How a Legendary Dim Sum Restaurant Turns a King Crab Into 8 Dishes - The Experts

Brothers Ronny and Willy Ng opened Koi Palace in Daly City, CA in 1996, and have since opened 11 restaurants with six more on the way this year. With dishes like espresso coffee ribs, a whole roast suckling pig, and eight different king crab dishes, it has become a landmark of Cantonese cuisine.
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Credits:
Producer: Carla Francescutti
Directors: Carla Francescutti, Murilo Ferreira
Camera: Carla Francescutti, Murilo Ferreira
Editor: Lucy Morales
Executive Producer: Stephen Pelletteri
Development Producer: Ian Stroud
Supervising Producer: Stefania Orrù
Associate Producer: Julia Hess
Audience Development: Terri Ciccone, Frances Dumlao, Avery Dalal
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[@looppp]

Master Cantonese chefs are so underrated in the global sphere. They're usually not "glorified" or put on a pedestal like French or Japanese chefs are. They just put out mind boggling good food at a consistent and extremely high output rate. Doesn't make them any worse than say a three Michelin star celebrity chef

[@tagnetorare5401]

That's good cause normal people can afford some very authentic Cantonese cuisine, thanks to these masters.

[@timtam9673]

Food for food, price for price, Cantonese food are the best.

[@TheVietnameseDevil]

FACTS

[@lordofthepies]

From a historical standpoint it's interesting what used to be reserved as delicacies for royal families to now be considered a common family affair thanks to supply and availability

[@greatwhitenorth3717]

Well said and could not agree more.

[@surm7055]

You know the chef is authentic cantonese-american when he rules the kitchen like a grandmaster, and ended almost every single sentence with "okay?"

[@vuongn2318]

The more he says it, the better the food taste

[@mandelbomb99]

Omg my grandpa ends almost every sentence with ok

[@nulnoh219]

And that "Okay" is not meant as a question, it's an affirmation. Okay?!

[@sdazzle2460]

okay la!

[@cwg73160]

Omfg lol Are you kidding? That’s not exclusive to Cantonese-American chefs lmao

[@bani_niba]

One of the most famous Chinese/Cantonese restaurants in the Bay Area. For the several times I have eaten there, always a superior experience. A notch above most other places.

[@Shanarai]

Hearing them already have 11 restaurants (after 2 years of covid) and opening another 6 this year is incredible. This is definitely a successful business and they have an excellent management team. I can only imagine how much work and planning it took for them to get this far and maintain everything.

[@AndrewYohanaLaurent]

There will always be an Asian better than you ig lmao

[@tr7287]

Planning and logistics must be astronomical

[@bg710]

they are also very expensive. really tasty but $$$

[@bannedinallston]

Man, hearing all that cantonese and all the plating sounds takes me back to when my dad was grinding in the restaurants and I'd get sat down at the bowling arcade game next to the bar 😂 industry life, baby

[@tr7287]

Koi Palace is legendary in the Bay Area. These owners deserve all the success.

[@Rika101OfficialYT]

for 85-90 percent of all chinese restaurants out there, the service dont talk, the food does the talking. trust me, its worth every bit of it.

[@carzfn8163]

You know an Asian restaurant is gonna be good when the service is bad. They know you're going to come back regardless of the service 🤣

[@pvantran82]

They don't talk because g'damn they don't know English. 😂

[@patricecheung4575]

@@pvantran82 it’s not true. The service is even worse in Hong Kong. Waiters would just yell at you and being very rude. Chinese restaurant normally doesn’t care about the service.

[@darkfatal207]

I am a translator, and I have to say the translations were on point. Well done!

[@fullmindstorm]

They did what they knew and even innovated. Ive only seen good king crab cooking in asia, places like singapore, japan, and hong kong, and now at this place 👏🏼 high quality products and high quality people and employees.

[@ho7092]

daly city local. Glad to see they are getting the recognition they deserve! Been going here ever since I was a kid. Thankful they haven't closed.

[@lilithyolanda9851]

I swear we need more restaurants like this (not seafood wise but presentable wise) Their able to give out a good amount of food, while also keeping it “presentable” in a professional Michelins style.

[@thomasstengel7356]

I would be 100 lbs. heavier if I lived within 50 miles of this place. There are very few things I prefer to dim sum. And, this looks incredible.

[@hby7768]

That crap is $60-$80/lb - i order one from there for about $700

[@shaggydawg5419]

you will max out all credit cards too.

[@thomasstengel7356]

@@shaggydawg5419 There are far worse reasons to do so, IMO.

