Fortune King Seafood Restaurant | Beverly Hills

Located in the heart of Beverly Hills is Fortune King Seafood Restaurant. While there may be more seafood/Chinese restaurants on the boulevard than fingers I can count on my hands, the quality of food and level of service cannot be matched. It has slowly become one of our go-to's for group catch-ups because given the aforementioned quality, the price is considerably cheap!

XO Sauce Pipi with Vermicelli noodle base
XO Sauce is a popular choice for Chinese cuisine, consisting primarily of dried shrimp, scallop and chilli flakes it makes for a very tasty option, especially when served with fried vermicelli noodles and pipi! This was a great dish, and surprisingly, my first time trying Pipi's... and loved them. The sauce played a very strong factor in his new found love. The base of this dish sits a bet of fried vermicelli noodles. Even with that much XO sauce, the noodles still managed to have a crunch! Perfect start to the evening!

Golden Deep Fried Oysters
Not being much of a seafood eater, I decided not to try the oysters purely based off previous failed attempts trying to gain a real liking for oysters. That said, they did look damn amazing though and they were quite large! The dish is served with two condiments; a salty seasoning and a vinaigrette would give the oyster a bit of a zing! We asked a friend at the table for their "foodie review" and they told us that the thin, crispy golden batter combined with the rich, fluffy, aromatic texture of the oyster was a match made in heaven! 

Shandong Chicken
Tell me, other than the vegetarians and vegans of the world.. who doesn't love crispy chicken? Very little I would presume, and that is probably just because they haven't tasted one like this. Shandong chicken goes through a twice-cooking process - not much dissimilar to twice cooked chips. The first time around, the chicken is boiled to ensure it is cooked right through. Then it is fried/baked to obtain that golden crisp we all know and love. The chicken was well enjoyed around the table as it disappeared quickly after I was able to take a picture! 

Steamed Garlic Butter Prawns
Prawns can be cooked in several different ways, they can be boiled, fried, barbecued, steamed, have the full shell, half shell, no shell or in this case, be split down the middle and fried. This is our preferred way of eating prawns (other than deep fried of course) as it is quite easy to eat and it lets you experience the full flavour of the prawn. While the garlic butter does help enhance the flavour, the great thing about this is that it doesn't completely overpower the natural flavours of the prawns!

Honey Chicken
The safest choice on any Chinese menu is the Honey Chicken. You know exactly what you are getting, no matter where you go and you can expect it to be edible. We find that simple, easy to cook foods as such are vital to determine the key differences between restaurants of the same cuisine. In Fortune King's case, the chicken was battered in a thick, crunchy outer layer and marinated with a moderately sweet honey glaze! Simple, yet enjoyable. This dish is perfectly paired with the fried rice below as it gives you the sweet and salty contrast!

Chef’s special - Preserved Vegetable Fried Rice with Chicken fillet
Perhaps it is just because I am western, but fried rice works well with any type of food, be it fish, chicken, beef or pork. Better yet, when you can find a fried rice that has enough flavour to be eaten individually you have hit the jackpot!

Mushroom medley with seasonal greens
My personal rule of thumb, for every main meal during the day you should have at least one main vegetable to maintain a healthy balance. The medley of mushrooms and bok choy was simply that, the much needed vegetables to help break down all the oily food. This dish also works as a great side dish to many of the aforementioned dishes.

The only regrettable thing about eating Chinese food is the hours to come afterwards. Because you never order small, you feel very lethargic afterwards from the mountains of food, and the just as impressive amount of oil. While the food tastes great, it definitely comes with a price! The best tip, drink as much herbal tea as possible, order some veggies, eat the complimentary fruit and visit Fortune King Seafood!

Check out their menu

Fortune King Seafood Restaurant Menu, Reviews, Photos, Location and Info - Zomato

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