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Categories: Seafood, Vietnamese [Edit]
Neighborhood: Outer RichmondMon., Wed-Sun. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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Peppercorn Crab, I love you. You are so delicious, moist, and extremely flavorful. I want to be friends with you forever! That would be awesome, thanks.
My sister took my mom and I here when we landed last night. Parking was a pain in the rear, but we managed to find a spot on California. Got there, got seated, and ordered our food.
What I found particularly cute was that they put on your bib for you. So personal! My mom liked the bib so much that she took it with her, hahaha. Such nice folks here.
We ordered garlic noodles (Mi Xao Toi), sizzling beef (Bo Nuong Vi), a side of rice, and peppercorn crab (Cua Rang Muoi). We annihilated the crab, no joke! The garlic noodles were pretty tasty, a little bit lighter than I'm used to. I'm actually more partial to Sunflower's garlic noodles. The sizzling beef reminded me more of Filipino tapa; enjoyed that too.
Even after annihilating the crab, I wasn't keeling over from a food coma or anything. You know that feeling where you've eaten the right amount of food and you're completely satisfied? That was definitely me last night.
Would love to come back and have some more crab. It makes me wish there was something similar like this in San Diego :P
First of all who wouldnt love roasted crab and garlic noodles? haha My two fav's! Less expensive than Thanh Long and Crustaceans. This place is great for a big group. You will be able to enjoy good food at a reasonable price.
The owners are really nice too, they will personally come by your table and maybe even offer you a drink! haha
Love it!
I love crab. It's one of my ultimate favorite food items. And that's a bold statement coming from a girl that loves pretty much every cuisine available. I can eat crab for breakfast, crab for lunch and crab for dinner, 7 days a week and I don't mind the hard work to get just 1 piece of succulent meat in my mouth.
PPQ offers a really affordable set menu dinner for 2, for 4 and even larger groups. We ordered the dinner for 2 which included a nice light salad and fried spring rolls, butter garlic noodles and 1 whole garlic crab. My bf also ordered an extra appetizer, the black peppercorn crusted fried chicken wings which was crispy and greasy and scrump-dili-umptious. The garlic noodles and crab were good, but in my opinion, not as tasty as Crustaceans. However, for the price of around $60 for the set menu, I will definitely be returning. Not to mention the customer service was very good. We were waited on by several people, all of whom were very gracious and accomodating.
It was dark, raining and the power went out. PPQ is about getting it right. They immediately got candles for all the tables, assured our party and others that they cook with gas and the meal would be served promptly. It was, and it was very romantic.
With PPQ it is all about the roasted garlic Dungeness crab, garlic noodles, and the fixed price menu. We have eaten at the other place that is twice the price and not as good. The wine menu is weak so bring your own, or have beer, which is excellent with the crab.
There is a parking lot a block away toward 19th Avenue and PPQ validates for that lot.
I recommend getting reservations as they are very popular and fill up early.
This is a place in the hood, an adventure for a Saturday night when you just have a craving to get up to the City and have something different.
Wow this place is popular! Waited for a loooooooooong time to eat here. So make sure you come early or make reservations! The food was so good though. Crustacean/Thanh Long type food for much less $$. Cha gio (egg rolls) were crispy and yummy. The CRAB is the best!! Tried the pepper one, so finger-licking and shell-licking good. Also LOVED the garlic noodles!! One of my all-time fave dishes and they made it pretty well! I want to go back ASAP!!
I liked eating here because the price is right for what you get. I order the dinner for two which included: salad, imperial rolls (fried), 1 whole crab, garlic noodles, and fried banana dessert. Total bill came to like $60 plus tip. That ain't bad. Included hot tea. I though the crab was pretty decent for the price.
Now if you wanna get your serious crab on, then you gotta go to crustaceans! but then we are talking twice the price. guess you get what you pay for.
The girl I took said that in Vietnam, they don't normally serve the crab with garlic noodles and that's a U.S. thing. Well I said I'm cool with that 'cause the crab and noodle combo is da bomb!
Go here is you are craving Vietnamese crab during an in-between paycheck week.
Went here instead of Thanh Long since Thang Long is only open for dinner.