[@badassmillz_]

11 restaurants + 6 coming soon. That's insane!! Koi Palace is on my go-to list now in Bay Area

[@NeuroHead]

That place looks incredible . Big places like this that still manages to keep a high level on every plate blows my mind. These guys know what they are doing.

[@brianyim22]

Having grown up eating at places like this I never gave them much thought - French cuisine was seen as something fancy. Chinese? Not so much. Documentaries like this have really shown a light onto Chinese cuisine and have given me a newfound respect for my own culture.

[@tr7287]

These guys have my respect. The work and sheer brain power to run these business is immeasurable.

[@NomNomBenji]

Cantonese cooking is such a beautiful thing

[@greatwhitenorth3717]

The dim sum calibre is next level and the ways of King Crab preparations are my favorite way to enjoy King Crab.

[@tchoo18]

Different level! Top level Cantonese cooking with top level ingredients. Michelin does not need to turn up to say what they think.

[@DewitaSoeharjono]

Nothing is wasted with this King Crab. Way to go! I'm hangry just looking at the food.. lol

[@FramesFTW]

This series is just too good sometimes, wow 👏👏👏

[@anothertarnishedone5960]

I love the detail of serving the coffe ribs inside a cup 😂

[@Trieuable]

It's really good

[@panzfaust9812]

The whipped cream was cheeky

[@Scyths1]

11 restaurants and 6 more coming up this year, that's a lot.

[@timtam9673]

Not all at the same level

[@annestanley2330]

Exciting to see a place in my neighborhood featured on this channel! We’ve yet to eat inside the restaurant due to COVID, but we order their dim sum to-go at least once a month. So good!

[@eldiablo7862]

Put the kool-aid down and sit down inside to eat.

[@thihal123]

Great video!! May the restaurant See continued prosperity and may its staff be happy and healthy

[@heyyou3359]

So excited to see them grow, one of my favorite dim sum place in the bay!

[@theonlineguy2113]

High volume and quality proven only with time. Great feature!

[@Briguy1027]

Wow, everything looked so yummy. Far more complex than just stir-frying everything.

[@arkadeyellow2931]

These humble old Chinese men do not wear crisp white chef's coats and speak with a fancy French accent, but make no mistake, they are in every sense master chefs. And listen to their wisdom : you give people respect, and they will give respect back to you. And they practice what they preach. And their belief that it is their RESPONSIBILITY to pass on these treasured dishes to the next generation is so touching. This food is ingrained in every fiber of their being. Kudos to these men.

[@phillipdodds7860]

This restaurant looks like seafood/dumpling heaven!!! Wish I’d know about it when I lived in the Bay Area.

[@GiggityGig]

I am vegetarian lmfao

[@DrPeculiar312]

@@GiggityGig no one asked

[@kfcbandit4713]

I love Cantonese food. They always give you hardy, large plates and make sure you get your moneys worth.

[@theunboxinggod5680]

i cant belive this dont have millions of views these guys are a powerhouse of culinary arts

[@ot7stan207]

cantonese cuisine is so overlooked, it takes. awhole lot of skill and time to be able to product what they do

[@daveh640]

I grew up in Asia. Now I live in New Hampshire. Because of this video we are going to cross this country and feast at this restaurant!

[@andylam6735]

Just go down to 8th Ave, Brooklyn. You can get good seafood.

[@daveh640]

@@andylam6735 china town dim sum in Boston is also very good. But this place looks extra special.

[@Alps-e3h]

Coming from a bay area native this is the best cantonese restaurant outside of HK ! This location (Daly City adjacent to SF) has a longggg line of cantonese people so you know it’s official! I’ve eaten at a lot of dim sum places threw out the U.S but this stands out I think the secret is they are so busy that the dim sum and dishes they serve never get to sit and the ingredients are high quality juts my two cents lol

[@daveh640]

@@Alps-e3h thank u!

[@bigbird2451]

When Cantonese brother said there is only one thing that matters and that is respect, my heart sank. Was he going to say Respect Me Or Else? Thankfully he said respect others and you will prosper. In so much of the world, particularly here in America, people have forgotten this. May the rest of the world remember and may your restaurant prosper. RESPECT.

[@looppp]

He says 尊重别人 which means respect others

[@cwg73160]

Please stop.

[@amazon4716]

With the boss presence You know the standard is consistent. Looks delicious 😋 😍

[@roxstix]

I always had to call it in for a take-out on the weekends because the line for a table was too long. Parking is hard to find as well (for Daly City location, Milpitas is easier to get in due to more dim sum restaurants nearby).

