- Restaurants |
- Nightlife |
- Shopping |
- Movies |
- All
Top Island Seafood Restaurant
Categories: Restaurants Seafood Restaurants Chinese Dim Sum Seafood, Dim Sum [Edit]
740 E Valley BlvdAlhambra, CA 91801
Neighborhood: Alhambra
(626) 300-9898
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 7:30 am - 11 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- 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:
- Lunch, Brunch
- Alcohol:
- Beer & Wine Only
- Noise Level:
- Loud
- Ambience:
- Casual
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
224 reviews for Top Island Seafood Restaurant
Review Highlights
"Delicious Lobster, Peking duck and chow fun."
(in 11 reviews)
"Other great dishes include the chicken feet and spare ribs."
(in 13 reviews)
"The custard for the egg tarts were warm and eggy (yummy."
(in 7 reviews)
Loading...
224 reviews in English
-
Review from June P.
West Covina, CA
2/7/2012 3 Check-ins Here
So I always come here when we have a big group that wants to eat Chinese food... We tend to come after 9:30pm so we can get the late night specials... Totally worth it and they close at 1am.
At first I hated coming to Top Island, my cousin would always pick on this place to eat but then I started going to other restaurants to eat and noticed the quality and taste was not good and then I realized Top Island was actually Really good.
I love their String Bean with minced meat, Kao Pao Chicken, tofu, Shrimp & Walnut... etc.
Usually a table of 10-12 we usually spend about $50-$70 and there is always plenty of food left over so break it down, its cheap!
Oh and you get a dessert soup at the end...so mummy. -
Review from Vince L.
1/26/2012 1 Check-in Here
Fair dimsum restaurant. The best part is that there is plenty of parking in the front and back parking lots. I know it's out of their control, but what is up with all the smokers who stand right at the entrance? During busy times (especially weekends), you literally are in a haze walking in.
The food is not spectacular, but it's really hard to find anything spectacular these days. The har-gou (shrimp dumpling) and siumai (pork dumpling) are good, as are the steamed buns (bbq pork and the sweet custard).
Many newer dimsum restaurants have moved away from the carts and just take orders on cards, but that's one thing that's great about Top Island. They are holding on to that tradition, which adds to the customary (loud) background noise of these places. If you've never been to a dimsum restaurant, I recommend going with someone who's familiar. The hustle-and-bustle can get overwhelming, and the food choices can get confusing.
Top Island also serves banquet-style dinner in the evenings, but I've never been there for that. -
Review from kimberly b.
Alhambra, CA
1/2/2012
This is down the street from home so we went and grab some late dinner. But I've been here before using the private room for friends' bday parties. Its not bad but inconsistent. I had the chinese broccoli with salted fish (the stalk is old past its prime for eating) , Scallop fried rice (a lot of rice and little scallop), steamed fish, half salted steam chicken, salt & pepper shrimp, and chicken soup.
After 9:00pm there is a special menu on certain items, and it's 1/2 price but must dine in and not take out.
Great parking. -
Review from YF L.
Rosemead, CA
2/7/2012
This place's service and quality of food have gone down a lot. I used to love this place but I was very disappointed in their food quality and services.
I visited this restaurant couple nights ago at about 9pm on Sunday. It was super quiet, less than 10 tables were filled. It used to be very crowded - I wonder why.
After sat down for a while, none came to serve us. The manager saw us and then yelled "where the people had gone" but he did not come to serve us either. It seemed EVERYONE was "on break" or "RESTING"!!!!
Finally we had placed our order. We ordered the crab, which was on special, $3.99/lb. Sound like a good deal (it was the reason we came here). Big mistake!!!! 1st of all, I could tell they had mixed the non-fresh crab with the fresh crab. The non-fresh crab had died for a while. VERY POOR QUALITY!!!! How dared they were - tried to FOOL the customers like that!!! I don't know whose idea was that. I don't thing it would be the chef's idea.
Maybe I should complain and return the dish to get the refund. However, I did not do so (it is hard to argue). I really want the WHOLE WORLD to know how this restaurant tried to FOOL the customers with died crabs.
When we got the bill, it's even worse. The crab should be about one pound only, (I go to the market all the time) but they charged us for 3 lbs. WHAT A CRAB PLACE!!!!!
I have no problem to pay for a fresh crab for $12/lb but I have problem to pay $12 for a dead crab.
