Fu Lin: A Great Deal in an Obscure Corner

As part of an Chinese family, I am always kept aware of any Chinese restaurants wherever I am.  Some are very obvious to find, especially in southern Montgomery County.  But in the upper part of the county, they are usually concentrated around the downtown areas of Wheaton and Silver Spring.  Outside of this part, you would be hard pressed to find any restaurants that serve authentic cuisine.  But there is one hidden place located in a strip mall surrounded by residential homes: Fu Lin. 

When I walk in, the place was kind of empty.  I wondered 'How could such a place stay in business like this?' But with every ring of the phone on the counter, I quickly realize that this place is primarily a take-out joint.  So yes, they do have that Americanized stuff that we have all know.  But knowing what authentic Chinese food is, it's a Pavlovian response for me to try avoiding that stuff.

One thing that most people do not understand about Chinese cuisine is that dishes are meant to be shared, banquet style.  This is shown in the preset menus that Fu Lin offers.  Each set varies depending on the size of the party (there are 2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 people) and are reasonable in prices.  My parents and I selected the one for 4 people ($39.99).  

We start with what they call West Lake Beef Soup.  It is like an egg drop soup with ground beef.  

The second course is tilapia stir fried with vegetables in black bean sauce.  There is a decent variety of vegetables in this dish, including chives, lotus root, carrots, and onions.

The third course is Peking Pork Chops.  It's pork chops cooked in a thick red sauce.  I believe they use pieces of shoulder rather than the loin, so the meat is tougher but much tastier.

The fourth course is a dish of boiled vegetables, in this case bok choy.  It is sauteed with garlic.  Very simple and refreshing.

The final course is a whole chicken served in 3 ways: salt fried, garlic fried, or steamed and served with soy sauce (Hakka style).  We chose the garlic fried version.  The chicken is topped with crushed garlic and sliced chiles.

There is a dessert served with every menu.  But since it is orange slices, I wouldn't count as a course since it's insignificant compared with the rest of the dinner.  I was hoping to get a hot tapioca soup, which is a traditional way to end a Chinese meal.  So I guess you can it was a slightly disappointing end but hey, fruit is good for you.

The next time I come back here, I hope to bring along more people as Fu Lin's dinners for 6, 8, and 10 people include lobster and whole fish, which they store in tanks in the back of the restaurant.

Fu Lin
2235 Bel Pre Road
Silver Spring, MD 20906