Silver Lake: Nice Mix of Chinese and Chinese American Food at Fat Dragon
orange chicken
Chinese Food Week on The Minty Continues with Fat Dragon in Silver Lake. Fat Dragon is my ideal sort of Chinese restaurant. It has a mix of traditional Chinese dishes as well as the more familiar Chinese American dishes everyone loves like orange chicken. However, all of these dishes have a more modern spin making everything seem lighter and healthier.
Orange chicken isn’t something I order but I noted the use of fresh orange in this dish and how everyone has nostalgic feelings for it.
spicy wontons
I dove into the spicy wontons though. This I could love being a huge dumplings fan.
milk tea
Fat Dragon has an outstanding tea selection. I love that even a simple milk tea was made with such care. Appreciative murmurs went around the table as various hot teas were sipped.
honey walnut shrimp, string beans, beef with mushrooms
I have to admit my family did order honey walnut shrimp occasionally when I was a kid. I wasn’t so into it because I knew how it was made and I’m not a huge sauce person. I did like Fat Dragon’s as the shrimp seemed very fresh. I also appreciated the candied walnuts were made in house and the fried wonton skins also added another crunch to the dish.
close up on the steak and shrooms
I really loved how meaty these shrooms were for the steak and shrooms which was a mix of oyster, portobello and shiitake mushrooms.
fried chicken
We also had the Mary’s fried chicken. The skin was deliciously light and crispy and even the white meat was juicy. This reminded me of the chicken we’d have at Chinese banquets as a kid. Though it was quite unhealthy as we’d squeeze the lemon on and then dip into MSG! Of course they called the MSG “salt and pepper” mix back then. There’s no MSG in sight here so don’t worry. Just enjoy the naturally tasty chicken on its own, perhaps with a just a squeeze of lemon.
mushroom fries
I thought the mushroom fries were so innovative! Save the portobello mushrooms for the steak and shrooms! Get these shimeji ones were so adorable and cute.
mapo tofu
For vegetarians or folks obsessed with mapo tofu like me, this vegetarian one with mushrooms is a good main dish. It’s listed under vegetables but I would treat it as a main– just get it with rice!
I love how Fat Dragon also has customized fortune cookies. No #notafortunecookie hashtags here!
Now, does Fat Dragon deliver to DTLA?
3500 W Sunset Blvd., Los Angeles, CA 90026 — (323) 667-9193© 2018 The Minty
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