Capital Restaurant, Guilty! - Clay Street, San Francisco

Okay, okay....sis and friends have been telling me that Capital Restaurant serves the best fried chicken wings in San Francisco. Not just any plain fried chicken wings but Fried Chicken Wings with Salt & Hot Pepper! Well, instead of just telling me, they brought me to Capital Restaurant one evening to let me try it for myself.

The place was a simple looking restaurant, one of the many Chinese restaurants that you would see in San Francisco. It was packed with diners and luckily we had a table reserved as there were 7 of us and were promptly seated upon arrival.

Of course, I let the regulars do the ordering as I sat waiting with "Great Expectations" of what was ahead for dinner. When the food arrived, they waited with bated breath to find out my verdict of the chicken wings, like awaiting a judge who is all poised to sentence with the gavel raised in hand, hahahaha....Read on to find out the verdict (we had ordered several dishes but only pics of main defendants - aka "yummy ones" are posted).

As it is when ordering dishes in Chinese restaurants here, they will serve the patrons soup which is on the house. However, I found the soup here interesting as it's more potent than those house soup that I've tried elsewhere.

Pork & Papaya soup - came steaming hot & flavourful and was a fave with us. Not just the usual run-of-the-mill "on the house" soup but one that tasted like it was those boiled for long hours.
Verdict : Guilty - sentenced to 6 months of jail time for being an accomplice.

The other dish on trial - Egg tofu with diced chicken, shrimp & scallop with peas & mushrooms.
The gravy had just the right consistency and taste but lack the egg swirls that I like when it comes to dishes like this. A crowd pleaser, it was good but it suffered palate envy when it came to our next dish....
Verdict : Guilty - Sentenced to a year for committing a crime of passion (envy in this case)!


The "infamous" Fried Chicken Wings with Salt & Hot Pepper(USD6.95, that's the size of one and a half order you see in the pic)


These chicken wings live up to their wicked reputation as I found myself enticed and sucked into their world of hot spices and taste both on the crispy skin and also in the meat itself. Note, only the middle part of the wings are served, which makes it all the much better! Devoid of the smell of oil, these delicious chicken wings lured us all so easily in sinful indulgement.
Verdict : Guilty! -Life imprisonment for ruining the lives of all chicken wings lover forever as we now have an addiction that will never go away! Available for parole in year 2020.

However, there is the OTHER dish that came into the crime scene. Too blatant to ignore, this dish took the "stand" in its unique and yet simple style and capture the hearts of the jury. So much so, it deserves just not one pic but four!






Before this post came about, it had remained a rather low profile - not being mentioned in the menu. It was a surprise to find such a simple dish but yet had such an effect on those who tasted this. Sliced Pacific clams (at least I think it's Pacific clams) that is stirred fried, served on a bed of glass noodles and topped with coriander - all resting on the clam shells itself. Visually and tastefully great! (USD8 for one clam, two servings)


Verdict : Guilty! 30 years for involuntarily manslaughter. For not knowing and containing the effect it has on all who comes in contact with it. Available for parole in 2013.

To get acquainted with the delightful dangers featured here, visit ...

Capital Restaurant
839 Clay Street (between Stockton & Grant)
San Francisco, CA 94108

Opens 7 days a week
Mon-Fri 11 am-9.30pm
Sat & Sun 8 am - 9.30pm
2 Hours Free Parking at Portsmouth Garage

Tel : (415) 397-6269