Try It Again, You’ll Like It

I was truly appalled by the review that S. Irene Virbila wrote concerning Crustacean (“Shelling Out,” Feb. 13). Ever since the restaurant opened in Beverly Hills, and because my office is very close to the new gourmet spot, I have become a devoted fan. I have had lunch there at least a dozen times and had dinner there more than half a dozen times. Let me refute the statements Virbila makes:

1. Except for the two dishes described, namely the roasted garlic crab and tiger prawns, the prices of the large dishes are very moderate. 2. There are no long waits for service. Every time I have been there, the waiter is at my table almost instantly and the courses are brought as quickly and expeditiously as at any fine restaurant I have ever eaten in anywhere. 3. The crab is not overcooked; it is cooked to perfection. All my neighbors who order that dish cannot stop kvelling over the crab.

At least you have the good sense to refer to the column as “First Impressions.” I suggest Virbila go straight back and eat her way all the way through the entire menu. Then, tell me what she really thinks; and if she doesn’t end up with the same opinion I have, then I promise I’ll eat her crab shells!

JERRY WEINSTEIN

Beverly Hills