Kat's 9 Lives

The gals and I decided to grab dinner together last minute. we were all hungry, tired, and sick... you can imagine how grumpy and whiny we were together lol. We kept arguing on where to go for dinner and who's driving. Eventually we came to the decision that we will check out the newly opened Capital Seafood at the Diamond Jamboree Plaza. Somehow I got roped into driving. =*(
I have heard mixed reviews ab out the food in this place but the interior was beautiful. The colors are vibrant and the lights on the ceiling were vary classy and elegant. It had a great vibe. Of course we had a problem... Veggie Girl had a limited about of food to choose from! They had a few Vegetarian options and we decided to give it a try. Upon walking in, I was that they offered Peking Duck for $12 dining in Mon-Thurs. My jaw dropped and I was very inclined to try them out. =9
Veggie Girl ordered the Vegetable Chow Mein. I had a really hard time trying to get my questions answered and to keep Veggie Girl happy. She wanted to get my questions answered and to keep Veggie Girl happy. She wanted stir-fried noodles, lo mein. Apparently this restaurant is more Cantonese style and only made the "chow mein". It's called something else in Chinese, "lian mien huang". In the end we had to settle with the Chow Mein, which was very different from what they wanted. **MMP, I know it is Cantonese since it serves Dim Sum >=P** lol For the 1st dish that came out, Veggie Girl's, they did a whole presentation for serving everyone. Time for another time-consuming collage. =)
TP was jealous that they didn't do one for her dish. She ordered the Chicken Chow Mein. The portions were HUGE but the Chicken was not good. It tasted kind of rubbery and not like real chicken. I thought they gave a wide-range of freshly stir-fried Vegetables. The dish smelled good and looked appealing. Overall I felt the noodles were utter failure. The dish had potential but just missed the mark and these were not cheap noodles.
I got the best deal! lol My Peking Duck came out nicely and they didn't skimp much on the portion. I haven't had this in a while and I've been craving Peking Duck so it was perfect. The duck itself was not super flavorful but for the price, I am not complaining!! haha Usually the skin is the best part. The skin was nice and crispy but lacked the normal succulent flavor. Most of the tables around all had this since it was such a good deal.
They didn't serve my dish and I wished they did to save me some trouble but it is easy to do yourself. Most of the duck was de-boned but there were still some big bones hiding in the lower pieces. Take a bun (mantou), open it up, put Hoisin Sauce on one or both sides, place a piece of duck meat & a piece of crispy skin on one side, then add the Scallion onto the side with the Hoisin, and bon appétit!
All in all it was like MMP and what other people said... it is just aiight. It is the "new" hot thing in Irvine so I am sure it will be super popular for a while. The decor is super nice. A great place to take out of town visitors but it is more for the ambiance than the food. The service here is friendly too. Still, keep in mind that this is "Irvine" Asian food. lol

Capital Seafood