Food Review: Asia Fats in Folsom

First, I am not a professional restaurant reviewer/food critic. All I can tell you is my own experience – your experience (and palate) may differ from mine. That being said, let me share with you my dining experience at Asia Fats in Folsom.

I love Asian cuisine, especially the spicier dishes, so I ordered some that were flagged as spicy on the menu: Mongolian beef and Sesame chicken. Additionally I ordered the Chinese chicken salad, vegetable fried rice, and asparagus with mushrooms in oyster sauce. Let me start with the chicken salad: I was disappointed. The lettuce looked old and wilted, and it lacked the traditional ginger with tinge of horseradish flavors I have come to expect with a good Chinese chicken salad. Additionally, the sugary peanut sauce was replaced with what I think was soy sauce.

The Mongolian beef was also a disappointment. In addition to being light on spice (there were some thinly sliced green chilis instead of the fiery-hot blackened peppers) it was also light on beef – the dish was mostly sautéed onions. The beef, what there was of it, had a nice flavor, but was not spicy in the least.

The Sesame chicken likewise was not spicy as advertised. The chicken itself was good – real meat as opposed to chunks of chicken parts, and the breading had a good flavor, but overall was very bland.

The vegetable fried rice was pretty good. Lots of vegetables and rice – a large portion and good value.

The best entrée was the asparagus with mushrooms and oyster sauce. The asparagus was crisp and had good flavor, the mushrooms were sautéed to perfection, and the oyster sauce tied it all together. This dish I would recommend.

Asia Fats has a nice ambience – the staff is very friendly and attentive, and I liked the layout and décor. Would I go back? Probably not. The offerings for me were too bland – I prefer more heat and spice in dishes that are advertised as spicy. On the other hand, if you enjoy your Chinese cuisine on the non-spicy side, you might consider the sesame chicken and the asparagus. But stay away from the Chinese chicken salad!