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Maxim Seafood Restaurant
In 1979, Denny Thai moved to San Diego as a refugee from Vietnam. He started out with a job washing dishes at a Chinese restaurant. This is where he learned to cook, and in 1983, he got a job as a chef at Maxim's Seafood Restaurant (4616
El Cajon Boulevard). After nine years of working there, his boss sold the business to Denny and his family. Family run businesses are common for refugee immigrants because the families can work together in order to succeed.
In the early 1980's there were only a handful of Chinese restaurants in the neighborhood, and many of them had Americanized menus. Maxim's was always known as an authentic Chinese restaurant that catered to the local Asian community.
Once Denny's family took over the restaurant, they expanded the menu and added more authentic dishes. As more refugee communities, such as the Vietnamese, continued to populate the neighborhood, they would add more dishes to serve the
expanding customer base. The restaurant now specializes in Mandarin, Szechwan, Vietnamese and Cantonese cuisine, and of course, authenticity has always remained key.
Ever wonder what the differences are between all of these cuisines? Mandarin incorporates a lot of beef and not very much seafood. Noodles are a staple ingredient and the food is less spicy. Szechwan comes for the state of Szechuan,
which is in the middle of mainland China, where the people live in the mountains and prefer very spicy food. Cantonese food is considered the healthiest and natural Chinese food, without a lot of excess flavor. Vietnamese cuisine is
known for incorporating a lot of vegetables and barbeque along with herbs such as basil, mint and cilantro.
Denny learned to create dishes from all over Asia by asking his customers how they like their dishes cooked. Fortunately, Maxim's Seafood Restaurant is open late and many chefs dine there after they leave work. Denny is always happy to
serve dishes that aren't on the menu based on whatever they request. By embracing these insightful ideas from local chefs, Denny adjusted his own dishes, and turned them into special items on the menu. According to Denny, customers'
favorites include Mongolian beef, spicy pork chops, deep fried shrimp sprinkled with pepper and the rice noodles with beef and Chinese broccoli.
After six years of running a family business, Denny wanted to open his own restaurant. He stuck with the name Maxim, which is a famous entity in Vietnam similar to Las Vegas. The restaurant is located at 2810 El Cajon Boulevard. The
menu is very similar, but this location doesn't specialize in seafood. For Denny, owning his own business is no luxury, he works hard to earn a living, but at least he knows that he won't be laid off.
The Lafayette Hotel Features an Evening of Dining and Entertainment
THE HISTORIC LAFAYETTE HOTEL
Presents
A NIGHT TO REMEMBER
Dinner Show
Featuring
REMEMBRANCE ENTERTAINMENT GROUP
With Special Guests Gino Walker and Three Shades of Soul
Join us Saturday October 24, 2009 for this 10th Anniversary Black Tie Event
IN THE FAMOUS MISSISSIPPI ROOM
2223 El Cajon Blvd., San Diego CA. 92104
Doors open at 6pm
Dinner at 6:30 Sharp!
Tickets on sale now - Pre-Sale: $45.00
After October 16, 2009: $55.00
Order by phone at 619-307-1028 or 619-314-3907
Or Email: REG.Entertainment@gmail.com
Yelp About The Boulevard
 Pizzeria Luigi
2121 El Cajon Boulevard
Yelper:
I checked out the new Pizzeria Luigi and was hoping it was just as good as Luigi's Golden Hill. Luigi's ECB location didn't disappoint. I think it is a nice addition to the neighborhood, plus it is stumbling distance from Live Wire which
I'm sure will delight many late-night pizza lovers.
Let's see, what's in the case today? Vegan pizza? Wow! Luigi knows the clientele in San Diego. I had one of the cheeseless, veggie rich slices and I didn't even miss the cheese. Then I gnawed into a cheesy, mushroom ricotta delight that
reminded me how delectable cheese is. If you like thin crust pizza, this is the spot. Plus, it's great to see Luigi expanding his local pizza empire. Three cheers for Luigi's.
Click
here for more yelp reviews.
Featured Art along the Boulevard
Jack Grace, owner of the Bekins Building located at 3727 El Cajon Boulevard was interested in having his four story building painted for some time, but felt burdened by the idea of shelling out $40,000 to get the job done. Luckily,
with the assistance the City's Storefront Improvement program along with matching redevelopment funds, Jack was able to recover $20,000!
By the looks of this freshly painted building and awesome lighting enhancement, the City's Storefront Improvement Program is a proven tool that can drastically enhance the streetscape along El Cajon Boulevard, so please look into
this vital opportunity. If you are interested in the Storefront Improvement Program, please call The Boulevard BIA office at (619) 283-3608.
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