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PPQ Dungeness Island
Categories: Restaurants Seafood Restaurants Vietnamese Seafood, Vietnamese [Edit]
2332 Clement St(between 24th Ave & 25th Ave)
San Francisco, CA 94121
Neighborhood: Outer Richmond
(415) 386-8266
- Hours:
Mon, Wed-Sun 11 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Street
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Takes Reservations:
- Yes
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
1545 reviews for PPQ Dungeness Island
Review Highlights
"The garlic noodles were absolutely delicious."
(in 1092 reviews)
"The peppercorn crab was soooooo good."
(in 297 reviews)
"The fried banana ice cream is delicious too."
(in 104 reviews)
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1545 reviews in English
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Review from Andrew W.
Finally after months of waiting, I finally get to try the goodness that is PPQ Dungeness Island. Had to wait for over an hour to get a table and the food took another hour to get to us, but it was a crab-licious meal.
Ordered the dinner menu set for 2. For $54.95 you get four imperial rolls, cabbage salad with chicken, roasted crab (opted for the peppercorn crab for no additional cost), garlic noodles, and deep fried banana with coconut ice cream for dessert. This dinner menu for two, fed a hungry three. My mouth is watering just typing the words "garlic noodles" and "peppercorn crab." Luckily, I distracted the two other table members, so I could steal the last of the garlic noodles and peppercorn crab. Now, I wonder how Thanh Long compares.
What I recommend:
-- Come in a pair and order the dinner for two. This way you can hog more of the noodle and crab. -
Review from Marilyn L.
San Francisco, CA
2/6/2012
Came here for the first time during lunch hour the other day. I'm a little ashamed because i've lived up the street from them for the X amount of years they've been around. You would understand though, seeing as though this place is always so crowded at night! There's something about being hungry and waiting for food that is too much of a torturous experience for me. You should see me during those hours, "Marilyn hungry! Marilyn want eat NOW!"
However, after my recent experience with PPQ, I can understand why people are willing to be so patient. Their food was pretty good.
What I ordered:
Garlic Noodles - DEAR GAWD, THAT WAS GOOD! nuff said.
Shrimp Papaya Salad - Light, with just the right amount of flavor in the vinegar dressing
Hot and Sour Soup with Catfish - yum! not too sour (which is good because most places either make this extremely bland or way too sour) and a little hint of a spicy kick. Kinda lacking in the catfish area but I suppose that's because we ordered a small?
Shrimp Rolls - Meh, nothing special. Pretty much came out as expected.
Overall, the food was delicious. I didn't get a chance to try the crab but I'll definitely be back for that! -
Review from Tina A.
San Francisco, CA
2/6/2012
took my staff of 11 here for dinner, and ordered the pre-set menu for 10 guests
the good:
- food comes out fast
- papaya salad
- garlic noodles
- string beans
- fried banana with ice cream
- they can speak english
- the tender fish
the alright:
- the grilled chicken
the not so great
- the not-so-fresh crabs... unfortunately
they tacked on 18% tip automatically, however the bill still came out to be a reasonable price considering how many people were stuffed full at the end of the night. i can only dock 1 star for the dissapointment in the old crab -
Review from Rachel Z.
San Francisco, CA
As the name suggests, this place is all about the crab. Fresh, fragrant, covered with garlic and pepper. It was so good that when it was served, the whole table went quiet for about 5 minutes and everyone was just busy working on the crab. The portion is fairly large, consider sharing one between 2, 3 people.
Also don't miss out on the garlic noodle. It's not the healthiest thing you could have, so watch how much you eat if you still care about your new year resolution ;) However, for me it was worth gaining a few pounds for.
Be prepared to get your hands dirty here. Great place for friends, not so much for first dates. -
Review from Janelle F.
San Francisco, CA
2/3/2012 1 Check-in Here
So fresh and so delicious! We ordered Papaya Salad w/ Shrimp, Veggie Summer Rolls, Garlic noodles, Peppercorn prawns, braised green beans, and 2 crabs...Spicy (lightly fried with medium spice) and Roasted (garlic & butter). This fed 5 people and was only $40 pp including tip (plus we had a beer each!)
Why go to stuffy R&G when you can don plastic bibs, eat quality seafood, AND pay less?? -
Review from Jey L.