For other dishes, they were pretty greasy. If people like greasy food not a problem but it is against my stomach and taste bud as well.
Horrible services, terrible food, not honest business, ...
Now I know why it was so quiet when we walked in. Bad decision to come to this restaurant for dinner. -
Review from Jean L.
12/21/2011
My tongue always wants to shrivel up and die when I eat dimsum here. It's an internal struggle just to get it to accept that I'm eating this for lunch, and no, there is no other way.
This place is as authentic as the Grade-D Chinese restaurant in that alley over there. Sure it's real, but does that necessarily mean it's good? Wrongful equivocation. Despite this it will be crowded.
Chicken/sweet pork buns are always safe. A popular dish is the shrimp in rice noodles. Also shrimp dumplings, shrimp ball, sweet sesame balls, sweet tofu soup, chicken feet, braised tripe, radish cake, etc etc what-you-would-normally-find-at-a-dimsum-place.
This is not an eat-to-feel-good kind of place.
This is an eat-and-get-your-butt-home-before-you-get-into-a- car-accident-because-food-coma place. -
Review from Mel L.
Simi Valley, CA
12/20/2011 2 photos
I came here for my friend's sister's sweet sixteen. They had rented half of the restaurant, and our section was partitioned off with wooden screens so we can party in peace. On the other side of the screens were regular customers. What a clear indication of the Chinese people's shrewd business sense. I'm proud!
First off, this restaurant is pretty huge. There are dining rooms that are separate from the main dining hall, providing maximum eating area. I can definitely see families holding their kids' wedding reception here. If my grandmother was in America, she would probably push for a Top Island reception, too.
We had a multi-course meal served family style--is there any other way? There was the peking duck, the chicken and pork, the fried crab, the sea cucumber, the steamed fish, the fried rice, and the red bean dessert soup. I'm sure I missed some.
My table as a whole truly, truly enjoyed the Peking Duck. The skin was crispy, and the meat was wonderfully tender. I so rarely eat duck, and this tasted amazing to me. That dish got cleared super quickly. I wish we got a second plate.
All of us also loved the Fried Crab. Flavorful, easy to eat, and piping hot. The only thing is that I wish it had come sooner, because I was already getting full and couldn't eat as much as I wanted to.
The rest of the dishes were all right at best. I only had one bite of the sea cucumber, and a small piece of the fish. Both were bland. The chicken and pork were all right; that came out first, so we ate the most of that. Even though I liked the red bean soup, I found it too watery. It would have been a knockout dessert had it been more viscous.
As for the service, I was disappointed that nobody bothered to refill our teakettle once. It was served to us lukewarm, and it was cold by the end of the meal. It's standard practice to refill the teakettles without asking, especially during a party. At least I think so.
For the most part, though, the service was quintessentially Chinese restaurant-esque. Impersonal and kind of rash. I don't really want to go back. Except maybe to try their dim sum. -
Review from Samira H.
San Gabriel, CA
1/22/2012
I've come here for dim sum and dinner, and to say the least, I wasn't a fan of dim sum. Dinner, however, was the best and most authentic Chinese food I've ever had. I don't remember the names of all the dishes I tasted, my boyfriend's family ordered for us, but I tried the fried tofu, duck skin, duck, some vegetable mixture that you put in a cabbage leaf, and some other saucy beef dish...probably not very helpful descriptions, but I can definitely say I enjoyed every bite and ate to my heart's content.
-
Review from Josephine H.
Los Angeles, CA
11/24/2011
Mediocre at its best. I came here for dim sum on a Wednesday afternoon. Not crowded and quickly seated. I've heard much about this place, but only in passing. I've driven by quite a few times but it just seemed so odd to me that there would be a Chinese restaurant inside a plaza with an auto part store, a Big 5, and a Staples.
Dim Sum is surprisingly cheap here on the weekdays. It's cheaper before 11am and gets 10 cents more expensive after then. I believe it's around 1.89 per dish any dish. I like that every dish is equally priced. None of that "A, B, C, D" crap. You always have to play the guessing game with the prices corresponding to the appropriate dish. Ordering around 10 dishes is a good amount for two people. I have to give you a warning though, if you're not accustomed to dim sum and this is your first time, this place is probably not the greatest to start off with. The waitresses that push the carts around don't speak English too well and tend to glaze over people quite a bit. You probably won't get an accurate description of each item by them either. But then again dim sum is a risky and adventurous game for the newcomers.
