UYE Mission: Enter the Dragon House aka lobster/crab-fest

You can count on Tony T to round up a tasty, affordable spot and a friendly crew of Unilocalers! The restaurant was prepared for the onslaught of Unilocalers with several big, round tables all set. Plus, there was no problem splitting checks when it came time to say goodbye.
Of course, the real fun of UYEs is seeing familiar faces and meeting new Unilocalers. There were several new friends to be made: Dennis, Diane, Arthur and Kimberly. Big props to them for braving a gathering of new people, but I am pretty sure they learned we’re a friendly bunch thanks to the gracious host, Tony.
Thank you Tony for finding a new spot for everyone to try and for rounding up a crew of hungry, fun and friendly Unilocalers! The food was delicious too, so it was a winning night all around.

The UYE Mission: Enter the Dragon House aka lobster/​crab-​fest was both tasty and fun as over a dozen Unilocalers gorged on large portions of succulent lobster and crab cooked various ways, a hot pot featuring seafood and delicious black mushrooms, and other assorted Chinese fare. For some lucky diners, these delicious entrees were preceded by orders of well-​prepared fried dumplings and a large bowl of hot and great-​tasting House Special Won Ton Soup that was chock-​full of large shrimps, white chicken, slices of pork, other assorted vegetables, and delicate won tons that packed a two-​flavor punch, for each of the several won tons floating in the flavorful broth contained BOTH shrimp and pork. And, not pieces of shrimp but an entire intact shrimp! Because the cooked lobsters and crabs had to be pulled apart to get at their tender meat, paper napkins were constantly replenished to wipe off accumulated food and butter sauce trails from our hands. This was the first Unilocal event for me and my wife, and we enjoyed it immensely.
Tony T. was the consummate host as he explained the differences in varieties of Chinese regional cuisine. And CM Misti Y., accompanied by hubby Bobby, patiently answered what may very well have been elementary questions about Unilocal.The food was great, and so was the company, as we willingly shared with our friendly table-​mates dishes that one or the other of us had ordered, simply by placing them on the lazy Susan mounted on our table, and sliding them over. Service was fast and unobtrusive, but very efficient and accommodating to our requests. The event lasted just over two hours from start to finish. In fact, when I looked at my watch as we prepared to leave, I was quite surprised at the time, because it had passed by so quickly. The only drawback was that our large group had to be spread over multiple tables, so we didn’t get to meet everybody who was there.
This UYE Mission was a memorable occasion that deserves a second go-​around sometime in the future. But I won’t wait that long before I next return to Dragon House. There are just too many other intriguing dishes on its vast menu in which to indulge before then.

Growing up, when I heard «Hot Pot,» I thought of a steaming hot stew-​like dish that is served in a hot clay pot. I’ve only recently discovered that Hot Pot also refers to cooking your own food in a simmering bowl of broth at your table a la Japanese Shabu-​shabu or Sukiyaki.
Anyway, we had a little UYE at Dragon House last night. Unfortunately, we discovered that they no longer offer their Grand Opening deal of lunch specials all day long. They do, however, still offer a discount on the Hot Pot AYCE. It is currently $ 15 (normally $ 18.88 — about 20% off).
We decided to forgo Hot Pot and order dishes instead (of course, one of them ended up being a Hot Pot).
* Fried Squid in Black Bean Sauce
* Shrimp in Spicy Garlic Sauce
* Pork Chop Peking Style
* Shrimp in Cashew Sauce
* Salty Fish and Tofu Hot Pot
Everything was tasty. I particularly liked the Spicy Garlic Sauce. I initially detected no spice at all, but it slowly crept onto my taste buds. The Pork Chop was delicious and definitely something I’d like to order again. The Salty Fish was certainly salty. You could smell it as soon as it came out! It was good though.
We were also treated to a lobster vs crab battle in the fish tank. It was a little unfair because the lobsters have their claws rubber-​banded. Still, the intensity of that epic battle is only surpassed by the Cat-​Bun Wars of 2005.
Obscure «Perfect Hair Forever» references aside, it was an enjoyable meal. I’d like to return and try the Hot Pot AYCE option. I just wish they would pick a different channel other than Fox 5 Weather on their TV.
3.5 stars