The Seafood Shack, Westminster, CA

 

 

OMG. Oysters. Need I say more? It’s been a really long time since I’ve had oysters as fresh as these at The Seafood Shack. It’s funny. I’ve always been scared of eating anything raw, like these oysters and even sushi. Until one day I just closed my eyes and devoured them like it’s my last day on earth so I don’t care whether I live or die. 😛 And sometimes, that’s the only way to go when trying out food you’ve never had before. I felt that way with oysters. I remember my friends telling me, “just put it in your mouth.” The tabasco sauce and lemon certainly helped. A LOT.

I didn’t realize they had so many types of oysters – blue point, gold band, carlsbad, kumamoto. I was confused. I told them just bring the biggest one, which is the blue point oysters. They weren’t as big as I expected, though, but fresh nevertheless.

I really wanted crab but they didn’t have any due to high prices. So with our big group, we went for the special of the week – a $65.99 bucket that includes 2lbs crawfish, 2lbs clams, 2lbs shrimp, 1 whole lobster, 2 corns, 2 sausages, 2 potatoes, with the “everything” flavors – butter, garlic, lemon, and other cajun spices. There’s a ton of garlic pieces in the pot so if you love garlic like me, you’re in taste heaven. I would say this is probably as good as Boiling Crab, if not better.

The service here is, however, a thousand times better than Boiling Crab’s. Our waiter at Seafood Shack is super bubbly and tells us jokes and takes care of us really well. She and other waiters would come around often to see if we need anything else, and then offer to bring us an extra bucket to make it easier to share among the group. Very considerate.

The place is small. It looks like a shack from the outside, hidden in the corner so it’s hard to find. But it’s nicer on the inside, with TV screens showing sports games. The wait is not as horrible as Boiling Crab’s. I called ahead to make sure we have a table for our group, and even then they said it would take 15-30 minutes. I know they tried to accommodate us the best they could even if it’s clearly implied they don’t really take reservations. But a 35-minute wait wasn’t bad and totally worth it because the food is excellent. It sure beats Boiling Crab’s 1.5 hour wait. Sorry if I keep bagging on BC but beside the good food, there’s nothing positive about them to rave about.

The Seafood Shack
7681 Westminster Blvd
Westminster, CA 92683
(714) 899-6100

 

Au Lac, Fountain Valley, CA

 

 

This restaurant has been completely remodeled. When I first stepped inside, I thought I was in the wrong place. The Au Lac I remember was not this trendy looking. The decor was more on the peaceful, serene side, giving you a nice homely feeling when you’re there. The menu had more regular Vietnamese vegetarian food selections. Now, the entire place has turned into one of those posh, full-on vegan places where people go to eat vegan food because it’s the trend. The menu, staff, clientele are all different. But we were there already, so might as well give it a shot.

What’s interesting is that the sign says “Humanese Cuisine.” What the heck is that? So I looked it up and their website states that their chef coined this term “with the belief that we have more in common than we realize. Rather than see ourselves as separate, we are all merely … and wonderfully … human. No labels, no man-made borders to divide us.” So they only serve “plant-based” stuff, with quite a bit of selections focused on “raw and living” food. Awesome!

Now on with the food:

"Bo Luc Lac" - shaken beef made of soy, stir fried with veggies. Pretty flavorful. They serve it by itself so if you want rice, you'd have to ask for it. Also, they ONLY have brown rice.

Deep fried battered tofu, salt and peppered. Very crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, just how I like it.

Wonton soup. Not bad for vegetarian. Wonton soup tastes just right and the stuffing inside tastes like real meat. 🙂