I'd like to say that this place is decent for dim sum. The service could use a little help, but then again, what honest Chinese restaurant has good service? It's rare. Very rare. There are a plethora of dim sum restaurants in the San Gabriel Valley that are better, more expensive, and more crowded. But if you're not down for the wait and don't want to pay an overbearing amount for small dishes, you can give this place a try. -
Review from Joanne T.
Alhambra, CA
12/16/2011
ehhh. I've had better. Went here yesterday during lunch and it was packed! There's hardly any parking in the lot, so it's easier if you just park in the back and walk through the Wells Fargo walkway.
I came for a press event, so we were situated in one of the smaller rooms. Service was quite slow. Food came out 40 minutes later.
Quality of the food is as follows:
- duck - greasy skin, but dry meat
- lobster - tasty sauce, but small lobsters
- yang chow fried rice - good
- Sauteed beef dices - good
- Shrimp & broccoli - simple, but okay
- Cabbage + fried chicken - pretty good
- Crab meat soup - can't really go wrong with the standard Chinese recipe, so it was good
Overall, food was okay. Nothing too special. Typical Chinese food. Prices are standard between $10-17, if you're going to order the above items.
I think dim sum would have been better, so I think I'll give that a try next time. -
Review from Flora W.
Los Angeles, CA
1/9/2012 2 Check-ins Here
Can't believe I have not written a review about this place. It's my favorite 3 star dim sum restaurant in all of the San Gabriel Valley. The food is always HOT not warm. Service is great. Items are 10% off during the wk. Parking lot is shared so it's not too terrible.
-
Review from Tammy C.
Encinitas, CA
11/7/2011 1 Check-in Here
I come here maybe once or twice a month (from San Diego).
I only come here for dinner, so I'm not sure how the dimsum is. The dinner is great! I come with my family and we usually order their house soup, which has chicken/meat, sea cucumber, mushrooms, etc. Next we get squab, which is our favorite! Then comes the rice along with the rest of our order, typically, lobster and an order of veggies.
The service here is hit-or-miss. Sometimes we'll have a good waiter and sometimes not so good. The last time I went, the waiter was nearly rushing us out of the restaurant... he gave us dessert before we were even done with our dinner, but our check didn't come for another 20-30 minutes?!
Even so, we still go back to the restaurant for the food. -
Review from Chef P.
Sherman Oaks, CA
1/9/2012 1 Check-in Here
SERVICE SUCKED ASS! I asked for h2o for everyone (8) on my table, they gave us 1 plastic cup. It took a long time to order. I had to order twice, my 1st order did not go thru BUT it took ONLY 1 min 42 sec to get my check. This place needs better management and staff that has some knowledge on customer service. The food was good and I would not come back nor recomend to anyone. It was a joke!
-
Review from Denis K.
Pasadena, CA
10/31/2011
Thank you Uncle for dinner. I haven't had family banquet style dinner with the whole 9 yards in a long time. Top Island did not disappoint.
Chicken Feet - didn't taste like anything. it was the steamed kind
Peanuts - great to snack on while waiting for food
Appetizer platter (Duck, BBQ Pork, Jelly fish, Chilled beef) I was soo happy to see this platter. everything was prepared well.
Squab - a bit dry but I still enjoyed 3 halves of these very much
Snow peas with seafood - Good dish. I can see myself eat tons of snow peas prepared like this
Shrimp Walnuts - Typical but made well.
Shark fin soup with young bamboo - I'm torn with this one. I know sharkfin prices have gone up and soon to be outlawed. But the young bamboo took up too much space. The combination isn't as grand as it used to be.
Sea Cucumber Mushroom with Mustard Greens - Again the greens were great
Yellow Chicken - By this time I was really running out of room. I didn't get to eat this
Steamed fish - Above average quality fish. The cooking preparation could have been better but it was still very good.
Lobster - A typical good.
Scallop Fried Rice - Plain but prepared well.
Suckered Red Bean Tapioca Dessert - I can't comment on the taste cuz I've hated red bean since the day i was born. But we got suckered into paying extra cuz we got this dessert. They didn't ask us if this is what we wanted but tacked on the extra charge.. Not cool
So I'm still a fan. And it would have been 3 stars if I had to pay for this meal myself due to the sucker red bean. But since I didn't pay, I'll give them the benefit of the doubt. 4 Stars. You got lucky. -
Review from Carina S.