San Jose, CA
2/2/2012 1 Check-in Here
Yes the food was pretty good. But im thinking it was because i was MAD starving from the traffic coming from south bay.
The crab was more on the salty side. Garlic noodles were good. but what was my most favorited part of the whole meal?!?!!? THE CAT FISH SOUP!!!!!!!! -
Review from STEVE L.
San Francisco, CA
2/3/2012
Ate here for lunch this past Sunday. The wife and I had some pho. The soup was pretty good. The five spice chick was really good. I wish they'd have given me more though. I'm a little on the big side so I usually need a little more to satisfy me.
One day we may come back to try what they're know for...the garlic noodles and crab. -
Review from Christopher W.
Oakland, CA
2/8/2012
Went here with a bunch of friends, after one of them recommended it. We got the 10 person meal, and every dish was great! We had 3 crabs, a plate of bbq pork, plate of bbq chicken, shrimp salad, sea bass, garlic noodles, fried calamari, and fried bananas for desert. Total price came to be about 300 dollars. Needless to say, we all came out stuffed. My only complaint was that the service was a little hard to get a hold of, but other than that it, it was well worth it.
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Review from Danny L.
Updated - 1/18/2012 1 Check-in Here
God, I love this place! Definitely one of my favorites when it comes to crabs.....
Imagine my disappointment when I heard my wife was going there without me?!
Her exact words were "Me and the girls are going out to get crabs". =P Usually, this phrase would sound a bit disturbing but not for me.... I love crabs! In fact, I had the wifey order an entire crab and garlic noodles to go so I can share the experience of these tantalizing crabs.
And yes, I devoured the crab and garlic noodles the next day and it was ABSOLUTELY divine!1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/24/2011
I love crabs! Especially when they're dungeness and from PPQ! Their crabs are savory, rich in… Read more »
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Review from Cicely T.
San Francisco, CA
1/17/2012
Last night was my second time to PPQ in just as many months.
What I usually get:
1. Reservations - this place is always packed. Most places don't take reservations anymore, but this place does, so do it!
2. Peppercorn chicken wings - moist and juicy on the inside, delish dried and fried and seasoned with pepper, garlic, onions on the outside. Pretty large portion for 1 order, I would say close to 8-10 wings. Not your original wing stop or kfc wings either. These things are huge!! - (yes, 'that IS what she said')
3. Peppercorn crab - you are thinking, peppercorn-flavor again? and yes, again. It has a much different taste on crab, but equally as delicious. It says 'seasonal' price on the menu which is kinda scary but both times I went, it was $40. Not saying it will always be that cost, but I dont expect you to go and have to pay an arm and a leg for this dish. It is a pretty big portion too! Alot of crab on the plate and a lot of meat. There was 3 of us and we could barely finish 1 plate.
4. Garlic noodles - really good flavors! Crab and garlic noodles are like PB+J. They go together so just order it.
5. Goi ga? Chicken cabbage salad. - good and flavorful. a good starter to the meal.
I had to remove 1 star because i was WAY dehydrated after the meal. All in all, a great place that I'm glad to have in my city. -
Review from Maile N.
1/9/2012
It was me and my college classmate friend, one roasted crab, one peppercorn crab and one order of garlic noodles - we didn't want drinks or appetizers, we just wanted *CRAB* and garlic noodles! :D We were both first-timers at PPQ and we were on a mission! :)
The roasted crab WINS - yummy! The peppercorn crab was good too, but we agreed that the roasted crab is absolutely # 1. The garlic noodles was a great side, but I think I could've had two roasted crabs, tea, water and nothing else - I'd be one happy camper!
Next time, that's the plan! I will be back! :)Listed in: San Francisco Rocks
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Review from Ring S.
San Francisco, CA
1/15/2012
Been coming here for years for the garlic noodles and crab. We always sub the roast crab with the peppercorn crab. The peppercorn crab comes with lots of pepper and garlic. To make the garlic noodles even more flavorful, you can mix in some of the garlic from the peppercorn crab. Mmm...
Yum...We always get the Dinner for 2 - imperial rolls and chicken salad, garlic noodles, roast crab, and fried banana with ice cream, and lots of butter for $55. Make reservations ahead of time as they can get quite busy. -
Review from Ryan S.
San Jose, CA
1/28/2012 1 Check-in Here
Three words: "cold" and "flavorless"
I just came back from eating lunch here, and I'm very disappointed in the poor quality of the crab and garlic noodles.
