Restaurant Review: Lobster King

Having a mildly strong craving for seafood this week, I decided that this was the time to try the fairly new Lobster King on the corner of King and Keeaumoku Street.   The reason for this choice was the crowds I see every weekend when I pass by on my way to other destinations.  Joined by a fellow foodie, it was with great anticipation that we sat down and awaited our Friday rewards of succulent lobster and other tasty dishes.  Since it was only the two of us, we ordered only three dishes:

1)  Braised Kau Yuk and Taro in Hot Pot
2)  Lobster sauteed in garlic and butter
3)  Garlic Seafood Fried Rice

While there were other specials to choose from hese dishes were specifically chosen to represent that which we had the most reference to, and are fairly standard at most Chinese seafood restaurant.  It is by this watermark that we could make the best evaluation of the food being served.

 I came very close to ordering the deep fried intestine

Our offerings today

Unfortunately, this type of reward was not to be had by my friend at I on this particular location.

Without indulging in too much hyperbole, I can honestly say that every dish was something that could have been on par or beaten by an entree at Panda Express.  Here are my reasons:

1)  The Garlic Seafood Fried Rice had no garlic flavor nor was it fried.  It tasted like it would have used a few more minutes in the wok to get rid of the excess moisture in the rice.  What we received was bland, slightly soggy, and in desperate need of some salt and pepper.

2)  The Garlic Butter Lobster, like the fried rice, lacked the necessary garlic flavor.  While drenched in butter, it was the unsalted type which left the lobster greasy and again needing a little salt.

3)  The Kau Yuk with Taro, while not lacking flavor only yielded one flavor...Star Anise.  The over-indulgent use of this spice took over any taste of pork or taro that should have been in this dish.  It also seemed to need a bit more time braising as the pork belly was still chewy and the fat hadn't melted yet.

Overall,  I was fairly disappointed with the whole meal and feel pretty certain that I will not go back there anytime soon.  If any of you feel the urge to go here, save your money and get some Panda Express.

Thanks for reading!!