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It was right after Chinese New Year that we came to Boiling Crab -- we were definitely in the mood for some steamin' cajun seafood. The slightly weird part of this, of course, is that we're in Alhambra, where Chinese food dominates. Yet despite -- or perhaps because -- Boiling Crab stands out from the glut of Chinese restaurants, it has garnered over 300 overwhelmingly positive reviews on yelp. The people here are similarly savvy hybrids. The staff and clientele are nearly all Asian, but everyone spoke perfect English.
So the idea is simple, pick your seafood (crabs, crab legs, crawfish, clams, shrimp,) pick your sauce (Ragin' Cajun, Lemon Pepper, garlic butter, or go crazy with all of the above) and your food will come to you in a plastic bag mixed with the sauce. The presentation is terrible and definitely not for the photographer in me, but the food is an entirely different story. There are also a smattering of sides and fried entrees if you don't want to get your hands too dirty -- but if that's your main concern, you're probably at the wrong place.
Service was decent, the young staff is friendly and on top of things. The atmosphere is relaxed and lively with quite a few large parties. I'd definitely be back when I feeling like having lots of shrimp and fried catfish... and fries... and corn, and sausages.
Boiling Crab
742 W Valley Boulevard, Alhambra
(626) 576-9368
Theboilingcrab.com
Photos by Kevin Cheng for LAist
