They say 3rd time’s a charm, right? Well, this certainly proved true when it came to my 3rd dining experience at Duke’s in Huntington Beach.

This past week, I had planned to finally make a long-overdue revisit to a restaurant that holds a very special place in my heart (if you have read my last article on Duke’s, you already know) for their weekly Thursday night Surf n’ Turf special menu. This was going to be sort of a “special date” for my amazing mom and I, as we had not gone to dinner just the 2 of us in ages (and she is a sucker for seafood and steak!). When the night came around, however, going to dinner was the last thing I was in the mood for after an extremely rough, stressful, exhausting week. But I stuck it out, and it was probably one of the best decisions I have ever made. The second we arrived, it was like all the worries and stress fled my mind and all I cared about was enjoying the night and time with my mom. This is what makes Duke’s so special. It’s not just a place to go have a meal. It’s a beachside haven where you are guaranteed to be treated like family, feel relaxed, and absolutely blown away with anything that meets with your tastebuds.

I so excited to be taking my mom for her first visit and even more excited when we were seated at the same table I had last time – with an unbeatable, breathtaking ocean view. It got even better when Jayme, our amazing server and one of the managers, came over and so genuinely greeted and welcomed me back (she served me last time and I learned of her family and love for her job). After chatting about how our families had been, the night really got started with drinks as we carefully studied the special Surf n’ Turf menu.

Surprisingly, it was the first time I decided to try one of their most popular drinks – the Lava Flow. This was hands-down one of the best cocktails I have ever had. In fact, I had 2 and obviously added the dark rum floater when it was suggested. OK. Totally not the overly sweet, artificial, disgusting drink you would expect by the name. This was such a natural, fresh, flavorful drink with the perfect balance between fruity, coconut-y goodness and rum. You could instantly tell that everything was natural and the rum was high quality. That’s because they use fresh juices, natural coconut syrup, and premium Hawaiian rums. You can NOT miss this cocktail – at least once.

The night continued with 2 of the staple appetizers – Mac Nut Hummus & Panko-Crusted Calamari – and the Brussel Sprouts on the special menu. Oh. My. Gosh. Best. Brussel. Sprouts. Ever. And I have had a LOT of Brussel Sprout dishes over the past 10 years or so. Words can not even describe the goodness. Even if you don’t like sprouts, this is a whole different flavor experience. Please do yourself a try these.

The meal followed with the Seafood Hot Pot on the standard menu – something I had always wanted to try but never had a dining buddy who wanted to share. This was so good. I could not believe how much seafood was in there, including shrimp, scallops, fresh fish, and even lobster! Definitely a dish for Thai food lovers like myself.

Now for the real highlight and amazement of the night… the Miso Scallop Entree on the Surf n’ Turf menu with an added steak. Kill me. Honestly. I have never felt this way about something. Please understand I am not being dramatic. These were the best scallops of my life, cooked perfectly. And the rice and sweet chili beuere blanc they were so carefully served atop of…. I am planning a date for just me and a big bowl of that rice ASAP. “Miso marinated scallops, shiitake mushroom & scallion fried rice, seaweed salad, sweet chili beurre blanc;” – the second one of the phenomenal team members describes this dish to you, you will be speechless and drooling. A picture does no where near justice.

Ok now it gets better. The steak. I’m not a steak person as you probably know by now if you are a reader, but she wanted to try it and ordered it to her preference, medium, which is my my worst nightmare. Served with a bacon jam over mashed potatoes and a light creamed corn with this DIVINE sauce. Of course, I took at least a bite, and I have literally never been this shocked in my life. My mom and I looked at each other and said, “What on Earth is this magical goodness and how does something taste so incomparably incredible.” I really could not believe how perfectly that piece of meat was cooked (especially being medium?!?!) and how it just melted away in my mouth, leaving me drooling. My mom (who doesn’t get very expressive about food) was reacting similarly, and still to this day we cannot stop reflecting on the moments of mesmerization with each and every bite. The steak and the scallops and the rice…. (and of course everything else!!), I cannot lie when I say this was absolutely one of the best meals of my life. Which I may say a lot, but this even tops some of the flavor experiences I had in Japan.

So yes, I can absolutely tell you that 3rd time is a charm. But really, all times have been more than just a charm. With Duke’s, I think a better statement would be…. You are guaranteed to be even more and more blown out of the water in front of you with each and every visit.

Look at your calendar now. Find your next availability. Make yourself a reservation. And get yourself to Duke’s for Surf n’ Turf night – even if you’re not in the mood.

To check out the menu, their other weekly specials, and learn more about the restaurant, check out their site here.