Yijing Lou Haixian Dashijie (Yijing Lou Seaview Seafood Restaurant)
Taiwan Lu
Cuisines: Seafood
About
Seafood doesn't get more delicious or fresh than this at this popular chain, especially when you're asked to point and choose it from the tank yourself. Ordering is supereasy here: There's no menu -- just a range of aquariums and sample dishes on display. A waiter will follow you around to write down what you want. The highlight of our meal was the fresh hualong, a lobsterlike creature without claws, prepared three ways: served raw (brought to our table with the head still moving), deep-fried with salt and pepper, or made into a rice porridge. Other highlights included youba gufa zheng qiezi (steamed eggplant), gongzhu yu (princess fish cooked in oil and steamed), and tieban heli kao dan (iron plate clams with scrambled eggs). Service is good, though comically formal -- they presented our Sprite the way a sommelier would show a bottle of wine before opening it. Make sure to book a private room facing the sea if you're at the Donghai Lu location, the best of the three.