But we were not disappointed!! A group of four of us ordered two roasted whole crab in garlic sauce, two bowls of the delicious garlic noodles, and fried rice (which was okay, not great). Talk about a lot of garlic. You can't eat crab without a beer either. Try out their Vietnamese imported beers! It's not as bad as you think it could be. You must eat the crab with the noodles and top it with your fried rice too!
food was great! best fried chicken (peppercorn) i have tasted in my life. best prawns ive tatsed but! there service was bad
how does our food come out before our drinks (soda and tea)
and it wasnt busy. no excuses for that
also, i see other reviews that say they put their crab bibs on for them. well i dont care how my bib gets on, but they didnt offer to assist and thats a problem
crab and noodles are better at Thanh Long. but id rather go to ppq just based on the fact that they have those delicious peppercorn chicken wings
better service would have resulted in 5 stars
only reason i tried this place is due to its yelp ranking! it was worth it!
also, the fried rice was great, tasted very fresh and not overfried
ok, so when i heard ppq i was thinking the pho place which i love. wrong. this place is some of the best crab i've had since i've lived in the bay! garlic noodles and pepper crab...hell yeah!
a bit pricey, but not overpriced and the owner is really nice.
check it.
Came here for a birthday dinner a few weeks ago. We had a party of 14 so we def. made a reservation. Parking is sometimes a hassle here, so be patient. There is a parking lot at night, which you can get 1 hr free validation, so that's not too bad.
We ordered the set menu for 10 and added an additional hot and spicy crab, garlic noodles and fried tofu. Since I don't eat crab, I cant really talk about how great it is...but all my friends seem to enjoy it very much! Some of my favs that night was the fried tofu, shitake sea bass, 5 spices chicken, and braised string beans. Of course the garlic noodles were delicious!
They also let us bring a cake and place it in the refrigerator and took it out after when we were done with plates and a knife to surprise our friend! Very cool! Also great service, everyone was friendly. Great place to come here with groups, there's always something for everyone. Plus everyone will look so cool with their plastic crab bibs on!
I love crab.
Ruth's Chris's crab cakes.
Palomino's hot red king crab and artichoke dip.
Swan Oyster Depot's crab salad.
And now... the peppercorn crab at PPQ.
At $38 when I went last week, it wasn't a deal--it was a STEAL. The crab was perfectly crispy outside yet unbelievable moist inside. It was covered in an addicting, deep-fried blend of peppercorn, garlic, scallions, and most likely crack. I'm helplessly drooling on myself just thinking about it. My parents and Dave H. were all impressed and they're a tough crowd.
We also had the smokey pork, the crab meat fried rice, the fish maw and crap meat soup, and the braised string beans. The smokey pork was the best Vietnamese BBQ pork I've ever tasted: smokey, flavorful, tender, I could eat this everyday. The fried rice and soup were crabby and nice--the only time these two words will ever be in the same positive sentence. Although the braised string beans were great, save yourself some money and make it yourself--all you need are string beans, garlic, oyster sauce, fish sauce, sugar. Season to taste. Sautee to your liking.
Who wants to get down and crabby with me next?
PPQ is over hyped and this reflects directly on their crab pricing. Their garlic crab is indeed as good as all the reviews says but the extra taste is there due to the extra MSG they put in. Look to drink a gallon of water after eating here. The crab meat itself is fresh and cooked just right so that the meat is moist and tender.
I suppose while you're at it you should have some of those over hyped garlic noodles as well but they're really not that great. Just note that I'm giving this place 4 stars because there are better AND cheaper places than this.
I've gone here twice, the first time I went as a "last supper" before I started the Master Cleanse. Yes, I know you're supposed to ease your way into it but that's just not my style. And the second time I went with a group of four for fun.
The first time my friend and I split the dinner for two between the two of us and there was still mountains of food even after we had completely reached stomach capacity.
The second time with four people we also ordered the dinner for two since I was astounded by the amount of food it offered the first time. I think we should have just gone with the dinner for four (duh!) but we ended up ordering the sea bass, which was soooooo good! We also ordered the grilled chicken that is designed to be eaten as a handroll (with sides). The sea bass was definitely the highlight of the evening. Both times I've gotten the crab with peppercorn, though I'm tempted the roasted crab. The peppercorn crab comes with a ton of roasted garlic that goes great with the garlic noodles. It ended up being $40 a person for 5 dishes, beverages, and a bottle of wine. The crab is better at Crustacean but this is a steal!
