Asian House stands out with fresh, 'real' Asian food
The lesson here is, "don't judge a book by its cover." The Watson Boulevard strip mall in Warner Robins, where Asian House is located, is nothing to look at, but this was some of the best Asian food we've tried in is area, for an exceptional price.
We started with six steamed pork dumplings for $4.50. Our Chinese expert thought these were as close to home as she has had in Macon. The crab Rangoon (called crabmeat cheese wantons here) are six tall bundles of cream cheese fried perfection for $4.25. Next time -- and there will definitely be a next time -- we will try the shrimp spring rolls, fried string beans, and the crispy calamari or shrimp with hot and sweet chili sauce. All the usual soups are available, plus a Phoenix and Dragon for two.
The dish that most closely reached perfection was the salt and pepper shrimp, in a thin rice flour batter, lightly fried and toasted with peppercorns, garlic, scallions and sea salt. Our next favorite was the orange chicken, sautéed with orange peel and heaped high enough to last into the next day. Other great-sounding Chinese dishes are the Amazing Chicken, fried in butter and served with a pink sauce; Bride and Groom, with lightly fried beef and chicken; and the Sizzling Sea Scallops with Beef.
My Thai dish, Chicken Mussaman, was good but not as heavenly as the Chinese dishes. Simmered together in a coconut, peanut and tamarind curry, the thin potato slices and pineapple really soak up the flavor. Asian House also makes a red curry, a yellow curry, a green curry and a pad Thai.
Our Korean dish was a humongous, extra spicy bowl of udon noodles and an assortment of seafood. The other Korean dishes sounded interesting, too, but I don't know if I'll ever try shredded jellyfish or braised sea cucumber -- sorry.
The Chinese Lunch special sounds like a great deal if it doesn't get too crowded from 11 a.m.-2:30 p.m.. For about $6, you get your choice of soup, an egg roll, steamed or fried rice, and a generous serving of your choice from 22 dishes. They also have a healthy menu, 10 different vegetarian dishes, wings and five kids dishes including the ubiquitous chicken fingers.
The restaurant's website says that Asian House uses produce from farmers markets and fresh meats, and you can definitely tell the difference. The food is fresh, bright and delicate -- a refreshing change from some other Asian choices in Middle Georgia. We will definitely be returning and recommending it for friends looking for "real Asian food."
Asian House
Address: 1754 Watson Blvd., Warner Robins
Phone: 478-273-4400
Website: www.asianhousewr.com
Hours: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 11 a.m.-9:30 p.m. Friday-Saturday
Payment: Cash, credit
Smoking: No
Alcohol: Yes
Kids Menu: Yes
Noise Level: Low
Health Rating: 100
Price range: $5.75-$12.75
Rating: 3.5 stars
This story was originally published April 14, 2016 at 7:23 PM with the headline "Asian House stands out with fresh, 'real' Asian food ."