Dynasty Chinese Seafood, Cupertino, CA
Last Visit: Feb 2007
OVERALL
We eat Chinese food at home and out of home - it's an integral part of my life. Therefore, it's hard for a Chinese restaurant to impress me. Then again, I do have to write at least a few reviews on Chinese restaurants - else how would my readers know where I would go out to eat Chinese food? Well, Dynasty Seafood is one of those places that I would go for a nice dinner - not just because it's ten min from where I live, but also because it's a restaurant that has a right ingredients - large, high ceiling dining room, professionally-managed staff, and very decent Cantonese food - for a good Chinese dining experience. Why stress "Chinese"? Well, it's just not quite French or Italian - but it's authentically Chinese.
FOOD 
Did the see the word SEAFOOD in the name? That's right, this is a good seafood place. I was there for banquets a couple times, and also for casual dinners, but in both cases it was the seafood dishes that impressed me. So why not four stars? Because it's simply NOT a Peninsula Cantonese restaurant.
We had some really good starters like combination 5 or 6 item starters, always a highlight of cantonese cuisine. Then we'll do some kind of soup - if you have to budget, go for sharkfin here, but crab meat and tofu soup is not bad either. Last time I went for the banquet, I enjoyed the shrimp balls and steamed lobster very much because - given that it's a high-volume production, they are not overcookedf and were well prepared.
Besides seafood, the sauteed beef strips and some mushroom dishes were good too - beef is over-marinated, but that's how classic cantonese cuisine does it. If you're here for banquet, then you should try the fried rice. It was nice and dry (maybe a personal taste thing.....), loaded with moist meat and seafood. Overall great food - well for South Bay at least, not quite like Koi Palace though....
SERVICE
Classic Hong Kong style service is found here - don't expect them to be your friends of the evening, but they'll get you what you need quickly and courteously. Some waiters look very young but they are pretty good with passing out dishes like flying saucers, another demonstrating of a unique service style at cantonese restaurants.
AMBIENCE
I never have high expectation for Chinese restaurants when it comes to ambience. With its high ceiling, open layout of dining hall, overall well-kept facilities, I have few complaints, but then again you'd rarely go to a Chinese restaurant because you want to be comfortable....
VALUE
I've been to a lot of places that offer decent cantonese food that cost a lot cheaper. If you are looking for good bang on your buck, there's definitely no need to come to Dynasty. Many of the seafood dishes are way overpriced. Nevertheless, if you enjoy feeling like you're sitting in a huge restaurant in Hong Kong and don't mind paying a premium for it, then its value is afterall not that bad.
BOTTOMLINE
I do have explain my tendency to review only the Hong Kong style chinese restaurants again. There are indeed plenty other restaurants offering other types of Chinese regional cuisine where the food is superior, but I do want to review only restaurants that offer good dining experience - more than just good food - and unfortunately most of the non-Hong Kong restaurants don't meet my minimal standard of having a decent, comfortable and clean facility where you can finish your meal without worrying about overdosing yourself on bacteria. There you have - if you want a good dining experience with professionally prepared food, Dynasty is a good choice.
BTW
Parking can be a bit of a problem if you don't like to walk 10 min to the restaurant, especially during the days of big wedding banquets. Some said Dynasty in San Jose is actually better, but personally it feels too much like a factory then a restaurant, at least when I visited, when parking is probably easier there......
