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Fook Yuen, a closer look
Aloha!
2/28/09 - My goodness, what's the deal with all these restaurants closing down?!!! It was bad enough when T.G.I. Friday's went under a while back, but to have a seemingly always-packed institution like Compadre's call it quits, too? My, my... The amazing thing is, that was only the beginning! Next in line to meet this same unmerciful fate were such well-loved spots as A Taste of New York, Brew Moon, Green Door, E&O Trading Company, and even Nick's Fishmarket! Who woulda thought? We all know that restaurants shut down all the time, but to have so many closing in such a short span of time, and with such big names, is very, very saddening indeed.
But then again, that's not the whole story, not by a long-shot. Despite the economic woes gripping the world at this time and the high number of recent casualties littering the local culinary landscape, there have also been several dramatic openings showing a whole lotta promise, our confidence being boosted with such new spots as The Counter, a highly-regarded burger restaurant in Kahala Mall; Wolfgang's Steakhouse, a fine-dining establishment in the mode of Ruth's Chris, Morton's, and DK's; Jimmy Buffet's, a Caribbean/American/local grill from the famous singer/entertainer; Hog Island BBQ, a genuine Memphis-style Smokehouse; Z Pizza, on the ground level of Ward Center; and a host of Japanese izakaya-like outlets (within the last year) such as Hanamaru, Ojiya, and Jinroku.
So before we get too down-and-out and begin thinking like the economy will somehow steal the shirt off of our very own backs, just know the truth of the matter is that there will always be enough intelligent, highly-skilled entrepeneurs to assure a plethora of great dining experiences. The tightening of the current market has changed and will probably continue to change the islands in one way or another, but the best and brightest will always rise up to meet the challenge, whether it comes to the restaurant industry, hotels, construction, technology, business, or anything else! So spread the cheer, not the fear! One person strong enough to believe in a better tomorrow, no matter how bad it may seem, is enough to carry a hundred doom-and-gloomer's, yes? So hopefully, we're the one's carrying the stretcher's, not riding on it!
One place I believe not likey to shut down from trying times is a very popular Chinese restaurant at the McCully Shopping Center called Fook Yuen.
Besides the excellent, top-knotch cuisine found here, this spot owns several different attributes that distinguish it from other Chinese eateries. Hey, nothing overly dramatic or totally ground-breaking, but still... First, with a 3am closing-time every night of the week, the only places open later are 4am bars and 24 hr. establishments! Secondly, they have an insanely-priced $8.95 lunchtime buffet ($9.95 Saturday and Sunday), which includes fried chicken wings, chow mein noodles, braised pork, roasted eggplant, and several other choices. I took a look at the spread, however, and concluded that nothing there looked remotely as good as anything off the menu, but please don't tell me you expected much more, not at these prices! The third and perhaps greatest difference setting Fook Yuen apart is their $10.99 whole lobster, cooked in your choice of garlic/butter, ginger/green onion, or black bean sauces. For sure, lobsters get no breaks here whatsoever - check out how high these critters are piled up - where the heck is PETA?
Our kind hostess on this particularly fine day led our mom, my sister, her hubby, their beautiful, just-turned-1 little girl, and myself to a perfectly-situated table directly fronting huge windows overlooking the busy intersection of Kapiolani Blvd. and McCully St. And what a super-gorgeous day it was, with the beautiful Hawaiian sun out in full force. It was still as crazy-cold as it has been these last few weeks, but maybe that's a good thing - I've been so busy at work and on a few huge projects (some of which you'll be seeing soon enough!), and when it's cold or overcast I don't miss being out on the water quite so much! Sun plus heat equals beach, for sure!
The restaurant is clean, comfortable, reasonably elegant, and on the larger side, with two spacious dining areas along with a couple of separate rooms for private parties. Here's a shot of the two main sections, one of which was empty and used more as an overflow. Believe me, both areas are well-taken advantage of on most days, especially during dinner.
My brother-in-law was hungry for seafood, and we were in an excellent place to fill that need. Besides lobster, there is live dungeness crab or Hawaiian prawn cooked several different ways, Szechuan shrimp, scallop with black fungus or wine sauce, braised or deep-fried oyster, abalone with black mushroom and vegetables, clams with black bean sauce, squid several different ways, and a host of fish choices, even including kumu (goatfish), one of the most prized delicacies on the reef!
We settled on a sizzling scallop in black bean sauce. I used to try and take pictures of sizzling platters as quickly as possible, when the juices were still bubbling and steam still rising, but I've since concluded that moving objects like steam and bubbles don't always make for the best pictures, as they wreak havoc on your cameras' sense of focus. So just know that this platter did come with all the drama, but I just waited for things to calm down a bit. The scallops themselves were moist, tender, and succulent, while the onions and bell peppers were fresh, firm, and crunchy. Black bean sauce, which is often very potent and salty, this time came very light in flavor, which made us appreciate the main ingredients more fully, just as fresh items are meant to be enjoyed.
The next seafood choice was, of course, lobster. Simple, but well-flavored and wok-fried in a classic mix of oil, salt, green onion, and ginger, it's a slight departure from just being steamed and dipped in butter (or ponzu, if you're from Japan). The extra ingredients permeate the lobster, especially when the meat itself (not shell) is crisped-up into a kind of crust that soaks up all those delicious flavors. Even the crispy ginger slices were delicious when eaten in tandem with the slightly-cooked stalks of green onion, coming void of the natural bitterness normally found in this potent, super-healthy rhizome. Anywayz, nuff said already, as this picture probably speaks much louder than any words I could possibly conjure up!
If you're like me, you can always appreciate a healthy dose of animal fat, whether it comes from a cow, a pig, a chicken, or a duck! Luckily, the majority of folks sitting on our table thought alike, and we ordered a roast half-duck with plum sauce, which was absolutely delicious. The skin was crisp and crunchy as could be, the meat deep and dark as ever, and oooh, that thick layer of fat between the two - unbelievable!!! And yes, we did clean out our entire pot of hot tea afterwards!
The last two dishes of the day were two noodle varieties, both done in a Hong-Kong-style crispiness. Different from local-style cake noodle, which is pan-fried, pressed, and sliced into cakes, this bed of egg noodles is light, really thin, and not pressed, leaving lots of air between each strand. This allows the gravies that are poured over it to really soak in, softening the noodles in the process so they don't end up feeling like potato chips or shoestring potatoes.
The first noodle dish was a mixed, shredded meat and mushroom chow mein and the second, a chicken and vegetable chow mein. Both were fabulous, but despite the first one looking so pretty, the latter was much better, coming with tender chicken pieces, crispy choi sum greens, and a heartier and more luxurious gravy that left us wishing we made a double-order of this dish alone, instead.
Fook Yuen is no typical, neighborhood Chinese restaurant. This is definitely fine Chinese cuisine, and one of the best places on the island to get it. You owe it to yourself to at least come in for these fabulous noodles and at least one order of whole lobster - at $10.99, that's less than a third of what you'd pay for a lobster dinner at most places anywhere else! But don't stop there, as the menu is full of excellent choices to satisfy the needs of everyone in your household.
And as we close out this short second month of the year, I'm wishing you all a great weekend! Wifey's friends are in from Japan and we'll all be doing some serious hibachi'ing tonight - I'll be sure to take some shots and do another Hibachi Time closer look soon!
Take care and Aloha till next time!
Aku
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