Cooking Papa - Foster City

Oh my God. From 626/socal. First Chinese restaurant in bay area that I've tried that was worth while after being here for 4 years! Definitely returning. I got the 1) roasted duck, 2) beef brisket egg noodles soup, and 3) the crab tofu soup. 1) the roasted duck had amazing, in depth flavor that blew my mind. 2) beef brisket noodle soup decent beef flavor and beef was tender. Soup and noodle was good. 3) crab tofu holy cow! There were huge, generous pieces of crab that you can actually taste. One was as big as my finger! Great, perfect flavor. This restaurant is highly recommended!

The salt and pepper pork was almost all fat. No apology; just offered to substitute with chicken wings (qty.4) for a table of 10 people.

Looking for a dim sum experience we went for a quick lunch to Cooking Papa. We were Sent to a table next to the window with a beautiful view but “Sorry” removed 2 min later as a client had been offered that table. We ordered a dim sum appetizer the only one available) and two dishes. Clay pot Chicken and eggplant and meat chow fun. Chicken was loaded with fat skin and the beef chow fun was greasy. I cant say Service was excellent so I would only miss a nice view of Edgewater and my lunch partner in Foster City.

Quite a shock to see new menu, prices up about 30% and lots of new faces. Place was pretty empty at lunch usually full and now I know why. Food was terrible! No relation to how it was for the last few years. Many items no longer on menu, a dessert signature dish was not available . Apparently new owner and ?new chefs or maybe they kept the ones who couldn 't cook? . So sad had 4 different dishes ones with meat had huge bones and gristle and almost no meat for $18 , portions were ridiculously small eggplant dish was about the size of a small eggplant for $16ish which I guess was alright since the food was mostly tasteless. Used to be a go to place now it 's a I won 't be back place :

If you are looking for upscale Chinese restaurant at affordable price, this is the place! This hidden gem located on water front with majestic view. The food definitely on another level, with presentation and taste incomparable with anything else I've tried. Come at lunch time a get the taste of their signature dishes for half dinner prices. Must have dish: Chicken and mushrooms with XO souce!