Chinese (ideally Seafood) restaurants to recommend for 9 on Christmas Day?

[wenster]

My family is invading town for the holidays, and for Christmas Day we'd like to go out for a Chinese meal (Dad can only go so long before he needs his Chinese food after a week of traditional Western fare). My dad and uncle are huge seafood fans, so recommendations for Chinese Seafood would be great.

Ambiance is less important than quality food. We live in the Pasadena area, so San Gabriel/Monterey Park/Arcadia area would be ideal.

On a separate note, my dad is also a big niu rou mien and dan dan mien guy. I'll gladly welcome any reco's on places in the same area I can take him for a lunchtime fix!!

Thank you!!

[Ginger9]

Try Super 888 Seafood in Rosemead. They have private rooms and good seafood for good prices. Their dim sum at lunch is also excellent.

[ipsedixit]

If you plan on having seafood at a Chinese restaurant in SGV, go during dinner service. Lunch (or brunch) will be dim sum, and probably a madhouse, esp. if you are going with a party of 9.

So if you go dinner, I'd recommend either Elite or Sea Habour, the latter will give you a private room, and the former can section off the back section for you. There are many other choices, but Sea Harbour and Elite would be my top two choices. Expensive, esp. with live seafood, but well worth the expense.

Re: Dan Dan Mien. See here: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/725035
Re: Niu Rou Mien. Either Canton Gourmet and Bakery, China Islamic, or Kam Hong.

[carter]

Good recommendations, but I would also add Newport Seafood on Las Tunas in San Gabriel in a former Marie Callendar building.
A zoo it is, yet there is a reason. And the clientele is nearly 100% chinese.
Also, for spicier seafood, Hunan Seafood in Rosemead on Valley Blvd. between Rosemead and Walnut Grove - superb!

[wenster]

Thanks for the recommendations- yes, we are definitely thinking dinner, not lunch. Good call on the private room, I hadn't thought of that! Thank you ipsedixit!

Carter- we have done Newport before. For whatever reason, I thought the one in Santa Ana was better than the one on Las Tunas, not sure why, perhaps the better ambiance threw me off? :0)

Good to know about Hunan Seafood, I haven't tried that one... now I'm very curious and looking it up!

[carter]

Hunan is my favorite of those two.
Can't wait to return.
come to think of it, my nephew and his Taiwanese wife and I need to plan a Christmas focused dinner. should call and set it up asap.
Good reminder.
Have not tried the S/A version of Newport, yet might inform nephew/wife who live in Irvine. We did Spicy Cafe for Turkey day which was good enough, yet hardly seafood-focused.

[ipsedixit]

Both Newport and Hunan Seafood are fine in their own right, but if you want live seafood, both really pale in comparison to Elite or Sea Harbour.

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Hunan Seafood Restaurant
8772 E Valley Blvd, Rosemead, CA 91770

[raytamsgv]

Are you planning to have dinner or lunch? Are you looking for Cantonese seafood or some other type of seafood? I'm guessing that almost all of the Chinese restaurants in that part of the SGV will be open that day.