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Restaurant ReviewCapital Seafood Chinese Restaurant (Monterey CA)
| (616) 282-3318
| 755 W. Garvey Avenue,
Monterey Park, CA 91754
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Reviewed by: Jacqueline M. Newman
Summer Volume: 2007 Issue: 14(2) page: 31
  This seafood restaurant is popular at lunch and dinner, and for weddings and other banquet events. The bowl of shark's fin soup on its menu cover shows this is an upscale place. This past October it was the banquet destination for the Top 100 Chinese Restaurant Awards Dinner.
Owned by folks who also own the Capital Garden Grove in Rowland Heights, Capital Las Vegas in Nevada, Kim Tar in Monterey Park, and other restaurants in this 'Capital Group--even a Vietnamese one in Vegas, the owners and their chefs have lots of know-how in the restaurant business. The place exudes expertise from their six restaurants. Were they not enough, we learn there is a seventh on the horizon, location and name not revealed. The banquet menu of the awards evening, shown here, is wonderful. Several dishes, even by winning chef standards, will long be remembered by all. We still visualize and taste the Deep-Fried and Stir-Fried Geoduck with Green. We wonder if consumers know that this huge-necked clam can live to be one hundred and fifty years old. We also wonder how old the fins are in the Braised Shark Fin Soup. They are so tender and thin, they have to be only a handful of years young. The crabmeat in this soup is fat and fancy.   The Stuffed Roasted Duck in Teo-Chow Style is so outstanding, nay, it is the most phenomenal dish of the evening. Most of the talented and tough audience know it is prepared four different ways. But the folks at our table do not have a clue. No matter, everyone knows it is super, sumptuous, and very, very special.
This restaurant, almost hidden in an L-shaped corner strip mall. It is in a very popular location, virtually in the bend, and surrounded by a great newspaper/book store and a few doors from a fantastic Ranch 99 Supermarket. Across the street both ways are two of the best Chinese bookstores we know. One is called SUP Bookstore, the other called Evergreen Books. At this Capital eatery, one can eat great dishes then cross the street to seek recipes that illuminate their contents and provide direction for trying them at home.  This particular Capital Seafood opened near the end of 2005. Not really new and quite nifty, when it is more than three years old, is can apply to join the Top 100 crowd, and it should. Eric Souka and his front and back of the house staff are comfortable with their service and culinary talents. They have no trouble feeding the Top 100 chefs in attendance. One person there says of course not because their 'Pearl,' 'Diamond,' and 'Sweetheart' wedding banquet menus; they are a clue that they can do great things.
That evening, close to forty tables are occupied by more than fifty Top 100 US chefs, each with their entourage. Also in attendance are the S-B-S staff (the award givers), press, politicians, and other guests. A great meal is had by all. Many of the attendees say they plan to return, as does this editor. They should to have yet another capital experience.
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