[@donaldhamilton5380]

Amazing. Food is the connection to all people from everywhere.

[@francesgo1777]

I love how Cantonese people talk. My Mum from Hongkong.

[@davey6024]

"My brother he take care of fish for better life" Brother proceeds to throw crab in tank by one leg ready to slaughter

[@Cyrribrae]

He said longer life, no? But yeah. Can't imagine any sea creature has a particularly long or bright future at that stage haha.

[@davey6024]

@@Cyrribrae yeah yeah that's what I meant. But now I'm thinking about it did he just mean the fish have a longer life because it benefits the business and he wasn't trying to spin that they have the aquariums to be kind to the fish. Ah I'm too stoned 🤣

[@Cyrribrae]

@@davey6024 I mean, without meming, he just means that he has the experience to know which general category of tank and water each of the types of seafood they're getting should go into. But he's not gonna get hired by any aquariums anytime soon, I bet haha.

[@gabelstapler19]

The point is, they get fresh, live seafood from around the globe once a week, and they need to keep the animals healthy and alive so the dim sum tastes as good (and has the same variety) all week long.

[@tanzil88]

So hungry for dimsum

[@Bunbun10379]

Everything looks so good!!! Definitely want to try it one day! 🤤

[@heythave]

That king crab spinach dumpling looks delicious!

[@SeraphineParadiso]

Watch all those food made me miss hongkong so much,,spend 8 years there,,a lot of memory eating dimsum too,goes back to my hometown during early pandemic 2020,2 years passed but felt like my soul still in HK..😢

[@CBD7069..]

Such a good restaurant! Worth the wait, super busy even on weekdays

[@slamdunktiger]

As a fellow Chinese-American immigrant from the SF Bay Area who has loved the Koi Palace for a long time...the greatest achievement here isn't just the food and cuisine, but that the two brothers are united together at Koi Palace. My father and his younger brother had a large moving company in San Jose when they were in their 20's. But they couldn't keep their egos in check and let the business splinter. It's quite the tragedy in my family and it rubs salt in the wound when I see a new upstart with a similar name as their original company.

[@iluvmyboba]

Those sauteed king crab legs look interesting. Plump, sweet meat. Oh, my goodness!!!

[@SpenyGreenwoodie]

Man those brothers must be rich but they keep their craft going everyday. Ultra commendable and respectful

[@JohnHausser]

Notice the amount of 🦀 meat he puts in 🥟 ! Very good! Cheers from San Diego California

[@Ngentots.McKontolssen]

Had the one in Dublin CA and its delicious

[@M_Jono]

Your name LOL , Ngewe McTitit 🤣

[@spyplus7260]

Im salivating while watching this! Amazing place!

[@Enmol123]

Best canto food documentary man

[@MCwalk02]

Bro, they got crazy seafood, this place gets my respect.

[@harrisoakley711]

This is a really good restaurant.

[@yabo2424]

This is next level Dim Sum. I wish I still lived in Cali ..

[@DoctorMcHerp]

This is the type of Chinese food that most Americans don't get to experience, which is sad. The amount of technical expertise alone is insane.

[@madebytam]

This is my biggest pet peeve. Is that the world recognizes European cuisine like simplistic Italian food as advanced while Chinese cuisine with a million complicated techniques, fermented, dried and hard to produce ingredients is considered "cheap eats". Asian cuisine is much more advanced than French, Italian or any other style of cuisine.

[@Hayden-rc1ru]

12:50 ''He works in the kitchen. I work in the front of house.'' As can be inferred by whose English is better lol. Gotta say, everything looks good.

[@AsianDude1]

we need one of his restaurant in Seattle/Tacoma

[@lovingtennis247]

to the subtitler, great job! he was talking FAST. tiny edits: 1. there's a spot where it says "lobster crab" - he just meant lobsters and crabs. 2. the "congee" isn't a congee. it's more of a rich soup.

[@rashoxrex]

Definitely right about it. Wouldn't say it's mistaken' just tiny flaws in it. Great subtitles. I would prefer calling '羹' as thick soup though.

[@BrotherCheng]

Another (very) minor mistake was when making the coffee ribs, he said he was adding "powder" (in Cantonese) to the bowl of ribs when marinating which probably meant corn starch, but the translation said "flour" instead.

[@codylong3517]

I remember biting into one of those small soup dumpling without knowing thew ins and out, An expierence I will never forget

[@hildamaine8319]

I wish they would open one in South Miami.