Had wanted to come here about 2 years ago with with a couple friends. And now I finally came here with a family visiting from afar.
We were debating between getting the 2 and 4 person specials. We ended up getting their 4 person special for $120 since it gave us a chance to try more food.
We had a small bowl of salad to start. Then right after that was a couple of their fried soft shell crab. The ham on a hot plate was a nice change from the seafood. And the dungeness crab which had a decent amount of butter was soaking in a garlic butter sauce that was perfect on some white rice.
This place is every crab-lovers dream! :)
I haven't tried much from their menu because I always get the crab. And honestly, why would I go to a restaurant that has "crab" in the name and NOT get the crab!? Anyway, my first time here I went with one other person and we decided to order from the Set Menu. We got the Dinner For 2 which comes with: spring rolls, salad, garlic crab, garlic noodles, and a deep fried banana with ice cream for dessert. It was definitely more than enough food for two people and we left feeling stuffed.
The second time I came here was with 3 other people. This time we ordered directly from the Dinner Menu:
- deep fried calamari (big pieces, and a little bit chewy)
- five spices chicken (very tender, fatty and yummy! tasted almost like duck)
- garlic crab (tasty, but soaked in butter)
- garlic noodles (same as above)
- fried banana with ice cream (love the mango ice cream!)
The service here is prompt and they give you a bib to wear since it's very messy. Although they do have a lot of seating, I've seen people waiting for a while to get a table during the dinner rush. The food here is probably not the most healthy thing to be eating, but it sure is tasty!
After what can only be described as the worst day of my life, I needed something delicious in my mouth to distract me. I hit up the REAL BRYAN, not the anti-Bryan, for a food kick. Our initial attempt to eat at Toyose was foiled by an unchivalrous excuse for the male gender who nearly ran me over while cutting me off to the door and the 1 1/2 hour wait. Oh no!
Unwilling to let this dark cloud shroud the rest of my evening, PPQ emerged out of the darkness as my singular saving grace. We entered the restaurant at 9:38, literally seconds before the kitchen closed. I feared for a second that we would not be seat, thankfully the host made an exception.
With seconds to look at the menu, Peppercorn Crab and House Garlic Noodles it is! God, those garlic noodles were so good. Next time I'll order 2 bowls (for myself). Peppercorn Crab is the way to go! The garlic and peppercorn mixed beautifully with the crab. If you really want an explosion of taste in your mouth, top your garlic noodles with crab and garnish with the garlic and peppercorn. Mhmm...you know that sounds good. Wait till you taste it. I can't wait to go back for more!
Came here for the first time about 2 years ago with my family. And after many fond memories of the Peppercorn Crab, Crab meat fried rice, and Imperial Rolls....we returned for my sister's birthday this past Sunday.
Everything was just as I remembered....except, the Steamed Shitake Sea Bass was completely undercook.
We motioned for the waitress and she took the dish back. About 20 minutes later, a waitor comes back with the Steamed Shitake Sea Bass, but it was the same one we returned. We DID NOT GET A NEW DISH. It was as if they took the dish and put it in the microwave on high for 5 minutes and then brought it back out to us.
Thinking it was completely strange because we threw most of the fish in the garbage bowl b/c of it's inedible state. We told the manager that we don't want the fish, and she obliged and removed it from our bill.
Overall, I love this place. The questionable actions of the fish...eh, forget about it...it's an Asian restaurant. Some things go hand-in-hand. =)
Mmm....delicious crab! I can't recall exactly what we had, but we got several different crabs... From what I do recall, the roasted crab was the table's favorite (aside from the garlic noodles that is!)
One weird thing was that we ordered two additional orders of the garlic noodles and only one bowl came out... Apparently that bowl had both orders of the noodles (either that or they charged us twice for a single bowl). I personally would've preferred two bowls so it'd be easier to share among the table.
FYI, if you're coming here, parking can be a pain....one member of the party was looking for parking for an hour... Hopefully that won't be you.
I was very happy our friend chose PPQ to celebrate his birthday. It's a lot of fun with a group of friends. It gets rather messy too.
