At 10:15am we drove by Saigon Seafood Harbor Restaurant and the parking lot was nearly empty. Early for our dim sum date, we decided to do a quick run-through at Ranch 99, the cavernous Asian supermarket, where you can find everything from fresh Japanese ramen noodles to ready-to-steam Chinese buns filled with bean paste to pork. After our quick run-through, we headed back to the restaurant to find the parking lot nearly full, only 15 minutes later.
We were quickly whisked to a table across from the chefs who were ladling up pots of thick, steamy soup and savory stir-fried mustard greens, near stacks of fresh seafood tanks brimming with crabs, lobsters, and clams. Our friends arrived shortly after the hot pot of jasmine tea was delivered to our table, and the ordering began in ernest.
Peter and Peter (our friends who had joined us and recommended this place) had dined here many many times, so we left it to them to order. And order they did. From vegetable siu mei, little steamed dumplings filled with lotus root and mushrooms, to a plate of shredded jellyfish and seaweed salad, we ordered course after course from the carts and trays that were offered continously throughout our eating extravaganza.