Fabulous Chinese dinner

No trip up to the tri-state area is complete without a dinner at Imperial Palace in Flushing. My parents are so generous to drive us to Flushing through all that traffic. We really super appreciate it.

The meal we had was basically the same as we had the last time, but I say, why mess with a good thing? And for some reason, it just seemed more super than usual.

When you are at a table with a lot of people, especially eating something that must be eaten quickly, like Chinese seafood, you can't take too much time to take a photo. Every time a plate went on the table, I took up the camera with my left hand, even if my right hand was holding a piece of lobster or snail, and snapped a picture. So some of them aren't perfect.

To start: these sea snails sauteed in a black bean sauce. There are jalapenos in this, but only a touch. Basically you take each snail and try to get the snail on the end of your toothpick to pull it out. Sometimes this doesn't work and you have to suck it out. Sometimes there is a hole in the shell and you can't get it out at all. Those are sad moments.

This dish is basically for me and my dad. Everyone had a couple, but my dad's plate and mine were piled with the shells.

Here is a crispy chicken. There is just something about Chinese roasted chicken that is better than even a normal roasted chicken.

We also had saehk bahn kau, grouper fillets with assorted vegetables. I love how delicately delicious this dish is.

Fried tofu, topped with shrimp inside. So good!

A simple dish of sauteed spinach.

Mmmm! A big lobster with ginger and scallions! I got to eat the head, as usual, which was filled with some delicious roe.

The hairy crab that they bought out for us to see before they cooked it was divine. I always like this rice, but this time, it was simply amazing with more of the yellow goo than usual. I got to eat both shell tops (quite extreme really) and although both tops had a bunch of goo, one of them had A TON. I was so happy.

This was a super great meal with super great company. It's hard to not want dinner like this all the time.