Our group of 16 paired up and ordered eight "dinner for two" combos for $52.95. It includes: 4 halves of Imperial Rolls (pretty good), a shareable portion of Chicken Cabbage Salad (has a nice refreshing tanginess), Roasted Crab (in sauce of your choice - Butter Garlic, Dry Peppercorn like Chinese style, Drunken, Curry, or Spicy). You also get a bowl of Garlic Noodles, and dessert of little deep Fried Banana sections with Ice Cream (we had mango and coconut flavors).
Let's talk CRAB! We all went with the Garlic Butter sauce based on bday boy's reco. I had the Peppercorn before and had loved that too. Each pair was presented a huge dungeness crab (3lb?) swimming in the garlic butter sauce. You lift off the shell and you see the legs also drenched in sauce. This is a good thing since the meat is infused with the flavor. Then each person dons the plastic "let's get cracking" bib and gets to work. You each get a cracking tool and seafood fork to dig out the meat. It takes a bit of skill and patience and sauces do squirt and fly around your neighbors. I hit my companion while cracking a leg, and then was reciprocated with some splashes to my hair. It's a bit dangerous, but totally fun.
And that's why PPQ gets 4 stars. I thoroughly enjoyed the experience even though I've had better garlic noodles elsewhere (these were a little dry) and the fried bananas were just ok with too much batter.
The service was great given the size of our group. They checked on us regularly despite our seated location in the back room. And at $77 per couple with tax and tip (and drinks ordered), it was quite a good deal for interactive eating, privacy, and good seafood.
Pho Phu Quoc Dungeness Island Vietnamese Cuisine aka PPQ (not to be confused w/ the similarly-named restaurant on Irving) is one of my favourite restaurants in SF hands down.
Each & every time I've been here, regardless of the company, I always get their vibrantly seasoned Cua Rang Muoi (Peppercorn Dungeness Crab) & Mi Xao Toi (House Garlic Noodles). And i normally do not much like garlic! That's how good the noodles are. Slurpy-good!
The decor is a bit cheesy, w/ an obviously fake coconut tree smack in the middle of the place, but who cares when the crab & noodles are so distractingly yummilicious!
Santa's yelper sez: Nothing. :::snap! :::dig:::shuck:::gulp!:::slurp!::: repeat repeatedly until all gone...
WOW! This place has more reviews than the other famous Vietnamese dungenous crab place in SF. Interesting. I went to PPQ a while back. I went to the other place yesterday.
Both places are great. They're different in terms of atmosphere. I enjoyed the variety of seasonings (on the crab) that PPQ offers. And the garlic noodles must've been laced with some illegal substance because it was THAT good. Mmm...it's been many moons, but I still taste the fantastic flavor and feel the nice bouncy consistency of perfectly cooked egg noodles.
I suppose I choose you, PPQ!
This place is yummilicious!!!! (Not cheap though! Saw some reviews of a lot of food for $50-something... but the last time we went, the seasonal price was $38 a crab. Yup, for ONE crab!)
But, on to the deliciousness...
Each time we go, the ordering goes like this: 1 or 2 crabs (spicy, drunken), the garlic noodles, crab meat fried rice and fried chicken. The last time we were there, after rattling off the orders, the waiter looks at us and says "no vegetables?!!" We're like: "oh... d'oh... hmmm..." Also, I saw some orders of the skewers in wraps on another table that I must try on the next visit.
A buddy proclaimed he'd hook it up with some Dungeness Crab and Garlic Noodles if I came up to NorCal for a visit and brought him some Peach Donuts from The Donut Man. So, what did I do? I decided to take him up on the offer, dammit! Donuts for Dungeness = Win Win!!
Originally, the plan was to partake of these dishes at Crustacean. Having been to Thanh Long in the past, I kinda/sorta knew what to expect. Since we were a party of 5, we decided to order the Dinner for 4 from the "Set Menu" and supplement it with whatever else read well from the menu.
The Dinner for 4 included the following items:
Deep Fried Soft Shell Crabs - 'Twas aight.
Cabbage Salad with chicken - Nice starter.
Roasted Crab - Didn't measure up to Thanh Long/Crustacean standards.
Steamed Shitake Sea Bass - Superb!!!
Smoky Pork - Surprisingly tasty!
