Fortune House: Masters of Texture and Flavor

From the outside, Fortune House doesn't look like much, but after I entered this quaint Japanese restaurant it soon became one of my favorites.  I was greeted at the door by a friendly waitress who seated me promptly.  Throughout the meal she was attentive without being overbearing.

My first course was miso soup and a salad, both of which came as part of my Mackerel Shioyaki Dinner Box ($16.50).  The soup was a standard miso broth with soft tofu squares and sliced scallions.  The salad was simply iceberg lettuce with shaved carrots and a very nutty sesame ginger dressing.  The dressing had such a strong sesame flavor that it tasted almost like peanut dressing.  It was a nice but surprising change from the standard sesame ginger dressing that is used at nearly every Japanese restaurant I've eaten at.   

Soon my sushi arrived—one piece of salmon ($2.30) and one piece of yellowtail ($2.65).  The salmon was soft and fresh, and the rice held together well without being overly firm.  The yellowtail was also soft and fresh, and had a subtle fruity flavor that I enjoyed very much.  As with the salmon, the rice held together very well.

Not long after I finished my sushi, the waitress brought out the Mackerel Shioyaki Dinner Box.  It was beautiful to look at.  The separate compartments for each kind of food reminded me a little of a doll house.  I started with the fried tofu, which was light golden brown in color.  It was crunchy on the outside and soft and warm on the inside.  There was a sweet glaze on top that tasted similar to soy sauce. 

Next I moved on to the gyoza dumplings.  The outer layer of the dumplings was soft on the sides but crispy on top, making them easy to eat without losing the crunchy texture that fried dumplings are known for.  The filling was a mixture of meat, cellophane noodles, and vegetables and had a very prominent onion flavor. 

Six neatly cut California rolls were placed in the upper left hand corner of the box alongside a small pile of pickled ginger and mild wasabi paste.  The California rolls were very fresh just as my sushi appetizer had been.  They contained a lot of avocado, which I very much appreciated, and the flavors were well balanced.

Adjacent to the sushi compartment was a heaping pile of vegetable and shrimp tempura, elegantly laid on a white paper doily. It was paired with a bowl of dipping sauce that had a mild soy flavor.  I felt that the dipping sauce did not add anything to the dish.  With regard to the tempura itself, the sweet potato and squash were very thinly sliced.  Their softness provided an excellent textural contrast to the crunchy outer batter.  I was glad to find that none of the tempura was greasy.  The onion tempura was also well cooked inside and had a mild, sweet flavor.  The shrimp was slightly overcooked but still tasted very good.

Finally I made my way to the main element of the dish—the mackerel.  It was perfect.  It had a salty, crispy exterior that guarded a soft flesh that was bursting with flavor.  Best of all, there were no bones to distract from how well it was prepared.

Once I finished the mackerel, there was only one item remaining in the Dinner Box; two fresh orange wedges sat squarely in the center as a healthy and delicious desert.  Nearly content, I ordered a plate of Japanese red bean cake, called Yokan ($3.00), for desert as well.  The yokan was served as tiny wedges of a cake of gelatin.  They were firm and sweet but had very little flavor. 

With the meal completed, I paid my bill and left as a very satisfied new customer.  Fortune House provided me with friendly and prompt service, and truly delicious food.  They obviously understand the art of using flavor, texture, and originality to create an unforgettable meal.

Fortune House
6030 Burke Commons Road
Burke, Virginia 22015