The James Logan Courier

By Tawab Fakhri, Courier Associate Editor

Union City is home to an abundance of great Chinese restaurants, so there's no good reason to travel outside the city for Chinese food unless it's exceptional.

To be blunt, instead of burning gas to go to Darda Seafood restaurant in Milpitas, go to a local eatery. The reason for this is not due to one specific flaw, but an array of faults and problems.

Since Darda is a restaurant, the food should be discussed first. On a recent visit, the food was average at best. The numerous types of shrimp were disappointing; the spicy shrimp was more sweet than hot, for example. Furthermore, the Lamb was dry and the chow mein noodles were too thin to enjoy. The only enjoyable dish was, perhaps, the beef and broccoli, which any respectable Chinese restaurant can whip up in minutes.

The service is next on the list. Darda Seafood bills itself as Chinese Islamic-style cooking. Despite the claim to be a family restaurant that welcomes the Islamic community, some of the staff was rude to my family, after providing indifferent service. The wait staff seemed overworked while some supervisors stood there for show, overseeing the less-than-filled dining room. Conflict over the bill and tip at the end of the night did not leave us with a pleasant feeling.

We are always told to try new things, but maybe you should give a pass one this one.