Fancy Or Simple, All Up To You

Fancy Or Simple, All Up To You
Interviewed by Cuiyin Zhang  Written by Pam McElory

 “…it is the embodiment of what Cantonese cuisine should be: A kaleidoscopic blending of subtle flavors that complement and contrast each other in intensely interesting ways,” one online reviews says of Ocean City Seafood Restaurant in Portland, Oregon. This 5,000 square foot dine-in and take-out restaurant has received much acclaim in the area’s quickly developing Chinatown. Its latest recognition came from Chinese Restaurant News; the restaurant was given the Top Rising Stars award in the 6th annual Top100 Chinese Restaurants award ceremony in January 2010 in Las Vegas.

Dining in Style
When owner Mr. Feng took over the restaurant in 2009 he decided to create a beautiful, yet simple, soothing environment. He believes that the dining environment is just as important as the food and service. He added decorative folding screens and beams and repainted the walls; he enlarged the entrance and the dining hall so the space would open up and to allow more light to pass through. There are handsome wine cabinets and wooden sculptures adding to the ambiance and representing Chinese culture. Mr. Feng was successful in creating an ambiance that is blends elegance and comfort perfectly.

Additionally, there are two private rooms available for corporate gatherings, birthday parties, weddings, or other events. The party rooms are equipped with TV and video equipment.

Authenticity at its Best
Ocean City Seafood Restaurant serves Americanized and traditional Chinese food, focusing mainly on seafood, Cantonese Dim Sum. The Dim Sum, meaning “touch of heart,” is especially memorable. Each exquisite piece is made fresh and served from the traditional carts. Some of the most popular items include the Egg Custard Bun, Toro Cake, Dumplings, and Snow Mountain Bun. The seafood is another option that shouldn’t be missed. The seafood is kept live in fish tanks throughout the restaurant and each order is prepared fresh, according to customer preference.

According to Mr. Feng, the restaurant’s signature dishes are the House Deluxe Stir Fry, which is a combination of shredded squid, dry scallops, silver fish, jelly fish, celery, carrots, leeks, pepper, and kudzu; the Dry Sautéed Assorted Mushrooms, which includes chicken leg mushrooms, Enoki mushrooms, and Chinese black mushrooms in a homemade sauce; the Multi Flavor Tofu, which is a dish famous for tofu that is crunchy on the outside and smooth on the inside; and the popular Americanized Chinese dishes, Garlic Spareribs and Walnut Prawns, which never disappoint. As for delicacies, abalone, fish maw, lobster, and shark fins are also available.

However, no matter what customers order, they can be sure the food they are eating is fresh. “Everything is fresh and of the best quality,” Mr. Feng confirms. He keeps no stock in his restaurant and shops around to find the best ingredients at the best price each day.

Healthy dishes can be found on Ocean City Chinese Restaurant’s menu as well. However, every dish on the menu is prepared with the proper amount of oil and salt and without MSG. There are also up to fifteen vegetarian dishes on the menu.

Top Service
The kitchen and wait staff members are all considerate, professional, hard working people. The entire staff gets along well and works efficiently together. “Our servers are trained to be patient and energetic. They are always amiable and satisfy the customers,” Mr. Feng adds. The wait staff treats each guest exactly how he or she would want to be treated while dining out in a restaurant. Meetings are held with Mr. Feng and his staff to discuss any problems or praises and to figure out what the next steps are.

The kitchen staff represents many different regions throughout China, therefore, and this fact is responsible for influencing the recipes. But no matter what a dish’s influence, every meal at Ocean City Seafood Restaurant represents the best of traditional and contemporary cooking styles and flavors.

A particular favorite among the regular customers is the free tasting of new dishes. Before a new dish is added to the menu, Mr. Feng will ask a loyal customer to taste the dish and give their opinion. This technique is useful for Mr. Feng and his kitchen staff and at the same time is a treat for the guest.

Tips from Mr. Feng
1. Know the importance of communication. Problems can always be solved through interactions between staff or management and customers.
2. Never stop innovating. Pay attention to dining trends to keep customers interested.
3. Keep portions and favorite meals consistent.
4. Good chefs should never be restricted. They should travel the country and the world learning different cultures, cooking techniques, and ingredients.

All About Mr. Feng
Mr. Feng is quite well known within the Chinese community. He has been studying and working in the culinary arts for more than a decade since 1993. He first came to the United States in 2002 where he worked at a famous Chinese restaurant until opened his first restaurant in 2008.

According to Mr. Feng, “Being interested in your business is essential.” No matter what career a person chooses, they won’t be successful unless they genuinely enjoy it.

“We all need friends to support and help us out of difficulties,” he adds. “Without the help of my friends, I would not have achieved as much as I have.” And in return, Mr. Feng shows his gratitude to his loyal customers.

Mr. Feng never stops learning. He completed a Chinese Culinary Arts Enhancement Workshops courses taught by many culinary masters and was given the certificate by Martin Yan recently. Mr. Feng’s secret to success is paying close attention to the restaurant’s environment, service, and food quality. This is the only way for a restaurant to grow during a financial crisis, according to Mr. Feng.

Name: Ocean City Seafood Restaurant
Location: 3016 SE 82nd Ave., Portland, OR 97266
Phone: (503) 771-2299
Offers: Dine-in