The crab was flavorless to say the least. It was topped with minced garlic and "cold butter." Halfway through the meal, the crab quickly became "cold" and undesirable to eat. I then became crabby myself and was very upset.
The garlic noodles were starchy and cold. The theme of the day was "cold." Never again will I come back here....if I'm going to pay for a $100 meal, I better get my value....stick to Thanh Long, there's a reason why they're more expensive. -
Review from Brendan L.
San Francisco, CA
1/24/2012 1 Check-in Here
Great place...my friend's family owns it!
Garlic Noodles...Five Spice Chicken...Imperial Egg Rolls....are ALWAYS good!
I'm not a crab fan but my friends like it!
Always finish off the night with fried banana ice cream. -
Review from Mike W.
San Francisco, CA
1/7/2012
Ok. Here is the deal. I have been to Thanh Long, Crustacean, and to PPQ.
First and foremost, there is no f-ing way PPQ is in the same league as Thanh Long or Crustacean. NO F-ING WAY. You just can't compare them.
For those who say the crab is just as good and 1/2 the price are full-of-it and probably never ate at the other restaurants.
Is PPQ crab good? It is not bad. But when it is all said and done, I can make it better myself and ANY chinese restaurant can make it just as well.
The garlic noodles: NO WAY IS IT AS GOOD OR COMPARABLE TO THANH LONG. [period]. It just didn't have the same flavor. And it felt cold.
Is it cheaper? Not really. Only if you order the set menu that gives you 1 crab for 4 people. [cough]. It is the difference in spending $35 vs $40 for a crab (maybe), and in my opinion, I will spend the extra $5 for good service, better food, and CONSISTENCY. Have you seen the size of the crabs at Crustacean? 3 pounds! And at PPQ? 2 pounds. So what are you actually paying for? 50% more crab...
PPQ is decent, but the crab was skinny, deep fried to a crisp, and eating it almost cut my lip and roof of my mouth. [dry as hell] It's small so 1 crab is about right for 1 person.
You get what you pay for. If you want crab, then pay for crab at Thanh Long or Crustacean and spend $100 for 2 crabs and 2 sides. The crab is juicy and meaty and usually difficult to finish 1 crab by yourself. [which means 2-4 legs in a doggy-bag for lunch]
If you want all the so-so tasting side dishes [spring rolls, salad thing, noodles], then go to PPQ, and order 1 crab to share for $50 for 2 people. Nice cheap date. [ahem]
3 stars for the food alone. [aka average and I am being generous] I love seafood but I don't love PPQ.
People who give this place 4-5 stars are on crack. -
Review from Edward L.
San Mateo, CA
1/3/2012
Came here for dinner with friends. The restaurant itself is situated in a neighborhood west of 19th Avenue on Clement Street.
Parking is a 'nightmare' as i spent 30 mins spinning around the block looking for any open street parking. Can't say that it was fun....
As you go in, they are a two-level restaurant, which is spacious and the place was packed.
They're well-known for their crab and we ordered 2 different crabs with their respective sauces, one I think was the garlic butter and the other was a spicy 'fried-like' prepped version.
We also had ordered string beans, garlic noodles and the fried rice.
All in all, you can taste the various garlic-like flavors in each of the respective dishes. It was a great way to 'break' crabs with friends....
Service could be slightly better as I felt that we were ignored at times.... but, of course, it was a busy evening for them.
This is probably the best 'crab' place that I've been to within the Bay area. -
Review from Anna N.
SOMA, San Francisco, CA
Updated - 1/3/2012
my girlfriends took me here for my bday and I was so glad they did! the first time I ate here, I was not impressed at all. The second time, I loved it! Not only was the food good the service was great!
we had the dinner for 6, the roasted crab was my favorite followed by the salt and pepper crab. The seabass was also very delicious, very tender and tasty. We also had the garlic noodle, eggs rolls, papaya salad and the fried bananas.
What I loved most about this place was Charlie! yes! one of the owners of the place. We thought he was our waiter and kept calling him over to take pics of us - what girls do when we don't get to see eachother much. he was super friendly and started taking shots with our table. The restuarant was super busy that night yet he made it a point to make sure we were taken care of and having a great time!
