Koi Palace Restaurant

Koi Palace is one of the better dim sum institutions in the bay area if you want authentic oily finger licking, grandmother’s reciepe dim sum.

Dim sum opinions are highly personal and controversial though. The links in the boards will have a wide range of opinions. Also, chefs often change so checking the most recent reports is a good idea.

Some feel It is one of the best Chinese Restaurants (period) in the US, not just dim sum restaurants.

The menu lists over 100 dim sum choices (77 of the S/M/L variety and another 28 separately priced various “specials”. There’s also a choice of 18 teas (8 “house” teas and 10 “premium” teas).

Some think it is pricy and somewhat overrated, but conced they make some mean dishes, like the gigantic crab done 2 or 3 ways, the lobsters with the yam noodles, and desserts

A few favorites mentioned in the links:suckling pig (lots of raves), hot pot, salt and pepper squid, sesame balls, shrimp & banana roll, shrimp in bean curd skin, taro/pork balls. duck ‘burrito’ (peking duck roll), bamboo pith dish, squab, rice noodle wrap with fish filet, XO fried rice noodle rolls, nilongbao, dan tat, hot and sour dumpling soup, cold abalone dish, bee’s nest taro puff, chive and shrimp dumpling, egg custard tarts, rice noodle roll stuffed with shrimp, coffee-flavored spare ribs, panfried chive dumpling, shark fin dumpling in soup, veggie bean curd roll, honey walnut prawns, chow fun, chicken with cashew nuts, dried scallop egg white fried rice (crab is moister), “Budda jumps wall”, chicken’s claw in black bean sauce, live baby abalone steamed with garlic, Japan-Fusion BBQ meat combo, king of shumai, whole crab Shanghai dumpings, lobster dumplings, honey baked sea bass, pork rib in a sweet dry rub, curry beef and tendons, fried tofu

Misses: pan fried golden oysters, vegetarian clay pot, soy sauce abalone, live abalone sashimi-style, shark’s fin soup with chicken shreds

Mixed opinions: Har gao, Peking duck

The seafood isn’t just high end, but they offer seafood in live tanks and in great variety, which you can see right in the reception area. Kids love going there, it is like an aquarium.

The Chinese name, which translates to a district/locale in Hong Kong (English is Quarry Bay, but in Chinese it is pronounced Lay Yu Moon) used to be famous for seafood.

The tea serivce is unique. Small iron cast type teapot, heated with a small flame to keep the tea hot.

Dragon beard candy is sold only on the weekends (Sat and Sun). A chef makes the candy behind a plastic window near the cashier. It’s quite interesting to watch. The technique is similar to hand-pulled noodles. A ball of sugar “dough” ends up looking like very fine long strands of hairThey come in a plastic container and cost $1 a piece. They are about the size of a mini shredded wheat, kinda small. Imagine a ball of cotten candy with a pinch of crushed nuts in the center.

Koi Palace is one of the more beautifully decorated Cantonese seafood restaurants in the Bay Area.

Even fans concede the terrible service. Not only is the wait extremely long but even once you get a table its very difficult to get service.