Van Nuys, CA
11/1/2011 1 photo
Service one of the best!
i always come here with my co-workers an its always super pack
long lines..since the manager here is super cool we get sitted right
away,on one of the reserve rooms with a really big table.its nice in there not as loud as the main dinning area.lol...its pretty cool that the ladys go around with carts carrying the lil dim sum/ food .none of us speak CHINESE but we jst look and choose..only dish that i recognize an its really really superrrr good is the fried shrimp w/a lil pc of suger cane stuck to it holding it..a like the other stuff too but idk the names..this place is for someone that basically LIKES everything i dont think my coworks were that into it.Only me and my korean colleages.lol
Thank u Manager!!!!!!!!!!! :) -
Review from Chris F.
Elk Grove, CA
12/30/2011
Pretty good place overall. Love the dim sum! I suggest the su mai! Yummmmmmm
-
Review from Kathy W.
Updated - 9/27/2011 1 Check-in Here
Came here for my birthday dinner with the family. We ordered different dishes from the menu. I can't remember all the dishes we ordered but I liked the Seafood Tofu Clay Pot. The tofu was braised and the ingredients just tasted good with rice. We got red bean for dessert; I believe it was complimentary.
Environment/service: can get loud depending on what day you go. The restaurant is pretty big so if it's a weekend and you are sitting at the large round tables most likely you'll have to scream to get your point across. The ambiance is your typical Chinese seafood restaurant. The service is okay; sometimes you have to remind them twice. However, the guy taking our order was highly unprofessional; he was checking his phone and made us repeat our order.
Parking: not too hard to find unless it's peak hours but even then you'll find one. It's just a matter of near or far. Wherever you are.
Overall, decent places for Chinese family style dining. The prices were pretty decent from what I remember. It's also conveniently located on Valley in the same plaza as Sunday Bistro and Big 5.1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
4/26/2010
the food was ok. nothing to rave about.
the service however was horrible. my uncle tried to get the… Read more »
-
-
Review from Jen G.
Los Angeles, CA
10/6/2011
My cousin had his wedding banquet here a few years ago and since then, it has been my parent's favorite restaurant. Naturally, for my wedding, we have Top Island cater the Chinese portion of our dinner reception.
Some dishes here are amazing while others are only so so (and their dim sum is inconsistent. Some days are great but other days are average). To select the right dishes for our wedding, we taste-tested many dishes (Our fav. include: Deep Fried Tofu with Bamboo fungus, Shrimp with Cashew Nuts, and Beef with Ginger and Green Onion).
The manager was very friendly and helpful through out the whole process. Of all the vendor, Top Island was the easiest to work with. The manager even have the delivery person scout out our wedding site (it's hard to find) prior to the day of so they could ensure on-time delivery.
On the day of, they delivered the food promptly. Our guests loved the food so much that many helped themselves to multiple serving. Food was gone by the end of the night. We still have people telling us how much they loved the food. -
Review from Xian Shane H.
Royal Oak, MI
9/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is my new favorite place for dim sum. (THANKS DAD)
why? because ocean star got too much hype and started to target towards *white people*. and you know the drill. an ethnic food stop being authentic from this point on.
so moving away from ocean star, top island is reasonably priced. everything is freshly made. my two favorites are their chicken feet and their seaweed salad. food are a bit more on the sweet and tangy side, which was perfect for me. -
Review from Jason K.
Rosemead, CA
10/6/2011
This review is for their late dinner specials after 9 PM.
Why so specific? Their dim sum honestly isn't that great compared to places like what they serve at East Gourmet Seafood Restaurant, and their regular dinner menu is pretty normal (and to a certain extent I'll even consider it a bit pricey), but their late night specials? Definitely bang for your buck.
My parents and I usually grab dinner here if we have a long busy day. Late night dinners are common in my family since I'm busy Saturday nights with Boy Scouts and my dad doesn't get home until 9. It's those times when we don't feel like cooking, and Top Island immediately becomes our top choice. Most of the time we don't even spend over $30 between the 3 of us, and we're ordering 4 to 5 dishes every time we eat here. And for the price you pay, the quality of the food ain't bad either.
It's definitely one of the better places to grab some late night food in the Alhambra area. -
Review from Jonessa N.