I highly recommend this place and if you drop by, tell Charlie I said HI!!Listed in: Crab! Crab! Crab!!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/7/2009
I had higher expectations for the crab at this place due to the reviews but I thought it was just… Read more »
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Review from Bobby L.
1/1/2012 2 Check-ins Here
If the end of the world is coming in 2012, one of my last meals will have to include their succulent Garlic Roasted Crab (drenched in butter) AND Peppercorn Crab (perfectly cooked with fried garlic, black pepper, and green onions). It was only the two of us and we devoured both crabs. I found myself in heaven while dipping the peppercorn-flavored crab in the sauce of the roasted garlic crab.
Being hungry in the late afternoon, it was a good idea to order an appetizer while waiting for our fresh crabs to be cooked. We opted for their crispy egg rolls, which went well with our beers to get us started. Later, we nibbled on their garlicious Garlic Noodles (better than average). But we concentrated mainly on the crabs, so we ended up taking home the noodles.
Service wasn't bad, considering our visit was during a weekday. But I can totally see, and taste, why this place can be packed on weekends. -
Review from Shahram L.
Phoenixville, PA
12/30/2011
If you do not like garlic or butter - stay away from this place.
If you would like to avoid a heart attack - stay away from this plaice.
Otherwise, amazing roasted crab, egg roles and noodles :) -
Review from Eva H.
12/27/2011
2 friends and I came to PPQ for lunch and walked into a magical tropical island of cheesy fake palm trees, beach scenes painted on the walls, and delicious southeast asian noms.
I was surprised this place reminded me of a typical chinese dim sum restaurant but served food with vietnamese flare. We order imperial rolls, huge bowl of garlic noodles, and 5 spice chicken to share.
*Imperial rolls: cross between a lumpia and egg rolls: crispy, tightly packed with meats and veggies - very delicious! You can wrap it in lettuce for a crisp cool contrast.
*Garlic Noodles: they should call these Garlic Garlic Garlic Noodles! Soft thick chewy noodles mixed throughly with generous amounts of garlic and oil. Beware: don't go kissing any sparkly vampires after eating these!
*5 Spice Chicken: my friend told me this was "crack" I can see why. 2 chicken breasts lightly fried and cut into strips. I can't even tell you how perfectly crispy the skin was or how tender and flavorful the meat was.
Overall a *very* satisfying meal and pretty good customer service!! We stuffed ourselves silly and still had a doggy bag left! -
Review from Nikki C.
12/20/2011
PPQ = Crab Galore
It was a Wednesday evening and we were a huge party of 20+. They seated us in the back (AKA: storage room). The restaurant was busier than I expected for a weeknight. Our party were separated into 2 large round tables. There were 11 of us at our table and we ordered the Banquet Menu for 10. The food was more than enough to feed 11 of us. I walked out of there stuffed from endless amounts of crab in many variations. I really enjoyed the garlic crab, grilled pork, string beans, garlic noodles, and crab fried rice. Just when I thought our feast had come to a conclusion, they brought out dessert plates. There's always room for ice cream!
Food is up to par with Thanh Long but I much prefer Thanh Long for a nice evening out. PPQ is totally casual and great for large groups. Thanh Long is more on the trendy side.
Our bill (including plenty orders of soda, wine, beer, and sake) only came out to $44/person. Total bargain for the amount of food and drinks we inhaled.Listed in: San Francisco Scene
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Review from Tony T.
Los Angeles, CA
1/11/2012 1 Check-in Here
The crab is awesome. The best I've ever had in my life. I'm glad I live in Los Angeles. That way I can drive up to the bay anytime I want to get this good crab. This place is off the beaten path and not near tourist attractions...YESSSS...
The wife and I didn't really care for the garlic noodles - a little dry and bland to taste. We parked at a meter directly across the street. -
Review from Justin L.
Raleigh, NC
1/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
Went here twice while I was in San Francisco. First with a large group of friends, second with my girlfriend's family.
My impression is that the worthwhile dishes here are the salt and pepper crab, and the garlic noodles. The rest of the dishes, while comparable to other bay area asian fare, are not stellar.
Parking here is terrible. There's a small lot nearby, but it is pretty pricey, and when I say small, I mean "10 spots for the approx. 50 restaurants here" small. Street parking is also metered, which will eat through your spare change very quickly at the current rates. I remember we had to park about half a mile from the restaurant over on 26th. Not a great place when you're walking back on a dark night.
