Cheap Eats - Fu Run Restaurant

Last night was AWESOME. I can always count on my good buddy Fang Du for a memorable evening of the "foodie persuasion". Yesterday was Fang's 31st birthday (old bitch), and in celebration, he carted himself and 9 of his most adventurous friends out to Flushing, Queens for an unforgettable cultural dining experience at Fu Run restaurant.

There were three things I noticed about Fu Run right away - we were the only non-Asian group in the restaurant (Thank God for Fang and his ability to speak Mandarin!), the hot pots on every table, and the cigarettes hanging from the chefs' mouths in the kitchen. This was going to be so bomb. We were quickly seated in a private room that was adorned with a metallic "Happy Birthday" banner, you know, like the kind you see at a 6-year old's birthday party. I loved this place already.

Fang explained that Fu Run specialized in Northeast style Chinese food typical of the region where he spent his younger years. Fang had us raise our glasses - frosty cups of Tsingtao and shot glasses full of Chinese grain alcohol (that tasted a hell of a lot like the stuff we used to put in hooch back during my days at WKU) - to a new year, health and happiness. Fang laughed as he drank from his shot glass saying, "I feel like an adult drinking this grain stuff. The kids always drank beer." Why didn't I grow up in China?

Then it was time to dig in. It really was unlike any Chinese food I'd tasted, but in a GREAT way. Being the ignorant American I am, I could have bitched at the lack of egg rolls, but no, this was a culinary journey, a rite of passage if you will. And now, I am enlightened (see me enlightened on the far right below.)

We started with a series of cold salad and noodle dishes. The most interesting (and I'm so pissed I don't have a picture, but forgive me as we ate this mad fast) was a bean/veggie protein dish that had the consistency of a rice noodle. This was in a cold ginger sauce with shredded cucumber. Next was a light dish of enoki mushrooms (these were so thin and delicate that I thought they were pasta), a crispy blanched potato bathed in sesame oil, and finally, a conch dish glazed in chili oil. These were refreshing, and a great way to kick off the meal.

Then came out the big guns. Heaping plates began to pile up on our "Lazy Susan" (somehow I doubt that's what the Chinese call it). Garlic chicken, cumin-dusted lamb, wok-folded pork, fried pheasant with chilis, salt and pepper shrimp, "vegetables of the earth" (that's the green stuff), eggplant and potatoes in brown sauce, tofu with peppers - we had our work cut out for us. All unique, all delicious with strong flavors of fresh ginger, peppers, chili oil and all that tasty jazz. I'm not going to pretend that I can actually describe the complexity of these dishes, so I'm going to let the photos speak for themselves.

One dish gets a special shout out from me - the sour cabbage and tofu soup with pork bone (pictured below). It had the perfect level of salty acidity that I dig so hard. The cabbage was crunchy. The tofu was firm and flavorful. I absolutely loved this stuff, and slurped it down with vigor before straight up grabbing the pork bones out of the hot pot and gnawing on those like a rabid dog. #class

Another interesting dish was the whole river fish (pictured below). When placed upon the table, Fang explained that according to tradition, whoever is sitting in the direction of the fish's head and tail must drink. Daniel and Fang were the lucky ones in this case, and happily guzzled their drinks in honor of the ancestors. Those silly, drunken ancestors . . . 

I loved the food so much it took me the whole meal to realize - wait a second, where's the rice? Fang explained that rice is never traditionally eaten with a Chinese meal. Instead, it and and other heavy starchy items are eaten at the end as a way to fill you up. This is referred to as "main meal". Yep that's right, I just turned your world upside down. BOOM.

Well at this point, I was already completely stuffed and in no need of "main meal", but once again, in the name of tradition we had to journey on. We skipped out on the rice and instead ordered some delicious steamed pork and chive dumplings which came out with black vinegar. I referred to the vinegar as smelling like "tortilla chips and feet". I'm certain the table was happy that I had placed this thought in their heads. YOU'RE WELCOME! Well "main meal" proved too much for us, and one lonely dumpling was left behind. Sorry, dude.

Overall, a delicious and educational meal spent with lovely company. There is something really special about a meal that lets you walk away with a greater understanding of the place from where the food originates. It's even more exciting when you get to share that experience with someone who calls that place home.

I would definitely go back to Fu Run, but I think I'd still bring Fang along with me, as I really have no idea what any of these dishes are actually called. One day, I'll learn. Hopefully.

Oh yeah, and I did I mention, it's EFFIN CHEAP!

THE DAMAGE: $31.00 per person including tax and tip