I began to compile a list for an "Asian Favorites" soon to come, and I realized that I was already somewhat behind. It appears that there have been at least two new Asian restaurants opened in the past few months, and I felt it would be a discourtesy and somewhat lazy for me to not give them an honest shot before throwing a new list up on the web. With that in mind, and a friend in town, we headed to A.W. Lin's, a restaurant that bills itself as Chinese, Thai, Japanese, and, well, Asian. It is located in the Promenade.
Known as Fu-lin's throughout the region, the restaurant was dubbed A.W. Lin's in order to differentiate itself from the long-present central Arkansas staple located on Bowman. We entered expecting something similar, or perhaps something Fantastic China-esque, but what we were greeted with was white linen table cloths, wait staff in black tie, and a well stocked bar. Needless to say, we were under dressed.
On a second-hand recommendation, I had the drunken duck. Let me say this and hope the restaurant doesn't get wind of it: At $22 for nearly an entire side of crispy-skinned, slow roasted duck lathered in a rich, deep sweet soy glaze, I felt like I was stealing from the place. Most "fancier" restaurants would charge twice as much for half the portion and taste. Truly a great recommendation-- if you love duck you will not be disappointed. Go for the duck. I will return for it.
Menu: ★★★☆☆
I ding the menu because it has Scottish salmon, Japanese sushi, Chinese duck, Thai curry, and just seems confused. Instead of being organized by "Chef Special" and Japanese sushi, why not pay homage to each culture represented with its own section-- it would certainly be easier to find dishes.
Food: ★★★★☆
Our dumplings were tasty but lacked bite. My miso soup tasted exactly like the kind found in any asian restaurant ever, and can be purchased here. The duck dish I had was breathtakingly marvelous. Exquisitely delicious. The rendered duck fat lulls you in, the slow rich flavors of the meat seep through, and the crispy skin-- .
Atmosphere: ★★★☆☆
It appears that the planners walked across the way to Bravo, took some pictures, and said to the design team "do this. It does have outdoor seating though-- a big plus in the promenade.
Service: ★★★★☆
Our waiter was good. Thorough, prompt, not bothersome, knew the menu.
Known as Fu-lin's throughout the region, the restaurant was dubbed A.W. Lin's in order to differentiate itself from the long-present central Arkansas staple located on Bowman. We entered expecting something similar, or perhaps something Fantastic China-esque, but what we were greeted with was white linen table cloths, wait staff in black tie, and a well stocked bar. Needless to say, we were under dressed.
On a second-hand recommendation, I had the drunken duck. Let me say this and hope the restaurant doesn't get wind of it: At $22 for nearly an entire side of crispy-skinned, slow roasted duck lathered in a rich, deep sweet soy glaze, I felt like I was stealing from the place. Most "fancier" restaurants would charge twice as much for half the portion and taste. Truly a great recommendation-- if you love duck you will not be disappointed. Go for the duck. I will return for it.
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| Drunken Duck-- served over bean sprouts, onions and peppers. |
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| Triple Crown-- Shrimp, beef and chicken over some stir fry veggies. |
Menu: ★★★☆☆
I ding the menu because it has Scottish salmon, Japanese sushi, Chinese duck, Thai curry, and just seems confused. Instead of being organized by "Chef Special" and Japanese sushi, why not pay homage to each culture represented with its own section-- it would certainly be easier to find dishes.
Food: ★★★★☆
Our dumplings were tasty but lacked bite. My miso soup tasted exactly like the kind found in any asian restaurant ever, and can be purchased here. The duck dish I had was breathtakingly marvelous. Exquisitely delicious. The rendered duck fat lulls you in, the slow rich flavors of the meat seep through, and the crispy skin-- .
Atmosphere: ★★★☆☆
It appears that the planners walked across the way to Bravo, took some pictures, and said to the design team "do this. It does have outdoor seating though-- a big plus in the promenade.
Service: ★★★★☆
Our waiter was good. Thorough, prompt, not bothersome, knew the menu.