Food-wise, you'll be pleased with the menu. They offer a lot of choices, which means you can vary the spiciness and tastes of the dishes to your preference. Since we like eating spicy, the pepper crab was decent, but the salt and pepper crab is definitely better. Paired with the garlic noodles, you won't find yourself hungry afterwards. However, try to avoid much of the rest, since it'll just fill you up so you can't chow on your very expensive crabs.
The crabs come out beautifully, but they are pricey. The cost here is relatively high, and it's something that really brings down the value of your food here. You'll pay close to 25-30$ per person, even without drinks.
That being said, you will remember the crab - so it's really a decision between which you love more - your wallet or your stomach? :) -
Review from Bobbie W.
1/4/2012 4 photos
Thanh long move over! PPQ is the place to go for crab. This was the last stop on my Whirled food crawl and I'm so glad we saved the best for last. Mind you, prior to this delicious experience, I already had banh mi from saigon sandwich, xiao long bao from shanghai dumpling king and pizza from pizetta 211. As stuffed as I was, PPQ still impressed me.
We got the dinner for two which is quite the deal! Seriously guys, take a girl here for a first date! So good and it won't break your wallet. It came with chicken salad and imperial rolls, one crab with garlic noodles and fried bananas with coconut ice cream. OMG!! Everything was SO good. The chicken salad was demolished along with the rolls and it just got better and better when they brought out the crab. Mix the crab with the noodles and it's seriously a little bit of heaven in your mouth. The dessert was pretty yummy too. You can't go wrong with fried bananas and refreshing coconut ice cream.
PPQ needs to come to LA stat! -
Review from Linda C.
12/28/2011 3 Check-ins Here
CRAB!!!!! Yumm...this place does it right. It's pretty much like Thanh Long or Crustaceans, but located in Richmond instead. We made reservations anticipating the day after Christmas crowds and luckily we did. I'm sure on weekends this place gets crowded so I would recommend reservations.
Service was extremely slow. We didn't even get water or tea until we asked while another table that sat down after us had already gotten their water and appetizer. The other table that came after us also got their food and left before we did. However, the food was amazing! Our experience would have been much better if the service was up to par with the food.
- Fried Calamari: average, nothing special
- Fish Maw & Crab Soup: not bad, good amount of crab and fish maw in there
Overall: fresh crab, excellent seasoning, make sure to eat it while it's still warm!
- Drunken Crab: you can taste the rice wine they use, it's good and buttery
- Roasted Crab: my favorite of the 3 because of the garlicy sauce
- Peppercorn Fried Crab: fried and peppery = good
- Garlic Noodles: i love noodles and garlic so a perfect combo!
- Sauteed String Beans: excellent flavor, crunchy, with a hint of sweetness and onions -
Review from Ayall S.
San Francisco, CA
1/16/2012
Richmond isn't short of Vietnamese restaurants, and this one falls at right about par.
Food was decent but not spectacular, price was a little higher then it should be.
I wouldn't recommend going out of your way to visit this place. -
Review from Alessandra N.
Greenbrae, CA
1/29/2012 1 Check-in Here
Super good! We got the family dinner, not knowing Vietnamese food. Everything was great and the crab was fantasic. 2 people happy and full $55.
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Review from Kat B.
Cambridge, MA
1/12/2012 1 photo
I found this restaurant on yelp while on a trip to San Francisco with my husband. The reviews were not wrong, this establishment has excellent crab, albiet the price is a little high. If you are a fan of garlic, eating here is a must! We had the dinner for two, consisting of egg rolls with a salad, their garlic noodles, garlic crab, and a dessert. For ~$60 it was a pretty good deal, The egg rolls were crispy and hot and the salad was fresh. The garlic crab was the highlight of the meal, surprisingly large, very flavorful, and a mess to eat. Their dessert was coconut ice cream with fried bananas. I loved the bananas but the ice cream was just ok. Their service was pretty good but the hostess could have been more friendly...she seemed pretty surly when we entered.
Parking is limited. We were very lucky to find a spot in front of the restaurant when we arrived. -
Review from Polly Enmity P.
San Francisco, CA
12/9/2011
Just as promised, the food was phenomenal and the service was forgetful. But our fat little faces were stuffed too full to complain.