Rosemead, CA
12/9/2011
LOL! everytime when is someone birthday in my bf's family (like the older ppl), we always eat here. His uncle swearrss it's the greatest restaurant. LOL.
Okay, the food here are okay......the crab and lobster are good, and your typical asian dish. Idk what to say about this restaurant, but w.e my bf's uncle order it's okay. I would come back whenever they go. =D
& the dim sum is are whatever. -
Review from Gigi M.
Aiea, HI
8/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
Celebrated my cousin's bday with the fam and had a table of 17. Ya, we should've had 2 tables but everyone wanted to sit together (we're just tight like that! =D). We should've cuz they were being cheap and trying to impose a rule of only 1 lobster per table cuz it was on sale. W/E! I wasn't involved in the haggling!
The food was ok even though I didn't eat much. Waiters were very inattentive, it took asking 3 different waiters before someone finally brought us water! They're lucky they all look the same to me!
Chinese food is never my first pick but I just tag along cuz it's what the fam wants. I just go with the flow! We ordered way too much food and had tons of leftovers! -
Review from Christopher L.
Millbrae, CA
11/7/2011 1 photo
Came here with the family to get dinner. Special menu outside does not explain how they price things, so make sure you understand what you'll be paying before you order thinking you just got a steal.
Confusions aside, the food tastes fresh and good. It gets busy during dinner, but no people waiting for tables. The salt and pepper duck tongue is SUPER good, so try it. I know it might sound gross, but be adventurous! The french style steak cubes is also delicious and portions on all dishes are generous. Their salted fish eggplant clay pot pretty much doesn't have any salted fish, so that was pretty disappointing. The special dish we got was the geoduck two ways -- sashimi (sliced thin and over ice) and salt and pepper. While the pricing per pound is a great deal, they fail to mention that having it two ways is an additional charge! Never heard of this before, but I'm from the Bay Area, so you tell me. They also offer you half a chicken if you spend over $30, but NOT if you get anything from the special menu (in our case, the geoduck). Too many loopholes to deal with and you end up not getting what's advertised, since they dont make it clear to begin with. Them telling you while you're already sitting down and starting to order just feels like a trap! Not cool. -
Review from jackie l.
Los Angeles, CA
9/3/2011
Came here for dim sum a few times and I actually really like it! But it's better to come earlier cause if u go after 1 all the good stuff is almost gone!!
Umm the sweet tofu dessert is good and egg tarts, they have Many different steamed dumplings. Mm I'm definitely gonna be coming here more often when I have a dim sum craving! Way better than seafood harbor! -
Review from David W.
8/1/2011
The dim sum is so so but it's cheap.
Dinner on the other hand is SUPER pricey. Your bill comes out to be over $100 bucks easily. The dishes taste the same as those from lunch at three to four times the price.
I ordered the Pian Pan Appetizer Combo (the first thing that comes out whenever you eat at Chinese Banquets) and it was disgusting.. The dish was like 30+ bucks too....
I'm so disappointed....
The only other dinner worthy dish is the walnut shrimp. Everything else, just come during lunch. -
Review from O G.
Los Angeles, CA
6/27/2011
I came here for a super late dinner - around 11:00 PM. We had a total of eight dishes not really worth mentioning individually. The 2 veggie dishes that we had were really oily. The other dishes were either not very fresh or not very well made.
The talk of the entire meal was how disproportionate the lobster was. It had a super tiny head and a huge body. We had more fun trying to piece it together than eating it. We came to the conclusion that the body parts came from multiple lobsters. We had an experienced chef and a lobster pro at the table!
The best part of the meal was the red bean tapioca dessert soup not because it was quality (it had hardly had anything in it) or because it tasted exceptional, it was because I was super tired from not sleeping well for days and the warm soup felt so good going down my stomach.
I've ate here many times before but it was my first time at such a late time. Would I go here again? Maybe, but definitely not anything soon and it's definitely not my first choice. -
Review from Kevin L.
Alhambra, CA
11/27/2011
Trouble, my family has been supporting this business since it has opened. Every Sunday we will have 20 or so and spend hundreds. The past couple of times, the service and employee was rude. My family has boycott this place, hopefully you will too. Teach them a lesson, hopefully they will get better.
-
Review from Lisa W.
