New Capital Seafood (Rowland Heights)

Whenever we're in Los Angeles visiting family, we invariably end up at a seafood restaurant. It just happens. Last weekend, we ended up at New Capital in Diamond Plaza because they were running a $2.99/lb special on Alaskan snow crabs. Order $30 of other food, get a crab on the cheap for the table! Not a bad deal.

Snow crabs are a funny thing. They tend to be enormous--easily 8-12 pounds, fiery red, and spikey all over. I suppose their superior armor is part of the reason they can get so large. As far as their meat goes, they tend to have a milder flavor than Dungeness crabs, and a looser, more tender meat. I personally thought New Capital did a nice job with a heavily garlicky preparation, but some people are put off by what they perceive as a mushy interior. I mean, if you're expecting it to taste like a lobster, you're going to be sorely disappointed. 

The other unique dish we had was listed on the menu as a "red coral clam." I'd never seen it before, and neither had anyone at the table. That's pretty rare for a Chinese family! The clams were very bouncy and crunchy, and cooked up into tight spirals of meat. Though it was interesting to try, I have to say there wasn't any exceptional flavor or texture. This isn't something I'll be ordering again unless someone tells me I simply had a mediocre preparation.