.Best SeafoodGet to know your lobster

Legendary Palace, vying for the swankiest Hong Kong cuisine in Oakland’s Chinatown, is unparalleled when it comes to pick-it-yourself seafood. The clear glass tanks are actually kept algae-free (for a change), and are linked by a network of waterfalls and bubbling things that make shellfish Death Row a deceivingly pleasant place. Once you’ve had a gander at the aquarium and decided on which fish, crab, lobster, or mussels you’d like to eat, you can point them out to your waiter. Whether you’ve ordered a pound of pinky-sized shrimp or a four-pound Australian jumping crab with a don’t-mess-with-me-fella glare, the waiter will bring your choice to your table in a bucket so you know you’re getting the live stuff. Don’t worry — it all gets whisked to the back to be cooked out of sight, and before you start to have second thoughts, the waiter will return with the sweetest, freshest, most delicately flavored seafood you’ve ever tasted. We suppose the faint of heart might not approve, but if you’ve made your peace with your omnivorous self, make a reservation.