After my beloved Blue Ocean closed because of a recent fire, I`ve been on the search for a new dimsum place. This place is decent. Okay-ish food, fast service, and lots of choices. My beef with this place is just that it`s not as big as Blue Ocean, and it`s not as cheap/good as Blue Ocean. The wait for this restaurant during the dimsum hours is always super long. I`ve experienced waiting 30-45 minutes for a table. Other than that, good dimsum!
Listed in: DIM SUM
-
Review from Bryan L.
Pasadena, CA
9/2/2011 1 Check-in Here
Came here for their lobster special for dinner. The lobster wasn't as tasty as other places. The fried tofu with shrimp paste was slightly overfried and burnt on some sides. The french styled steak cubes was decent, although the food was not very hot when it was brought to us. I think it has something to do with the travel distance from the kitchen to the table. We also had an order of the house special chicken, which was slightly on the dry and salty side. Disappointing...
Service was average, nothing special here.
This place is not bad, but there are better seafood restaurants I've been to nearby. -
Review from Denysia Y.
Cerritos, CA
Updated - 6/26/2011
Came here for dinner this time.
We got a three dishes.
1. Peking duck
2. String beans.
3. Shrimp.
Now, I will let you guys know that I don't usually eat the shrimp from Chinese restaurants, because it's way too rich for my taste buds. But my guys ate 2 lbs like it was nothing. And they had a special on the shrimp too. It cost $14 for 2 lbs, which is really really cheap.
I did on the other hand eat the peking duck, and it was sooo good! I haven't had peking duck in the last month, so it tasted like amazing, when I ate it! And the string beans were pretty good too.
3 people, two grown men, and me, and the total came up to $68 with tip, and tax. That's a really good meal!
So far a good experience for dinner. Would come back here for dinner.Listed in: Asian Style Restaurants!
1 Previous Review: Show all »
-
5/22/2011
This place was okay. We came here for dim sum, and it was alright. Not the best I've had, but not… Read more »
-
-
Review from Manny V.
Pasadena, CA
1/2/2012 2 Check-ins Here
not such a bad place for some dimsum. pretty regular place, can get a bit crowded but the place is big so there is a lot room. they have a lot of different things to eat but some waiters can be rude for no reason at all. but i guess thats an old asian thing...hahaha
-
Review from Dustin M.
Redondo Beach, CA
11/18/2011
Dim sum is good, well made, and well priced. I'd be a regular if I didn't have another place closer.
-
Review from Richard R.
Millbrae, CA
$3.99/lb lobster great food
-
Review from Hana J.
6/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
Dim sum a yum yum!!
Service is whippy fast (relatively fast, for a Chinese restaurant), which always gets a smile from me. Our teas never stood empty for too long, and carts zoomed by nonstop, even after peak dim sum hours.
Though not the favorite of the locals, if you want cart service, bring it on over here! -
Review from Ben K.
San Dimas, CA
8/25/2011 4 Check-ins Here
We went here for dim sum and it was okay. Not the best I've ever had but it was decent. We came at around 2:00 so the selection was not as large as it probably was earlier in the day. Each dish was all the same price which was nice. Other dim sum places usually have different price ranges depending on what dish it is so if you're looking for a cheap place to eat and wouldn't mind sacrificing a little taste, this would be the place.
I'm usually used to the service provided at Asian restaurants, but I feel that it was worse than "normal" here. It might be because of the late time we came in, but there was still plenty of waiters around, but their attitude was something that could be improved. -
Review from Egan Y.
6/9/2011
I'd give Top Island 3.5 stars, but I'm leaning more towards 3 than 4, so 3 it is.
I came with my parent and uncle last week for dinner. They had some sort of $3.99/lb. special on lobster when you order $30+ for your meal.
So we went with fried oysters, fried tofu w/ seafood, some sort of pea sprout (dao miu?), and the fished us out a hefty 5.8lbs lobster to be pan fried with noodles.
In hindsight, what appeared to be a reasonably healthy meal, was actually pretty heavily cooked in oil.
The oysters were good. Not too briny with a light crispy batter served on a bed of shredded lettuce.
The pea spouts were good and tender, but I believe they were stir fried as well and coated in oil.
The tofu was soaking in savory sauce and served with various shrimp and fish chunks, peas and carrots.
The pan fried lobster over chewy noodles (an additional $7) was great. There was lots of meat and the noodles were like big soft rubber bands; just the way I like 'em.
