Sea Change

Legal Sea Foods comes to KOP

by Elisa Ludwig

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Published: May 8, 2007

Nowhere does hunger burn more fiercely than in the mall. It's a gut-aching, shaky-hand kind of hunger � the body's response, perhaps, to the soul-starving experience of shopping. This is why, when you visit King of Prussia Mall, you have to wait in line to eat at a sit-down chain restaurant.

Legal Sea Foods, the latest addition to the KOP lineup, is no exception. In fact, even if you call ahead, you'll likely be forced to wait for a table among dozens of scrod-craving shoppers. In the past two decades, the Boston-based chain has spread like seasoned butter along the East Coast, earning accolades for its self-processed fish along the way.

With most entrees in the mid-20s, Legal is no bargain. For your money, you are rewarded with a sleek, upscale atmosphere outfitted in mahogany and "native" stone and a solid Wine Spectator-recognized wine list. It's clean, modern and pretty stylish for a space that used to house a Houlihan's.

Still, there's a mall-ish feel to the ginormous menu with highly controlled bursts of international flavor. Consider the Alaskan butterfish starter, in which a silky-textured filet is marinated in ginger and served with jasmine rice and a tangle of green seaweed. The fish is quite fresh, but the dish is altogether too mild to be interesting.

Even a benign crowd pleaser like nutty wild salmon, a filet blanketed in thin slices of almonds, fails to impress. The fish lacks seasoning; its underlying bed of mushroom ravioli is rubbery and dull. And, at least when I visited, the spinach had an unappealing whiff of smoke.

Better to stick with the classics on which Legal built its reputation. The clam chowder, which, as the menu touts, has been served at every presidential inauguration since 1981, is memorable. Viscous salt-pork-scented cream swirls around tender nuggets of shellfish and potato.

The crabcake is a homely, clawlike thing sprawled out on a puddle of mustard sauce. Generous chunks of lump crab are speckled with Old Bay seasoning and bundled together with unmistakable holed sections of saltine crackers. They can be ordered in doubles or paired with grilled shrimp and juicy scallops. The dish comes with a salad of greens, apples and walnuts � an interesting, if discordant, choice.

If your only point of reference for Boston cream pie is Dunkin' Donuts, you must sample Legal's version, an individually sized cylinder of espresso-soaked sponge pumped up with rich vanilla custard and an uppermost layer of fudge. It's a great cure for shopper's fatigue � though it probably doesn't help with shopper's guilt.

(e_ludwig@citypaper.net)

Legal Sea Foods

The Court at King of Prussia Mall, 690 W. DeKalb Pike, King of Prussia, 610-265-5566.
Hours: Mon.-Thu., 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun., 11 a.m.-9 p.m.
Appetizers, $3.95-$23.50; Entrees, $13.95-$39.95
Credit cards accepted. Reservations recommended.

 

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