Okay, so the other day, I got this real hankering for some Chinese food. Not the usual stuff, you know, something a bit more… authentic, maybe? I remembered hearing about this place, Fortune House, supposed to be pretty decent.
First thing I did was try to scope out their menu. Figured I’d just look it up online, easy peasy. Well, let me tell you, it wasn’t quite that simple. Spent a good chunk of time clicking around, found a couple of sites listing a menu, but they looked kinda old, maybe not even the right Fortune House. You know how it is, tons of places with similar names.
Got a bit frustrated, almost gave up and just ordered from my usual spot. But that craving was still nagging me. So, I decided to just drive over there. Figured I could grab a takeaway menu at the very least.
Walked in, place smelled pretty good, always a good sign. Asked the lady at the counter if I could grab a menu to look at. She handed me one, laminated and everything. Standard procedure.
First Glance at the Goods
So I sat back in my car to actually read this thing. Started flipping through. Yeah, all the usual suspects were there:
- General Tso’s Chicken
- Sweet and Sour Pork
- Beef with Broccoli
- Egg Rolls, Fried Rice… the works.
Honestly, my first thought was, “Okay, it’s just another American Chinese joint.” Nothing really jumped out at me. It looked clean, prices seemed fair, but nothing screamed ‘special’.
Digging a Little Deeper
But then, tucked away towards the back, past all the combination plates and lunch specials, there was this smaller section. Didn’t have a fancy title, just maybe “House Specialties” or something plain like that. The descriptions were simpler, less… saucy? I don’t know how to put it. Things like Salt and Pepper Squid, Steamed Fish with Ginger and Scallion, Ma Po Tofu (the real kind, hopefully).
That got my attention. It felt like this might be the stuff the cooks actually enjoy making, or maybe what regulars order. It wasn’t front and center, wasn’t trying to grab everyone’s attention like the bright orange chicken pictures usually do.
So, I took a chance. Went back inside and ordered off that part of the menu. Got the Salt and Pepper Squid and some simple stir-fried greens with garlic.
Waited for the food, took it home. And you know what? It was actually really good. The squid was crispy, spicy, not greasy. The greens were fresh and still had a bit of bite. It wasn’t revolutionary, but it hit the spot in a way the usual stuff often doesn’t.
Made me think, though. How many people just look at the first few pages, see the usual suspects, and order that? They probably miss out on the potentially better stuff hidden away. It’s like you gotta know the secret handshake, or in this case, read the whole darn menu, even the boring-looking parts. Kinda funny how menus work, hiding gems in plain sight sometimes.
