Style Magazine_El Dorado County and Foothills_December 2018

eat & drink
DINING SPOTLIGHT
Folsom
Palace
Chinese Fusion with Flair
by LORN RANDALL // photos by DANTE FONTANA
“...THE SALAD WAS
LIGHT AND BOASTED
ALL THE FAVORABLE
TEXTURES AND
FLAVORS FOUND
IN THE ORIGINAL
WITH PLENTY OF
FRESH VEGGIES
(LETTUCE, CARROTS,
CUCUMBER, AND
RED CABBAGE) TO
CUT THROUGH THE
PROTEIN’S DEEP-
FRIED RICHNESS
AND CREAMY,
SWEET SAUCE.”
HOURS: 11:30 a.m.-9
p.m. (Sunday), 11 a.m.-
9:30 p.m. (Monday-
Thursday), 11 a.m.-10
p.m. (Friday-Saturday)
TRY THIS: War Won
Ton Soup, Singapore
Style Walnut Prawns
Lemon Chicken
Sichuan Kung Pao Prawns
Salad, Shrimp
Dumplings, Peking
Duck, Lemon Chicken,
Sichuan Kung Pao
Prawns, Combination
Vegetables, Thai Tofu
Curry, Mongolian Beef,
Northern China Chow
Mein
DRINKS: Beer and
wine
TAB: $$
Singapore Style Walnut Prawns Salad
HEADS-UP: Sidewalk
patio with Wi-Fi; low
sodium and no MSG
Chow Mein
Shrimp Dumplings
food preparation;
daily lunch specials
from 11 a.m.-3 p.m.;
vegan options; platters
available for private
parties; free delivery
(limited area) with $30
minimum
Surprise. This was my first impression
as I walked through the doors
of El Dorado Hills’ newest Asian
restaurant. White leather chairs,
colored LED lights illuminating Chinesethemed
art, and a modern mix of light and dark
wood joined the sounds of four chefs working
at a feverish pace in the open kitchen. The
result? An über-contemporary, cool, and lively
take on family-style Chinese dining.
My wife and I started with a fun twist on
one of her favorites: honey walnut prawns. In
this case, the crowd-pleasing plate was served
as a Singapore-style salad. Although I adore
the entrée, it can be heavy and doesn’t reheat
well as leftovers; conversely, the salad was
light and boasted all the favorable textures
and flavors found in the original with plenty
of fresh veggies (lettuce, carrots, cucumber,
and red cabbage) to cut through the protein’s
deep-fried richness and creamy, sweet sauce.
The shrimp dumpling appetizer—served
in a bamboo steamer basket with eight silky,
plump, shrimp-stuffed bundles of delicate
delights—was an instant hit. Mix a little chili
paste and soy sauce tableside, and everyone
will be fighting for the last one.
Next, we moved to the spicy side with
an order of Sichuan shrimp—a sizzling
portion of prawns alongside colorful bell
peppers, bamboo shoots, onions, shiitake
mushrooms, zucchini, and (a curious but
welcome South of the Border addition) chayote
in a fiery-sweet Sichuan sauce. A quick note
here about Szechuan and Sichuan; in short,
they’re interchangeable and both refer to the
Sichuan province in China—famous for the
wonderfully piquant Sichuan peppercorn and
a cooking style featuring intense flavoring of
garlic and chili peppers. If you’re brave, ask
for it SPICY!
Once again acquiescing to my wife’s tastes,
we ordered lemon chicken, her “safety dish.”
She’s not a very adventurous diner, so the fried
chicken breast in a luscious lemony glaze hit
the mark for her timid taste buds who weren’t
willing to venture in or near the red (hot) zone.
Thankfully, all of their spicy dishes are
defined by a red chili pepper on the menu,
ensuring it’s easy to avoid or invite the heat.
What’s more, each lunch special is served with
soup and your choice of white rice, fried rice,
chow mein, or brown rice—meaning there’s
plenty of food and flavors to go ’round.
Stop in for lunch or dinner and see what
surprises await—you’ll be glad you did.
NOTE: Check out their original location at 1169 Riley
Street in Folsom.
3941 Park Drive, Suite 10, El Dorado
Hills, 916-936-0808, folsompalace.com
42 styleedc.com // DECEMBER 2018 // /styleedc /stylemediagroup /stylemediagroup /stylemagedcf