[@when_life_gives_you_limes]

Everything looks delicious 🤤

[@vbjoker]

The food presentation is top notch. I am salivating.

[@GtheGeneral]

Awesome I love love love these documentaries it teaches me so much about the food the chefs and their stories please please please keep making more

[@ranger2083]

Everyone in that kitchen should have puffer vests and caps!

[@TheVietnameseDevil]

thank you for educating the guailos 😎🦀😎🦀😎🦀

[@sxstrngsamurai13]

crazy how something resembling a dark souls boss (in some cases looks just like a souls boss) can be made into 8 amazing dishes!!

[@Haseo756]

My guy it’s the other way around the bosses in FS games were designed to look like the crustaceans lol

[@apemancommeth8087]

Asian cuisine has always been my favorite style of food! I’ve always said if I had to choose one cuisine that I’d have eat the rest of my life it would be Asian!

[@fam4265]

It’s nice seeing how my local childhood joint - and I mean dim sum every damn weekend - operates but man, we don’t go anymore since they aren’t as good as they used to be.

[@hazalyuksel1875]

Same... This place used to be so great, but now it's getting worse. Any new recommendations?

[@SuWoopSparrow]

What is different?

[@Tkenny35]

@@SuWoopSparrow Never ate here in my life but im guessing a mixture of everything is causing a downfall. Aging staff, usually big restaurants like this have such a huge menu so maybe the quality and execution is going down, and expansion. I find that when restaurants expand they are more about business now and forget what got them there. These guys have 17 restaurants, I think they're stretching themselves too thin maybe and losing their way.

[@justinip]

@@hazalyuksel1875 H&L or muan yuan

[@fromnaras]

@@SuWoopSparrow they’re always too busy so they get your order wrong or it’s hard to get a waiter’s attention. the seafood and vegetables often isn’t fresh too. there’s better dim sum places in the bay for a similar price point but koi palace def is a lefend

[@Quangthao88]

Elaborate and professional process wish you good health👍🥰🥰

[@exilemediaprod]

Severe .. only word I could find to describe this

[@johnsonsmith402]

I’ve eatin at this restaurant and it’s my favorite restaurant honestly. Everything is made with Quality.

[@marylenehall405]

I’d love to eat there and they seem so kind

[@FoodFanBoy7845]

When he showed the coffee ribs my first thought was, "Can I have that instead of ham steak with red eye gravy?"

[@MindofUhuru]

Why the expertise is amazing!

[@fromnaras]

DID YOU SAY KOI PALACE?!??!??!?!!!!!! LEGENDARY

[@Youknowmeozone]

Koi got me about to cry we don’t have a location in my city 😂 two words …coffee ribs ..😢

[@norasheffield8036]

Please bring one of your restaurants to South Georgia! We need a great Asian place for dim sum!

[@coltonvanessa5096]

That looked amazing but can we talk about the whipped cream on the ribs????

[@jobberwalkx105]

greater than fine dinning chef

[@jordanandkimbothepugs]

Meanwhile me eating the same dish for 3 days straight:

[@alexandregoulet1639]

Loved this story!

[@Alex.8081]

Well done and i must go there soon...!!!

[@davincisace9059]

that’s the nicest marshmallow i’ve ever seen roasted

[@ericarose1979]

The world is in a different place since covid. I am glad to see they have been so successful. Many people in the states have not been. Amazon car hop trays.

[@veerox]

Love this place. Grew up on their food! Every Sunday yumcha at KP!

[@georgeclinton6833]

Everything looks so tasty

[@jecstrike]

that is a different level of dimsum expertise.

[@kevinvo6702]

Mad respect

[@rbragg]

5:54 hidden fork!!!

[@sifx]

amazing elevated cantonese cuisine!

[@huto9606]

Amazing dishes and DIM SUM as well, sorry you are so far away from my country - I can`t visit you😂

[@devinfosdick3774]

"4 to 5 thousand baskets, multiply that by 4 pieces per basket, that's like 10,000" Quick maths brought you by mister miyagi

[@s_u_b_z_e_r_0896]

I can eat dim sum n suckling pigs etc any day of the week! Just comfort food from The heart like Japan, an many more 💯

[@minotorioussenpai1500]

Waiter: What would you like to order sir? Me: YES

[@pvoshefski]

A really fantastic story.

[@jairexplores8718]

Ok all of the dumplings looked fire! Also the duck and the spicy crab.

[@jf4595]

Best of the Best!!!

[@johnnyhoang4444]

I love dim sum

[@bonkersblock]

I live by John Daly boulevard and that place is close to us! We go there all the time for seafood 🦞