We arrived a bit early for our 6:30 res for 8 and were escorted upstairs to a nice, big family-sized table. We were the first party seated upstairs and we had our waiter's rapt attention...until another table was seated. So if you're all alone in the restaurant, the service is awesome!
Then the food came. MMMMMMMMMMMMM CRAAAAAAAAAAAAAAB. We had:
-carpaccio (which I can't have because of peanuts, but it looked amazing)
-cabbage salad with chicken (YESSSSSSSS)
-imperial rolls (small, crispy, delicious, porky)
-crab fried rice (OK...was better when we added some butter from the crab to it!)
-garlic noodles (I can't have these either, but everybody else loved them)
-asparagus (kind of an afterthought, as it was still on the table when everything else was finished)
-CRABS!! 2 roasted, 1 drunken, 1 peppercorn (I can't have the peppercorn because it's battered, but everybody else said it was their favorite)
I devoured half a roasted crab and honestly I probably could have eaten the whole thing by myself. Legs and claws were good, but they were generous with the body bits. I added a bunch of the meat to my fried rice, doused it in roasted crab butter, and stuffed my face.
I knew it was good when the food arrived and our table went silent. We were too busy eating to talk (or ask for more water or tea...but our hands were too greasy to grab teacups anyway).
We didn't get the sea bass or smoky pork, but those will be happening next time!
The service never got surly, but was sloppy (like, not bringing enough tea cups for our table, or taking so long with the check that we thought they were going shopping with the card we put down). I'll overlook that for crab this good! -
Review from Michelle W.
Redwood City, CA
1/24/2012
Boo to PPQ Dungeness Island!! Traveled all the way up here from Redwood City to try it out since our favorite Thanh Long's was closed....only to find out although it's all over Yelp and other pages that it's open on Monday nights, it's really closed! Guess we'll never know how it stacks up against Thanh's since they don't keep their business hours up to date.
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Review from Hannah A.
12/12/2011 1 Check-in Here
Order the dinner for two, pour yourself some tea and listen to the conversations going on around you. Everyone in the restaurant last Saturday afternoon seemed to be either talking about the meal they were excited to eat, stuffing themselves silly or simply sitting in a daze as bodies try to digest an ungodly amount of salt and carbs .
The bodily pain I experienced after I ate half a bowl of the garlic noodles with crab pre-soaked in butter soup , and the best eggrolls I've ever had was worth every moment. Except maybe when I farted on the bus.Listed in: Hella
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Review from Irina s.
San Jose, CA
1/4/2012 1 Check-in Here
Came to dinner with two girlfriends; totally amazeballs. I don't have much to compare it to because I haven't been to Crustacean or Thang Long but I thought it was really yummy and half the price of the other places!
We got extremely lucky and found a spot right in front of the restaurant but it looks like it could be a problem; leave some time to find a spot if you have a reservation.
We had reservations and were seated right away but saw some people just standing around and waiting forever (probably no res?).
We got the dinner for two (imperial rolls, salad, 1 roasted crab, and fried bananas with coconut/vanilla ice cream for 55$) and a peppercorn crab (35$) on top of that. The imperial rolls and salad and dessert were really yummy but of course the crab was the highlight. AMAZING. I thought I would like the roasted one but actually ended up liking the peppercorn more. We even had some left over!
Slight downside, don't expect top rate attentive service. -
Review from Cecilia T.
San Mateo, CA
12/24/2011 1 Check-in Here
My cousins who have i lived in the bay area for years introduced me to this restaurant within the first 2 weeks of my arrival to Cali.
If you are a crab lover, this is a good spot to try. Lots of different flavored crabs at a good price. We ordered the peppercorn and garlic crabs, both good.
I thought the "famous" garlic noodles was nothin special, actually- just noodles with garlic...errr..
The string beans were well flavored and cooked perfectly.
Yay for BYOB as well.
Very casual atmosphere as most chinese restaurants are, with plenty of seating though crowded anyways. -
Review from Phat T.
12/20/2011
Man, this place is popular and I can see why.
They tend to be busy for dinner, so expect the wait, especially if you don't make reservations. Made reservations for a large party at 7:00, got seated 15 minutes later. Not too bad.
The food was excellent, fresh, but load with MSG. If you are not a fan of MSG, stay away. However, everything was finger licking good.