Braised String Beans - I need to learn how to make this!!! Awesomely seasoned.
House Garlic Noodles - Most definitely not up to Thanh Long/Crustacean standards. Disappointing.
Deep Fried Banana with ice cream - Pretty damn bomb.
The additional menu items we picked out were:
Peppercorn Crab - Blew away the Roasted Crab by light years!
Crab Meat Fried Rice - A definite suggested accompaniment in my book.
If you've been able to re-create the An Family's Garlic Noodles recipe, drop me a line. Better yet, have a You Tube video prepared. 5-stars awarded in advance. Special thanks to Brian M. for paying for dinner.
I've been her before, about 2 years ago with a friend for garlic crab and garlic noodle dinner. Yes, it was Ah-Mazing! didn't get a chance to yelp them then but now that I just had lunch here today, i can say that the service and the food were just as good as 2 years ago.
I had the all veggies noodle soup which is basically pho noodle soup with string beans, tofu cubes, eggplant and broccoli. I know it doesn't sound appetizing for all you carnivores out there but this was very tasty and healthy! I ordered a small but they topped it to the rim with veggies so i tried my best and can only get about half way down the bowl before i was officially stuffed. My friends had the regular #1 pho and the other friend had fried chicken over papaya salad. All the dishes turned out great. According to my friends, they've eaten there for the 4th time this week already... total addicts... I think they should start a rewards-point system to get like 1 meal free for every 10 full priced meals (at least for lunch).
In conclusion, I'm a major fan and will be back when I'm in the area.
This'll be short and to the point. Food was good. There's plenty of seating along with large banquet tables upstairs for big groups. We had a set menu plus some extra crabs and the garlic noodles everyone loved so much. Overall, we tried crab with peppercorn, garlic noodles, some type of egg roll, papaya salad, and a fried banana dessert.
No complaints on service or food (and some of my party LOVED the food). Sorta pricey though (but I guess we ate a lot?). You also get 1 hour free validated parking nearby.
My six friends and I opted for the "Dinner for 6" set menu. It was enough to get us stuffed! Although we ordered more garlic noodles. But you can't help but order more, they were that good! I would say better, YES, I said better than Thanh Long's. The menu consisted of:
Imperial Rolls-not bad, nothing too spectacular. Although I have to add it was not greasy and fried just right.
Papaya Salad with Beef- ----it was just ok.
Roasted Crab----Prepared well, so flavorful. not too salty not too bland just right!
Peppercorn Crab----- I thought the Roasted Crab was good, this had to be by far the most enjoyable crab dinner I've ever had. The peppercorn was not too overpowering and gave enough flavor and spice to bring out the crab's flavor.
Five Spices Chicken- Didn't eat any, but my friends said it was good.
Steamed Shitake Sea Bass- I honestly didn't expect much. To tell you the truth I expected to not like it. But this blew me away! It really does melt in your mouth. MMmmm mmm!
Braised String Beans- eh, wasn't too crazy for it.
House Garlic Noodles- So so good! An equal amount of butter and garlic. I compare all garlic noodles to PPQ's now....it has ruined me for all other garlic noodles.
Deep Fried Banana with Ice Cream- can't go wrong with fried banana and ice cream.
Overall I highly recommend the Garlic Noodles, the Roasted and Peppercorn crab and the Sea Bass.
Too long have I put off trying PPQ...too long has my desire for asian roasted crab kept me from sanity...too long I have passed by this place on my way walking home and smell the teasing smell of heaven. And finally, after a nice ride through Cliff house and Sutra heights, the 5 of us rewarded ourselves with a 6 man dinner. Who was the extra man? no worries, our imaginary 6th handled it just like the rest of us 5. It may have been pricey for 5 as it came out to $50 a person, but it was well worth it.
The 6 Person dinner came with the following:
-Papaya Salad - so good and crunchy
-Fried Egg Rolls - nothing new
-Garlic Noodles - prepare for a fiery garlic breath surprise
-Sea Bass - it was my friend's favorite, but they could have undercooked it more
-Green Beans - sweet soy sauce seasoned, i love my veggies!
-Peppercorn Crab - nice spicy kick to it, but the meat was so moist
-Roasted Crab - Garlic and butter....can't go wrong with that
-Fried Banana and Ice Cream - some may say they beat out some of the flip restaurants...yes i said it.
