Kim Tar Seafood Restaurant — Restaurant in Monterey Park

Hi Everyone,

I'm thrilled to share my latest gastronomic adventure with you. This time, I ventured out to the Kim Tar restaurant, ready for something different.

Let me begin by giving you the lay of the land. The venue is somewhat tiny, with decor that fits the 'okay' benchmark. Now, I'm not the type to nitpick, but fair warning about the male bathroom—it leaves a lot to be desired. I would've taken photos, but I wasn't in the mood to play detective at that moment. On the brighter side, if you're looking for good food, this place hits the spot.

Despite the less-than-ideal customer service, the food was actually pretty good. If I had to rate it, I'd say it's a solid 7 out of 10. My personal standout was the combination fried rice and the lobster house special. These dishes, in particular, packed a punch and would, without a doubt, coax me back for more.

Also, on the practical front, parking wasn't a nightmare as it often is in popular spots. In another plus, there's a mall just a five-minute drive from the restaurant. Perfect for those of you who enjoy indulging in a bit of retail therapy or simply walking off the meal after a hearty lunch or dinner!

As far as second visits go, I'm still on the fence. That being said, if you enjoy trying out new places and don't mind a bit of rough around the edges, I'd recommend giving Kim Tar a shot. Who knows? You might find it delightful.

Look forward to catching up soon for more...

The service was very poor 👎 Especially one of the older waiters. We have been here four times and unfortunately he served us twice. One of the times my husband asked him about L1 "Hot and Sour Fish Soup (Thai/Vietnamese)" What is the difference between Thai taste and Vietnamese taste? He said impatiently "What do you want, be careful with your order" without answering our questions. My husband has a good temper and doesn't care about his attitude.

The fourth time we went, unfortunately, he served us again. Our ordering speed was not slow, and he was very impatient within these two minutes. When it was time to check out, I waved to him and said, "Please pay," but he didn't respond at all, as if he didn't hear me. Five seconds later, he walked towards us, and I asked him, "Please pay," but he still didn't make a response, I said it again and he was very impatient, "I know, I know, let me see if there is anything that needs to be packed". Then he took our rice bowl away without asking. Later, my child's grandmother was about to feed the child another bite of rice, then she realized that there was no more rice. Whenever I talked to him, or asked questions. He yelled at us for no reason, which made me feel really angry. My husband told me that he may be in depression. Em, I don’t think this is a reason that he should be rude. Ps. I saw he was rude to others too. I think I will never be back to this...

Is it the best Cantonese style Chinese food I’ve had in SGV? No. But is it decent and service is good so I’d go back if I was in there area? Yes.

Food took a while to come out after ordering. Again, everything still tasted good, but there’s umami depth missing from the dishes. Like the lobster - cooked well, but the seasoning needed more umph. The fried rice - you definitely feel the egg savings and literally only had 2 shrimps, I did like the Chinese sausage addition though. Pea sprouts could’ve used more garlic. Beef chow fun was delicious. House special pork chops were just okay. Fried tofu was fried nicely, lightweight batter, but the soy sauce was lacking. We also got the salt & pepper shrimp but forgot to take a pic. They lacked the salt and pepper seasoning. Fried well, just literally the slightest hint of salt & pepper seasoning. Their lemon iced tea doesn’t have lemon flavor, just sweet tea flavors.

Service was good! They speak English which helped us a lot when ordering. They handle things when asked. It’s a Chinese restaurant, so don’t expect to be checked on and asked if everything is okay. If you need something, just ask politely, and they’ll handle it.

Parking - smaller busy free lot. Several other businesses in this plaza so it does get busy. We were all still able to find parking but I did see some people loop around a couple times. But...