What to order:
-Roasted Crab - the sauce over steam rice made me a happy man
-Crab fried rice - a tad on the bland side, but overall, excellent
-Peppercorn wings - finger licking good
-Peppercorn prawns - perfectly cooked
What not to order:
-Chicken Salad - Vietnamese salads aka Goi should have sweet, salty, and sour notes. All I tasted was sweetness. Also, where is the chicken in this salad? There are very few pieces of chicken in it.
-Fried Calamari - A little on the tough side, definitely bland. This dish wasn't exactly what I imagine. I expected small tender pieces of calamari full of flavor. Instead it was large pieces of calamari that lack flavor.
I thoroughly enjoyed the meal. -
Review from Christine L.
Berkeley, CA
12/22/2011
I was super excited for PPQs, but it was a mixed bag. I really liked the roasted crab (lots of garlic), the garlic noodles, green beans, and eggplant. The sauce from the roasted crab is delicious on the crab fried rice. The peppercorn crab was only so-so-- I thought the fried part took away from the flavor. The calamari is terrible. It was like frozen breaded calamari that you'd buy in a supermarket.
Overall, I'd definitely come back here if I was in the neighborhood. -
Review from J K.
Manhattan, NY
1/1/2012
4.5 stars
Would be 5 stars except for the price (a tad high) and the puss on one waitress's face when we asked for an extra shells bowl. 58 big ones for the set dinner for 2. For comparisons, if you cook the crab yourself, it really should cost no more than $15. Granted, everything you cook yourself will be cheaper but really, the crab is quite easy & simple (steam & just let crab juices mix with tons of garlic & butter).
The set includes the imperial rolls (cha gio spring rolls), excellent cabbage salad with vietnamese sliced ham & a light fish sauce dressing, medium sized bowl of buttery garlic noodles, one roasted dungeness crab and 4 pieces of fried banana with great coconut ice cream (not just flavoring! Made w real coconut milk!). Everything really was delicious.
Tons of garlic & butter. Soooooo wanted to take the excess crab sauce home to pour over a big bowl of rice or to dip bread in. You know how sometimes you get amazing bread at a restaurant but can't finish it & u really wanna take it home but don't bc it seems improper? Well, now that I'm home, I really wished I had scrapped properness & taken the sauce to go!
Probably the most "high class" and distinguished Viet restaurant I've been to (from NYC- ours are just plain pho spots, usually on the dirtier side).
Total was 80 with the set dinner, one glass wine, one beer, tax and tip. -
Review from Armi S.
Brentwood, CA
12/29/2011
Dungeness crab on a large plate waiting to be devoured...yum! My mother-in-law and her husband took us here one day when they were visiting us and wow, what an experience. The crab was full of seasoning goodness and those yummy garlic noodles are well, so garlicky! Also had the green beans and they were perfectly steamed. Can't wait to go back.
I highly recommend this place for anyone who loves crab. That's it. -
Review from Eric A.
12/13/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Simply put, this is my favorite restaurant in the city. I took me 2 years to come here after the hype.
Note that the crab gets cold after awhile, too bad they don't have something to keep it warm.
FYI, there is a parking lot a block away, which you can get validated -
Review from Jeanette Y.
Oakland, CA
Mmm, garlicky noodles. If you ask me, I'd choose the noodles over the crab. I'm not too big of a crab fan. I know, who goes to a place that's known for crabs to eat noodles only?! Don't worry, I still had my fair share.
Pick out the crab, shred it up, toss it into your noodles. It's just delicious!Listed in: Top Restaurants
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Review from Maya S.
Updated - 12/3/2011
I recently came to get my crab fix for the start of crab season. I shared the Dinner for 2 with my dear companion and immediately noticed portions were smaller for both the salad and dessert portions of the meal. The garlic noodles weren't as garlicky as I remember either. But the crab, still delicious. I went with the drunken crab (wine sauce) instead of the usual roasted crab (butter + garlic). The crab flavor really shines through with the drunken crab and you still get some of that nice wine flavor as well. I could have just ordered one crab for myself.
Service was prompt and friendly but a bit too prompt when the wait staff seemed a bit eager to clear dishes and drop the bill off at our table before we even finished eating. Also, you self-bib at PPQ now.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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8/14/2009
I love their crab, huge and buttery!!! Their garlic noodles are soo good, it has the right amount of… Read more »
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