-"33" Beer - vietnamese version of Budweiser?
Is it bad to admit that as an organizer, I should have not scheduled our foodie day, the same day they were going to shut down Doyle Drive and the Great Highway all at once. I bow to my friends who would brave that hellish traffic nightmare to crab with me.
Our group definitely went for the usual roasted crab (delish!) and the garlic noodles...I want to protest that they should offer a bigger portion for groups of 10...why should we keep doubling up single portioned servings for our group...god...that was like 25cent a noodle strand ;(...the worse is that it was so delicious that we had 4 orders of noodles although you couldn't tell in that medium sized bowls they served in.
The imperial rolls were very crunchy good, and the curry chicken was nicely spicy.
Service was splendid, and for our rowdy crew, sometimes patience is always a virtue...the poor guy waited for our missing peeps with a smile and kept coming over for anyone who needed something.
Free 1 hour parking at the lot across the street with validation, so chow down fast...I say put an hourglass on the table and make the meal like Man vs. Food...eat as much as you can and haul butt!
This review is all about the crab.
I'm not sure if this is is an affectionate moniker that my wife has tagged me with - but she calls me "her little crab monster". I'm sure that is a good thing right?
Regardless of which, at PPQ it's all about the crab. I'm sure the other dishes are good, but who cares? Screw the rest. Get the crab.
Comparisons to the higher end Crustacean are inevitable to which I can say: "Screw Crustaceans! Who goes to a crab dinner and dresses up in a collared shirt? Don't be oppressing me with your dress-code! I want my crab now and not mess up my nice dress-shirts while doing it!"
So with that, I declare my allegiance forever more to PPQ and their heavenly roasted crab (er the hot and spicy crab is good too, next time I'm ordering both for myself).
If they could only open up a location on the Peninsula; that would be heavenly.
No, it would be heavenly Dungeness crab on the Peninsula. Mmmmm - I'm salivating just thinking about it.
Crab! Crab! Crab!
Note to readers: PPQ fills up fairly quickly at dinner; so do the smart thing - forego breakfast and lunch, and gorge for an early dinner.
Did I mention I love crab?
Yes, the crab is AWESOME like everybody else says. But the garlic noodles are HEAVEN! You only need one order of crab for 2-3 people - but you have to get the noodles to really get that Mekong river crab restaurant feeling. Getting hunger pains just thinking about it.
So this is the place that's suppose to rival another crab place in the sunset. My family decided to take my pops out for his big bday and we decided to go with crab. Can't go wrong with seafood right? Well the exp was mediocre at best. Food was slightly above avg. Garlic noodles was a big let down. I mean granted garlic noodles isn't a specialty, but it's nothing close to the decadence of delight at the OTHER crab place. Seemed a bit skimpy for the price too.
Note PARKING IS A BIATTTCH. Granted last weekend was Outside lands concert but parking way out in the 20s Avenues shouldn't be that affected. Anyways, it took me over 30 minutes to find a spot.
This place reminds me of crustaceans but a portion of the price.
Around $20-$25 a person. There the peppercorn seasoned crab was was good. The garlic noodles was also good.
Overall, this place is good if you want a crustacean alternative, but in my opinion it isn't to die for.
The craving for some crab was undeniable this Sunday evening; so, instead of going to the tourist filled Pier 39, my bf and I went to PPQ based on the reviews here. The deal for 2 people was fantastic! Imperial rolls, salad, garlic noodles, crab, banana rolls with ice cream and tea for $54.00 (plus tax and tip)!!! The crab was cooked and salted to perfection. Loved it!
For future cravings, i know EXACTLY where to go.
Two small drawbacks: We had reservations, and still had to wait for 15 minutes (which is hard to do when all you smell is delicious butter) and parking in the area (although the restaurant does offer 1 hour validation at the garage down the street, but the garage closes earlier than the restaurant).
The staff is extremely nice (especially when they kept calling my bf "guy"...i was cracking up). Overall, a really good seafood experience for a great price!
PPQ is my mom's new BFF.
For a serious crab lover like my mom, the freshest, best crab can only be found in the Philippines. Cooked to order, eaten with your hands, sitting cross legged on a wooden bench, with garlic rice on a banana leaf.
