Yuet Lee [San Francisco]

Had a free lunch today in the city and decided to swing by Yuet Lee. I'd been a long time ago (10+ years) before I really came to enjoy eating, but the decor hasn't changed one bit. I decided to start with the roast squab and then added on the ginger-scallion dungeness crab. The waitress looked at me like I was crazy as a solo diner, but frankly, it wasn't that much food given I didn't eat rice.

The squab was fantastic. Crisp skin. Bones fried to a crisp, i.e. could hold the head like a lollipop (by the beak) and just crunch down on the entire orb. And meat all just the right side of medium rare, with a slightly pink center. I absolutely loved this dish. It was my first time eating squab, as I've always had duck / quail, but this immediately jumps to the top of my edible bird list. Maybe tied with goose...

The dungeness crab? Wow. I've never had live, in-season, locally sourced dungeness. I had no idea what I was missing. The flesh was sweet, tender and so fresh tasting. The ginger scallion was great, but in reality, I probably didn't need it. In all likelihood, I am going to swing by and pick up a steamed (no sauce) crab tomorrow for lunch before I leave the city.

I know Yuet Lee gets great reviews and I am glad I listened. Great meal and a new appreciation for squab and dungeness crab. I see the salt and pepper ribs get top reviews - may have to try that as well.

FD