Full Tummies at Full Kee

By Daphne Domingo

For regular diners at Full Kee longing for a taste of home, or for newcomers curious about the experience of authentic Chinese cuisine, owner Gary Zhu has a simple suggestion: ask your server, “What specials do you have for today?” That question usually leads to an array of options, many based on unusual ingredients they bring in from New York or seasonal greens. An additional tip: seek out manager Vincent Ly. A 30-year veteran in the restaurant industry who enjoys serving genuine, Chinese food, he will readily describe unique dishes, where they came from and any special symbolism or history involved.

Ly is well versed in culinary history and the artful techniques the cooks use to create their dishes. Under his guidance, our party was served a multi-course dinner mixing items from their regular menu and two “hidden” menus, one for banquets and the other a “family” menu. The hidden menus are reserved for parties of 10 or more, and generally need to be ordered in advance.

Our banquet began with Lobster Salad, Full Kee’s take on Asian & American fusion, consisting of over 3 pounds of lobster with various fruits, including cantaloupe, apples and grapes mixed in a special mayonnaise dressing. In Chinese, lobster is translated as “dragon shrimp” and, according to Ly, symbolizes “something good showing up for business.” The dish was cleverly presented on a large platter shaped like a lobster with a head, tail and flashing electric eyes.

Shortly afterwards came the Neptune Roll, various types of seafood also dressed in a mayonnaise sauce and wrapped in, I believe, a soybean sheet, lightly breaded and fried to a delicate crisp. Extraordinarily tasty, but the texture elevated it to a new level of sublime. For special banquets, the Neptune Roll symbolizes “to your heart’s desire.”

Next, Ly delivered a mushroom medley of prince mushrooms, black mushrooms and Shanghai green vegetables (possibly bok choy) and taught us about Chinese blends of color, aroma and taste. Every dish was presented with a variety of colors, either from its diverse ingredients or an unexpected garnish such as cooling cucumber slices on top of bright slices of oranges around the perimeter. Everyone at our table was encouraged to pause for a moment and let the delightful aromas of the dishes waft gently into our noses. Heavenly. And then, time to taste and savor. (Note to readers with MSG sensitivities: this dish and some others contain MSG.)

A noodle dish, symbolizing long life, is as mandatory to a real Chinese banquet as a cheese course is to French cuisine. Our noodles arrived in the form of Vermicelli Dapeng, named after a mythological bird (roughly translated as “super eagle”) known in the Canton region. Ly mentioned that Full Kee is the only restaurant in the DC metropolitan area that serves this style of noodles containing dried squid, dried shrimp, and crispy dried scallops. The dish has a distinctive smoky fragrance to it, and Ly shared some of his kitchen’s “secret” techniques on how they make it so special. Curious? Ask him yourself!

The Filet of Cod Fish is specially fried to create a gentle crispness on the outside and a mild chewiness on the inside, and accompanied by a tantalizing sweet-and-sour sauce. This dish is listed on the regular menu, by the way, so while it’s technically not hidden, it’s still pretty special.

Following tradition, we concluded with a rice dish—“to ensure your fullness,” as Ly taught us. He served Full Kee’s special seafood fried rice called Xi Shi Rice, named after one of the “Four Great Beauties” of ancient Chinese legend. Ingredients and preparation both pay tribute to beauty. “The secret,” Ly disclosed, “is it is cooked 3 or 4 times.” They separate the eggs in the dish and specially cook them to create long golden and white strands from the yolk and then the egg. The rice is also cooked twice, first a set for the bottom, then another for the top and then they are blended to create a colorful mix along with the variety of accompanying seafood. Along with our special delicacies, regular menu items we were served included Golden Asparagus with Crab Meat Soup, a traditional Cantonese soup and then a mountain of Hong Kong Style BBQ, a signature Full Kee dish consisting of roast pork, roast pig, soy sauce chicken and roast duck, then the Beef with Broccoli in Black Pepper Sauce.

We ended our feast with Coconut Black Rice, topped with sweetened coconut milk that Mrs. Zhu made specifically for our evening. This item is not part of the regular menu, and is so “hidden” that Ly joked it could only be served if ordered several days in advance.

Full Kee is located at 5830 Columbia Pike, Falls Church, VA 22041. Phone: 703.575.8232. For more information, including an online menu, visit http://fullkeefallschurch.com/.