Apr 04

Seafood Village (Temple City)

Favorite Food Entries + Food 01: San Gabriel

Peking duck was nice. But Southern Chinese seafood gourmet is still my favorite kind of Chinese cuisine. The acclaimed Seafood Village (Bei Fung Tong in Chinese) in Monterey Park opened a branch in Temple City. We got there before 6, just early enough to beat the insane crowd. They specialized in Chiu Chow Cuisine (Chiu Chow is a coastal region in Canton province specialized in seafood cuisine that emphasized on fresh and natural taste of the ingredients, with a touch of unique and complex flavors).

We saw some $$$ delicacies on menu: Abalone ($12 per. lb, each are at least 5-6 lb), and Ancient Method Shark Fin Soup for whopping $98 a bowl! There's also a Swallow nest dessert.


Bei Fung Tong Crab (Bei Fung Tong means "Wind Sheltering Port"). This is a signature Chiu Chow dish: crab stir fried with little roasted crispy garlic bits, very flavorful and crispy. It's a heavenly treat taste and texture wise~ However this is not the best dish of the night.

A delicious House Soup with broiled Fish belly, Mushroom and more (Fish Belly has no flavor but has a unique chewy texture and amazing dose of protein.). We also got a surprisingly yummy Chicken with Red dates, Gogi berries and Jelly Ear Fungus. It feels light and healthy (like a nourishment soup), but oh-so-tasty! The Fungus are richly flavored with the sauce, with just a hint of sweetness from the red dates.

Simply called Chiu Chow Fish, this is the BEST dish. The fish is very fresh, moist and deeply flavored by the broth. The taste is light and subtle at first, but then you get lured by this irresistable smokey aroma and flavor. I tried to decipher what made the broth taste so special (smell/taste like a type of Chinese sour pickled cabbage with some type of smokey bacon or ham).

The Spicy steamed Clams is the richest and strongest flavor dish of all yet still retained the fresh clam taste. The glass noodle underneath absorbed the soup and clam flavor that they taste incredible~ Chiu Chow Stir fried (a lot of items are just lazily named as Chiu Chow something^^;), a homely dish but also very good.

Their desserts are delicate. Crystal Buns: very thin and light glassy skin with custard, green tea, black sesame and red bean paste. The free complimentary final dessert Snow Fungus with Water chestnut and Ginkgo, very good.

We were expecting one or two star dishes with some sub complimentary dishes, turns out EVERY one of them are truly amazing! It's great fresh Chiu Chow cuisine that taste fresh and complex. I can't wait to go back and hopefully one day I'll get to try that $98 Shark Fin's soup. :D

Seafood Village (Bei Fung Tong)
1) 684 W. Garvey Ave. Monterey Park, CA 91754
2) 9669 Las Tunas Dr. Temple City, CA 91780

Freda | April 4, 2007 05:34 PM