Dragon Fort

Once again, I'm out in Abby. Normally, I don't venture out to these parts because frankly, I have no business out here. Well, except for the time Kim, Anita and I drove all the way out just to eat at Ah-Beetz. With the price of gas these days, there must be a purpose for me to do the drive out. Much like last time, we did have a reason. It was another kid's party out at Rock Guy's place. I was disappointed to discover that he had ordered Panago despite the fact he lives only 5 minutes from Ah-Beetz! Ah whatever, we're usually too busy attending to the kiddies anyways, no time to eat. You gotta love being the middleman of several screaming kids all wanting the same ball. Why can't we just give them all a DS or PSP? Then there would be peace and quiet. Oh right, Viv believes that they should run around and play. Which also means we're running around too. The vicious cycle continues...

So after the party, we weren't going to let this visit to Abby go to waste. We went with Japanese last time at Yummy Sushi. This time, it would be Dragon Fort and wait for it... Chinese food! If you're not already ROFL'ing, please keep reading. First of all, I can see where they got the inspiration for the restaurant name. It is located in a complex that was built to resemble a fort. Looking much like an entrance to a mid-evil theme park, I was a bit hesitant. When we walked into the place, we were quite surprised at the expansive dinning room. We were also one of the very few Asian customers as well. No matter, we were in Abby, not Richmond. Oh and the lack of chopsticks on the table was a clear indication of their clientele. I must give them credit though. The menu is extensive and written both English and Chinese.

Viv and I figured that the best bet was to order the Dinner for 2. Yup, it comes with such classics as spring rolls, sweet & sour pork, chicken chow mein and beef chop suey. I can hear my parents laughing at me already. But wait, there is nothing wrong with ordering these dishes really. I actually don't mind them and honestly, these may very well be their most popular. We got the Spring Rolls lightning fast and boy were they greasy. So much so, I had to use a paper napkin to soak up the excess oil. Other than that, they weren't too bad, the filling was meaty. Arriving a uniquely radioactive red was the Sweet & Sour Pork. The chunks of pork were crispy; but the batter was quite thick. I felt that the pork was flavourless, although the sweet & sour sauce made up for it. It was more tangy than sweet. We particularly liked that there was ample pieces of lean pork and minimal amounts of peppers and pineapple. The Beef Chop Suey was a mix of cauliflower, broccoli, carrots, snap peas and beef. Most of the veggies were still crisp. By virtue of being the smaller items in the dish, the carrots and snap peas were overcooked. The slices of beef were both plentiful and tender. One thing missing from the dish was flavour, it was really quite bland.

The Chicken Chow Mein looked strange when it arrived since the noodles seemed to be very short. Furthermore, the whole dish seemed to lack moisture. One bite and it confirmed this was the case. Both the chicken and noodles were very dry; yet not lacking in flavour. More sweet than salty, the noodles were overseasoned. The kids seemed to like it; but for me it was "meh". We added the Shrimp & Eggs as a backup dish in case the kiddies didn't eat the noodles. We were surprised to find a plethora of big crunchy cold-water prawns nestled in fluffy scrambled eggs. The paleness of the dish concerned us at first; but it tasted alright, not being too salty. Hey, it ain't great Chinese food; but it was okay Chinese food. Good enough for me out in Abby.

The Good:
- For the regular-sized dishes, they are absolutely massive
- Reasonable prices

The Bad:
- Service is very sparse
- Food is a bit greasy