getting anything from me in order to respond favorably. That always makes me feel guilty when I catch myself in that mood and I always try to “bump it up” a notch or two.
It almost always works and works on almost everyone… and when I see them responding better to me, and laughing and joking and being courteous, my mood is elevated as well.
I’m still a believer in “you get what you give”… regardless of some hard knocks. Sometimes all we can do is give it a shot, you know? I believe in that.
That’s funny, I’ve also got Bipolar. Somewhat proud of it too. Some of the most talented and created minds were “insane geniuses”.
For me, the most important relationship I worry about is with me (well, after my relationship with God). I’m at a point in life where I care very little about what most people think of me. What’s more important is how I think of myself.
Am I a success? Am I a failure? Should I really let others decide that? I’m a success, each moment of every day because I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be. I give what I can give and I’m content with that. I’m not as lucky as some who have never had to lift a finger or really know what pain and struggle is. For them, being multi-millionares or being born with perfect genetics is just a given. No, I’ve struggled, just as most people have, and to me, that’s worthy of respect and validation.
I may not have as much money to show as some millionares who were born into their money…or have the same number of gold medals as genetically prefect swimmer Michael Phelps. However, I do what I can…I’ve done what I can with what I had and that’s absolutely nothing to be ashamed of. And I don’t care what anybody else has to say about that.
OK, Thats it! You guys finely pushed me over the edge! I’m going for lobster fresh off the boat. I can only take so much talk about food before I crack! LOL
Tony that is what I said if you put your mind to it you can do any thing.That is motivation put in a simple way. I guess you didn’t understand it. when it is put simple. Trust me I never fail at things I do. You might. I don’t. Kids do have pressure that is why you state do the best you can. It take the pressure off of them. makes it alittle easyier for them. Which you are not understanding simple terms. Which that is not my fault. Everyone has some kind of issuse in a way. I get tried of people saying this is wrong or that.
I’m not quite sure how Southern you’re talking about, but I’m from New Orleans. Boiled shrimp in a plastic bag is so normal down here. =) Have you ever tried crawfish?
Italian food is better!
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