Lexington, KY - I have a confession to make:
for almost as long as I can remember, I have been generally leery of Chinese restaurants. I'm not quite sure why, exactly -
maybe there was an incident I am blocking out of my immediate psyche, or maybe (and perhaps unfairly) I just have trouble getting past a very memorable TV special about restaurant inspections, featuring a handful of Chinese restaurants with horrendously low scores. Beyond that, I suspect it may be as simple as the fact that General Tso's sweet-and-sour chicken, egg drop soup and other staples I associate with the fare just really don't do anything for me. Perhaps Fulin's Asian Cuisine, the newest culinary addition to Beaumont Center, may be just what I need to get over my hang-ups.
As an "Asian Cuisine" restaurant, Fulin's is not your typical Chinese joint - Chinese food is the specialty, but the menu includes Thai and Japanese offerings as well, including sushi and a Thai style casserole, served in an earthen clay pot. The restaurant is a franchise new to Lexington, with eight locations around Tennessee and Alabama. While I tend to steer clear of franchises, it quickly became apparent to me when I visited that the restaurant has expanded to so many locations because the quality is high, the menu is diverse and the "Asian fusion" concept is a desirable addition to most culinary landscapes.
During our visit, my guest and I started with a couple of beverages while we looked over the menu, which turned out to be a lengthier affair than anticipated -
it being 10 pages long and chock full of delectable options. We chose a sushi roll to tide us over while we decided on our main course (the American Dream Roll: tempura shrimp, cucumber and avocado topped with flying fish roe, $6.95). The sushi was delicious, and we were pleasantly surprised by the healthy garnish of crab meat on the plate, accompanying the wasabi and pickled ginger.
While the lunch specials on the first page of the menu were enticing (options include chicken with cashews, Mongolian beef, and Kung Pao shrimp, all priced under $10) my guest and I both ended up choosing entrees from the Chef's Specials page, which features the most elaborate meals Fulin's has to offer, including the Seafood Bird Nest (assorted seafood, cashews and vegetables in brown sauce presented in a nest made of fried potato) and the Shrimp & Lamb in Black Bean Sauce. As much as I wanted to see that potato nest, the Ginger Lobster was speaking to me - stir fried lobster tail with scallion, ginger and pepper in garlic sauce. My guest went with the intriguing Dragon & Phoenix -
chicken in a light sauce and shrimp in a chili tomato sauce.
Our entrees arrived quickly, before we were finished with our first course, but the food looked great so we readily embraced it. I tried a bite of both the Dragon and the Phoenix, and the meal was good, but I must say I made the right choice with the Ginger Lobster. The lobster was still in the shell, though chopped into small, manageable pieces, and it was perfectly cooked, the sauce light but flavorful. I don't typically order lobster and was probably unprepared for how much time I would spend extracting the meat from the shell with a tiny fork, but it was definitely worth it - a manager later told us you could order it with the shell already removed, but it isn't nearly as tasty.
Fulin's' decor is comfortable but elegant, with a full bar and seating available at the sushi bar. After two adult beverages, a sushi appetizer and two main courses, our meal came to $56.55 prior to tipping - an expensive lunch, but it easily would have made for a plentiful and reasonably priced dinner. In a nutshell, Fulin's has no shortage of options for various tastes and budgets, the service is courteous, the food is tasty, and I look forward to returning.