(my creative plating,eggplant, and fish soup)

If you’re feeling the urge for haute Chinese food without spending a hefty price, the Kitchen is a great choice. Located a few blocks away from culinary giants Fok Yuen and Hong Kong Flower Lounge, the Kitchen quietly sits on a leafy street on El Camino.

Ambiance.
Entering through the modest entrance, the restaurant appears to be an upscale mom ‘n pops operation. Filled with plenty of fresh sea food, the fish tank is a gentle affirmation of a good seafood restaurant. Although I found it annoying, others seem to enjoy the plasma televisions broadcasting Chinese news. As former restaurant consultant, I have emphasized the need for the food to play center stage.

Food.
On all my visits to the Kitchen, I have found the service to be both consistent and attentive. After our tea selection, our waiter, dressed charmingly in a black vest, was ready to take our order. No pun intended, but a great way to wet my appetite was fish simmered in hot pot ($24). Arriving in spectacular presentation, the fish soup arrived in a clear dish kept warm from two burners.

Meant to be enjoyed in two parts, the fish soup is the first in line. One sip into the milky broth reveals the sea sweet flavors from hours of brewing fish fillets, bones, and vegetables. With slight dips into the soy sauce, fish fillets and green mustards can be a dish itself. Something I learned as the son of a restaurateur, Chinese food must arrive scorching hot so the two continuous burners did its role.

Another well presented dish was the baked stuff eggplant ($13). Served underneath a rich oyster base sauce, two plate long egg plants were a great vegetable dish. A brief theatric is the waiter slicing the eggplants table side. The savory sauce accented by shredded dried scallops seeped into the pillowy egg plant meat. A house special at the Kitchen is the Macau style pig leg ($13). This dish is clearly about texture. With a crispy fried skin that crackles with one bite, the salty tender pork just make a great combination and the tart sauce lightens up the dish. With a dull skin and dry meat, my least favorite dish was the half crispy chicken ($13).

Exciting my palate briefly, the satay beef stir fried with Chinese broccoli ($13) tasted great with a bowl of steaming rice. Finishing our meal, we ordered the boi fi puff and fish ma w/ bean curd ($16). Served in a simmering clay pot, the simmering broth rounded out the meal. Served chilled, our mango tapioca was a refreshing dessert. For five people, the total was $100 not including tax and tip.

As a restaurant consultant, I have seen many restaurants come and go. After interviewing Benny Chang, the assistant general manager, I got a better understanding behind the success of the Kitchen. Many reasons contribute to why the Kitchen is crowded every day for lunch and dinner. Compared to their neighboring competitors Hong Kong Flower Lounge and Fok Yuen, the Kitchen attracts customers by offering haute cuisine at value prices. Chang started out as a bus boy twenty years ago and moved his way up to become a manager. He started working in the restaurant business because he had no formal education. During his one hundred hour work week, Chang toils over his biggest challenge- controlling food cost.

Restaurant Consultant.
Two main factors contribute to the restaurants success. At the core of every great restaurant, great food is a must. Every year, the Kitchen sends their chefs to visit China to find the latest culinary dishes and techniques. No detail is amissed. In order to keep the food dish hot, plates are run though hot water so that the food keeps its hot temperature. He advises any aspiring restaurateur to first work as a wait staff to better understand the long hours of operation. It is definitely not a business for everyone.

The Kitchen
279 El Camino Real
Millbrae, CA 94030
Tel: (650) 692-9688
Mon - Fri11am - 3:30pm, 5pm - 1am
Sat - Sun10am - 2:30pm, 5pm - 1am
Price range ($15 and up)