Oh, preferably with view of the beach.
Since Manila is on the other side of the globe, PPQ is our natural choice for mouth-watering roasted crab.
Granted it's not really crab season, the market price is wee bit higher. But mom needed her crab fix.
When our server came out with the crab, my first thought was: "that is a super-sized crab!" Full of flavor, thanks to its natural crab juices plus the generous bits of chopped garlic and butter. Yes, it's swimming in butter -- but in an irresistably good way.
With our crackers in hand and an appetite of a warrior, my mom and I devoured that crab. Getting into the nooks and crannies. Making sucking sounds as we enjoy the crab juice.
The guys over at the next table kept eyeing us.
Or was it our crab?
A bowl of non-greasy, fat garlic noodles provided the perfect side dish. Those noodles had a strong garlicky flavor, every time I burped after, I could smell garlic on me!
We also got the fresh shrimp rolls (I've had better) and fried tofu with the ginger-soy dipping sauce. I'm a huge fan of tofu so I was a bit disappointed on those big blocks of tofu. When you bit into them, it was a watery mess.
When (and not if) you go here, bring your appetite with you, put on that bib and get cracking!
* Thanks Jennifer CP! I've bookmarked this place from your review months ago and finally went! *
Love the peppercorn and spicy crab for the legs, claws and knuckles. Love the drunken crab for the brain.
I was in the mood for some more garlic noodles thanks to Perilla in the City. I asked myself where can I check out? I've had Crustacean's garlic noodles before. It was between PPQ and Thang Long. I decided on PPQ that day with a friend of mines. She wanted to take me out for dinner and I suggested that we come here to eat.
We started off with half a dozen oysters on the half shell which were nice and fresh! Then we ordered the garlic noodles and crispy five spice chicken. Both dishes were delicious!
Will be back again. As a matter of fact I will probably be here tomorrow for a party.
As good as Crustaceans for half the price, got their crab dinner for 2 with a side order of string beans and it was almost too much food (and I can eat ALOT).. Great value.
Use the parking lot that's a block away on the same street. The first hour is comped.
I was contemplating getting just the crab and a side, but then realized that the dinner for 2 deal made more sense because it's about the same price but with more sides.
For about $55, we got:
2 eggrolls served with chicken cabbage salad tossed in nuoc mam
1 dungeness crab served and cooked in a savory garlic broth
garlic noodles
fried banana and coconut ice cream dessert
The waitresses actually put our bibs on for us! The crab and noodles are so good, with all their garlicky goodness. So savory and perfectly seasoned! Everything else is delicious, but the crab steals the show! The noodles are non-greasy, which was well appreciated because the food is so heavy with garlic already. Just be careful the next day because the garlic takes some time to go away. The "chicken" salad has like slivers of thinly pounded chicken and was rather disappointing.
My family's coming up this weekend, and I think I might bring them here so I can enjoy it all over again! If you ever visit SF and you like crab, you have GOT to come here!
I thought this was one of the first places that I yelped.. but i guess not.. so anyway, this place is off the hook. I've been here once and after walking in and seeing seeing all the delicious looking crab on the tables, I couldn't wait to get started! The service was pretty good considering the number of people that were there... it was pretty packed... that's why I was glad we made reservations. When our food was delivered, that first bite was just mouthwatering. However, it wasn't such a happy note with the wine we brought. I guess that was the downer because the cork crumbled and the wine was "spoiled"... So the waiter recommended something else.. and it went great with the food. One major tip, plan on arriving early because the parking is not that great. its the CiTY!
I've been here three times so far, and my mouth still waters when I think about PPQ. Garlic noodles, peppercorn crab, and cool bibs that say "Time to get crackin' ", what else can you ask for??
The crab runs about $40 which should feed about two. Still, for the price, a solid place to dine. Just be prepared to smell like garlic for a while!
Special Truffle Menu & Prix…
Neighborhood: Marina/Cow Hollow
Happy Hour
Neighborhood: Nob Hill
Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: Outer Sunset
Category: Vietnamese
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Category: Seafood
Neighborhood: Civic Center/Tenderloin
Category: Chinese
Neighborhood: Outer Richmond
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