Koi Palace Restaurant   

Yes, lines of people, lot's of people wait to eat at Koi Palace. But I'm here to tell you it take a certain attitude to do this. You've got to want good food. The food is overpriced for sure, but generally worth it. The service is another matter, and has caused me to put Koi Palace on my "don't go" list of restaurants. (I gave 4 tries with similar service each time) On the surface they have well dressed waiters, bus persons and supervision. But then the silverware, plates, are just thrown down at the table... the wait for service is long and for delivery is longer. No follow through to see how the diner is faring. They give your order and run away. Then when I didn't leave a tip the waiter informed me that at least 15% is customary. I said, good service should be customary.

I've been going to Chinese restaurants in California, New York, and Asia for 50+ years, and this was one of the most disappointing, pretentious, and overpriced of them all. The "live" fish in the tank were all dead. We tried one anyway -- it was tasteless. Pea sprouts -- about $5.00 anyplace else -- were $16 here. Also tasteless. We ordered 3 dishes. Two arrived and turned cold before we begged the captain for the third -- a rice dish, of all things. When it arrived, I asked where the duck was in the "duck-shred" rice. The captain poked at the mushy rice and announced "THERE!" It was a shiitake mushroom (of very low quality and and with a weird taste). There was absolutely no duck in the duck-shred rice. I had to beg for a rice bowl and a clean plate when all (3) dishes had finally arrived. Tasteless dead fish; overpriced pea sprouts; duckless duck-shred rice; and the worst service I've had in ANY restaurant in decades. Then the bill came: $100 for 3 dishes and an appetizer for 2 people! Never again! You can go across Hickey Boulevard to Fung Wong and have better food and better service at 1/4 the price. Otherwise, don't bother to get off the freeway at this point.