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Adjacent to the Clarion Hotel
at S IH-35 and Oltorf sits a neat little Chinese restaurant. I am very
partial to Marco Polo for several reasons: first, they have one of the
few truly edible lunch buffets around. Many Chinese buffets feature
nothing more than greasy chicken and vegetables that have been sitting
around for an hour or more in congealed peanut oil. The result is a
gigantic yuuuccccckkkk!
Marco Polo's lunch buffets, on the other hand, are fresh, the food crisp
and delicious, and the dishes are replaced frequently. Take your pick:
from the piquant dumplings to the very tasty chicken wings, to the spicy
but NOT oily General Tso's chicken, to the wonderfully crisp string
beans, this is one buffet that is worth investigating.
The 2nd reason for my partiality lies with the weekend Dim Sum feasts.
I would rank the dim sum right along with the fare over at my other
favorite, T&S Seafood. What is Dim Sum? Well, literally meaning,
"to touch your heart" dim sum is the Chinese equivalent of
French hors d'oeuvres. Steamed dumplings, deep fried finger foods and
the famous char siu bao, or steamed buns with roast pork are just many
of the delights that await at a quality dim sum brunch such as Marco
Polo's. The many dishes are hawked out of rolling carts pushed by enthusiastic
servers. It's kind of chaotic, but lots of fun and very tasty. Available
from 11:00 AM to 2:30 PM on Saturdays and Sundays, you must check this
out. .
The third reason that Marco Polo appeals to me is
the consistent quality of their evening menu. Newsflash: If you've been
frustrated by crowds at lunch and at the dim sum brunches, come out
for the more leisurely pace that dinner time at Marco Polo affords.
I have several favorites to recommend: the fresh clams with black bean
sauce. The flavors here are authentic and immediately captivating. The
clams were tender and very tasty. Another favorite: the soft shell crabs
with pepper and salt. The crabs are cooked perfectly in a thin dusting
of spicy batter. With the exception of crabs roasted fresh on the beach
at Kiawah Island, I know of no more delightful way to enjoy these lovely
creatures of the deep. Another nice choice: the Pan Fried Sea Bass fillet.
The texture of this dish is astonishing. Wonderfully fulsome, the quality
of the taste simply amplifies with each bite. Do you catch a seafood
theme here? How about a nod to authenticity.
Proprieter Richard La worked for years at Pao's downtown before assuming
the reins at Marco Polo. His seafood menu is not to be trifled with.
All else pales in comparison.
So there are my three reasons to try Marco Polo. I'm sure, after a visit
or two, you'll be coming up with your own. |
