Ellington

Description

Food: Open for nearly two decades at its Bowman Road shopping center location after previous lives midtown and downtown - in other words, "forever" by Little Rock Chinese establishment standards - Fu Lin is quite worthy of the years it has weathered. The menu is lengthy and familiar, featuring a traditional array of seafood, beef, pork, chicken, vegetarian and noodle dishes. Occasionally, you'll spot something - like Peking Duck ($12.95 half, $21.95 whole), the most expensive item on the menu - that you don't see everywhere. Start with soup, like Fu Lin's plush Hot and Sour that teases the tongue and even warms the ears. Stars on Fu Lin's menu indicate spiciness. But they may not always mean it, as is the case with the mild Shrimp with Hot Garlic Sauce. Our favorite of the starred dishes is the Chicken With Orange Peel, a plentiful saucy pile of lightly fried chicken with a subtle, but significant citrus and spice presence. Those with milder tastes might order the Moo Shu, a zesty but not peppery stir-fry of meat with cabbage, wood ear, bamboo shoots, egg and cabbage, which can be capped with a rich plum sauce and eaten fajita-style in thin pancakes.
Mood: Subdued is the atmosphere, set by dim lighting and the strains of instrumental elevator-ready versions of songs like "That's What Friends Are For." Past the entry, which features fish that are almost as big as their aquariums, are three tasteful dining rooms decorated with faux flora and minimal Asian ornamentation. Tables wear vinyl tablecloths and place mats. Mauve booths might wear the occasional patchedup tear. You don't have to dress up. But the staff will. - Jennifer Christman