YH Seafood Clubhouse: What the Hell Happened?

This is always one of my favorites but this time, like most dishes, it was not good. The membrane was still on the squid which made every bite chewy and rubbery. This is an easy fix and can easily be peeled off during prep. The batter was also inconsistent so it wasn’t very crispy.

They just dumped their blend of green onions, peppers, and fried shallots on the side of the dish and it looked lazy, like it was never dry tossed together with the fried squid. It probably should have been better incorporated but instead it just felt like no care or thought had been put into it.

These were just okay. The flavor was decent but it wasn’t super fresh or saucy, and something about that one slice of raw jalapeno is just a hilariously sad way of garnishing the dish.

I remembered getting this once and it was fantastic. Savory, sticky, and sweet, with just the right balance of fat and texture in every morsel. This time it was sitting in a pool of overly salty, watery sauce and the meat was so dry and tough it felt like it was cutting the sides of my throat when I tried to swallow.

This was off just by looking at it. I remembered it being way thicker with the fried dough still crispy despite being wrapped in the silky rice roll. This time the filling was stale and greasy and so much smaller. Each piece looked like the rice roll was wrapped around a churro stick.

This was still decent. It isn’t a beginner dim sum item and contains a little funky offal flavor, an acquired taste. It is gelatinous with a slight tender chewiness to it. Isn’t my favorite dim sum item but I can eat it. Again garnished with a piece of sad raw jalapeno.

This was the only thing that tasted good and like how I remembered it. Thin crunchy exterior with a bouncy, shrimp forward interior. It had an almost nostalgic taste, back to when YH Seafood Clubhouse was the undisputed fancy dim sum weekend brunch of Orlando and not this place that sits mostly empty on weekdays, barely getting by.

What Happened to YH Seafood Clubhouse?

When YH Seafood Clubhouse first opened it was very busy. On weekends during lunch hours it was completely packed and there wasn’t even a reservation system available. You had to come early and wait in line if you wanted to bring the whole family for dim sum.

But hype ultimately dies down and I think this restaurant just wasn’t sustainable. Their live seafood costs were likely insane. Keeping seafood in tanks is pricey, and having it shipped in live is even more so since it’s highly perishable. Anything not sold is just dollars circling the drain. The rent in the I-Drive area is also expensive due to the tourist traffic near the theme parks, so I would never say this place was overpriced for what they were providing. But right now it is past its prime and may honestly be in the process of closing down. I’ve heard unconfirmed rumors that someone is already lined up to take over their lease.