We were served red bean soup for dessert. Although it was a bit watery and the little tapioca balls kind of clumped together.
Overall, the meal was good. The service was quick and friendly. There's really nothing special about Top Island, but I wouldn't mind coming back. -
Review from Sue S.
San Francisco, CA
6/17/2011
Love it! Love the food, variety, atmosphere and a little bit service.....
This is a review on dinner and will visits next time for the dimsum/brunch.
The stories started with an hour waiting before we could sit down and order our food..........
We order black chicken with ginseng soup (+), pan fried clams (+), steamed chicken (-), Chinese broccoli (+). the white rice was just OK and was super dry on that night. the free dessert was OK. the "free" food were all OK.
The food came out a little bit warm, but I could still smell the flavors, taste the real meat/veggies.
The waiters kept us comfortable with hot tea in the water and packed the food for us -
Review from Paula L.
3/27/2011 2 Check-ins Here
I'm not Chinese so honestly this place scares me like no other!
I would never come here unless I brought a Chinese speaking friend.
I came on a Sunday for brunch (aka dim sum) and there was a HUGE line! Luckily, the line is long but not the wait. We got seated in like 10-15 mins.
The interior of the restaurant is like any other Chinese restaurant.
Chandeliers? Check.
Table cloths? Check.
Fish tanks? Check.
Food is served here by servers pushing carts of dim sum. They try their best to get to every table, but with a restaurant this big...its difficult.
I had shu mai, chicken feet, and turnip cake. I am obsessssed with turnip cake! When I saw that the turnip cake cart here was literally a grill I jumped up with joy!
So how much did my meal for 4 cost? $33! Yay!!
Now I don't eat dim sum often, nor am I a native of SGV, but I liked this place. Judging by the other reviews this isn't the best place...but then where is!? Someone teach me.....
P.s. Parking here is a nightmare. BEWARE!Listed in: A-Z-N, i got CRABS
-
Review from Corey Tess T.
Los Angeles, CA
3/28/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is located in a shopping center and parking is a bear! You really would not know what was going on inside this place from the outside, but the crowd of Chinese people waiting to get in is a tip off that there is something special going on.
Inside is a HUGE dining room with banquet style tables/chairs/cloths and chandeliers and tanks with big lobsters and king crabs. You have to get on the list and be given a number. Listen carefully for your number if you don't speak Chinese, you might miss it. (if you are the kind of person who is put off by going places where other races are predominate and that intimidates you - I should say, this is 99% Chinese and not much English is spoken.) If you can get over that and you are a foodie, you will enjoy yourself.
You will be seated and given place settings and tea to start... then the carts start rolling up and you just choose the dim sum you want. I am adventurous and so are my sisters, so we said YES to pretty much every cart item. HA HA! Everything was good.
Dim sum is a Cantonese term for a type of Chinese dish that involves small individual portions of food, usually served in a small steamer basket or on a small plate. Going for dim sum is usually known in Cantonese as going to "drink tea") -
Review from Uy T.
5/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
This is a review for dinner service.
First the good:
Immediate seating on Friday night
Quick and pretty friendly service
Peking duck
The bad:
Food was pretty meh
House special lobster was double meh
It's really just an average Chinese seafood restaurant. Peking duck was decent. House special lobster didn't taste very fresh. Also, it's just lobster cut up, battered, deep fried and then sprinkled with a dry chili mixture.
I guess there's a reason there is no wait. Solid back up place if you're really jonesing for Chinese food and Tan Cang has 30 people in front of you. -
Review from Julie L.
3/15/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Noisy. Check.
Crowded. Check
Overhearing Chinese people gossip about one another. Check.
Typical Chinese restaurant. Check. =P
Came here for dim sum during the lunch time rush today. We had to wait for about 10 minutes, but it wasn't bad. Once seated, there was a push cart lady right next to us so we could order right away. There was a lull when we were eating though, where we couldn't find any pushcarts nearby and had to flag them down.
The Good:
Pretty decent selection of dim sum.
Baked goods were delicious and fresh.
Prices were reasonable for all the food we ordered.
The Blah:
Most of the dim sum I had was warm, rather then piping hot like it should have been coming out of the steamer. I felt like it had been sitting there a bit.
Finding parking in the lot outside is horrendous. This shopping center is always really packed.
Service was pretty good.
Overall, not the best dim sum place I've been too, but the food was still good.
