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we go there because there's no much other choice - Review by citysearch c | Sam Woo Restaurant

Sam Woo Restaurant

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we go there because there's no much other choice 8/4/2007

If you believe that how good a restaurant is depends on how busy it is, then this one is a bit misleading. Of the 2 sides of SW in Irvine, the BBQ side always have a line during meal time. The other, fancier, side doesn't have so long a wait. Though the food is coming from the same kitchen, prices are different. Go figure??? As for taste, the Chinese go there because the lack of other choices in Irvine and we're too busy/lazy to drive up to Rowland Heights or Monterey Park for the more authentic stuff. That's not to say all are not good. The roasted duck deserves honorable mention. We'll order it when eating there or get it for take out. The seafood soup was pretty bad. Don't think the chef used any broth, rather heated up plain water, thicken with lots of cornstarch, put in some tofu and imitation crabmeat. Equally bad is the salt-n-pepper pork. Way too much batter. The other restaurant up Culver does a much better salt-n-pepper pork. A word on service. Was there one time with a date. We ordered a live fish for steaming. Waiter said the fish is too small and suggested we get 2. I asked the waiter how much the fish weighs. He said about a pound. I said that's plenty. Actually, that's the perfect weight for the type of fish we ordered because any larger the meat would be to tough. So the waiter came across as lacking knowledge of the food they're serving, and I really thought his goal was to bump up the total bill so he can get a bigger tip. Pros: is the choice by lack of other options Cons: is the choice by lack of other options more
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