ExplorE San pablo eating the shrimp tended to be a bit messy. The shrimp were plump and moist and had an excellent flavor. The shrimp were also accompanied by a plate of limes and portion cups of black pepper, intended to further enhance the shrimps’ flavor, but we really didn’t find it necessary to use much of this. We certainly used our share of paper towels during this portion of our meal as we peeled away the shells and legs. (Some guests use latex gloves to avoid getting their hands so messy; however, I found that the “taste” of the gloves was not at all appealing—so we proceeded to peel the shrimp with our bare hands.) We had the opportunity to try several additional menu items during our second visit when we met with one of the four owners, Hai Truong, who is also the manager of the Oakland Rockin’ Crawfish location. We enjoyed a veritable feast consisting of King Crab Legs, Dungeness crab, Crawfish, and more Shrimp, this time with corn, potatoes and sausages as sides; and Garlic Noodles. My favorites were the shrimp and the King Crab Legs, which were large, making it easy to access the luscious meat inside. The Dungeness crab was flavorful, but was rather small and therefore difficult to get to the prized meat inside the legs and body. The crawfish, unlike the shrimp, cannot be served with the heads off, and I typically do not eat anything that appears to be staring at me! My guest tried the first crawfish, and after a bit of work, reaped a small bit of meat from the tail. Our server recommended that we pinch the head or the crawfish while simultaneously pulling the tail to make it easier to get to the meat. This tip worked well, and I will admit that when I tried my first crawfish meat, it was pretty tasty. But after only a couple, I turned my attention to the steaming Garlic Noodles that had just been served. The noodles were rich and garlicky, and had an excellent flavor—definitely worth a repeat visit to Rockin’ Crawfish just for these! Hai also arranged for us to try four of the five fruitflavored Saketinis. you may wonder, as I did, how Japanese sake-based drinks fit in with the Cajun-themed menu. However, after trying them, I realize that the sweetness of the drinks offsets the spiciness of the food, and helps to cleanse the palate when eating the various foods. We tried the Luscious Lychee, the Smashing Peach, the Apple Blaze, and the Mango Splash flavors. Each was served filled to the brim in chilled martini goblets. The first two flavors we tried were the lychee and peach. I found the lychee to have a stronger alcohol taste than any of the others. The peach was a bit sweeter and more to my liking, but our favorites were the green apple, and the mango, the latter which was made with mango/pineapple juice. These two were dangerously good because they didn’t even taste like they were made with alcohol. The fifth flavor is the Marilyn Monroe, made with strawberry and cranberry juice. We highly recommend trying a Saketini (or two) when you visit Rockin’ Crawfish! When you go, allocate sufficient time to enjoy the full experience of dining at Rockin’ Crawfish! It’s a great social atmosphere where you can enjoy great food, make a huge mess, and scribble on the walls! Even if you’re not one who likes to crack crabs or rip the head off of crawfish, there are plenty of other options that make this restaurant one to add to your list of favorites! Enjoy watching your favorite sports event on one of the many Tv’s, have your favorite beer, wine, or Saketini, and relax for a while in this casual, family-friendly atmosphere. you can also order all menu items to go; however, this would be a missed opportunity to experience the spot-on customer service provided here. When you’re in the mood for something different, Rockin’ Crawfish in San Pablo is the place to go! SEAFOOD GuMBO DuNGENESS CRAB
Contra Costa Marketplace - April 2016
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