After parking our car on the street, we immediately enter the restaurant with the goal of making a straight beeline for the hostess counter. We wade through a crowd of people waiting for their tables while looking over the table display of people already seated.
From the front door of East Ocean, I recognize the same large woman (owner’s daughter) who has been serving me my wait ticket for the past 8 years. I retreat back to my group to patiently wait for my number to be called. Although the crowd made me believe that our wait would be long, it was only after 5 minutes that I heard "number 43".
East Ocean is the best dim sum between the Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. The definitive factor for me is their fried calamari. Instead of slicing larger calamari squids into smaller pieces, this restaurant serves a small WHOLE calamari, separated by body and tentacles.
Sunday brunch before 1pm is the best. Servers carry trays of specials that are normally not on the menu; these items change week by week and are only served on the weekends.
Feeling satisfied and looking forward to my next visit in a couple of months, I gleefully said to our party of six, "No, no, let me get the check." And I treated my friends to a $40 brunch.