Healthy Eating Means Good Fortune at Fortune Cookies

Tired of Chinese food to-go? Want some fast casual AND healthy Asian food? Well I've got just the place - Fortune Cookies Restaurant.

Restaurant Layout

Fortune Cookies is not your typical cultural setting. First, it's located in a not so appealing plaza but don't be fooled by its externalities. Ignore the sign outside of the building seeming as plain as Times New Roman font; just take a peek through the glass window and you'll be curious to go inside and try the place out for yourself. It's set in a modern atmosphere with cushioned booths, tables for larger parties, and a sushi bar that runs along the wall. The ambiance is casual and the seating is spacious.

What takes the cake for this restaurant are the healthy alternatives they have to offer. There are:

-Heart Healthy options for those watching their cholesterol, blood pressure, and/or blood sugar levels

-Gluten free options on over a dozen menu choices

-Rice substitutions in addition to white rice (brown rice for a healthier alternative, red rice for a nutty, earthy feeling, and black rice for your daily dose of fiber and antioxidants.)

-Healthy sashimi and salad dressing options in any combination you choose and the entrée would be less than 250 calories.

Brown Rice Option

The Eat Healthy, Stay Healthy program helps promote better eating for students and families. Kudos to that! This has also become a tagline, or motto, for their website and restaurant. It works as a loyalty program using rewards cards every time they dine. A percentage of their meal goes to a child's school or if it's a family rewards card, points are accumulated and deals are offered from time to time. (For more info on the program check out the Eat Healthy, Stay Healthy tab on the main website.

Personally I like my Asian cultural cuisine to be experienced separately if the restaurant I'm dining markets as one specific type - though there are a few exceptions. Most of the dishes were Chinese, but then you get to the end of the menu and suddenly there’s a full sushi bar. Weird, but I guess it works out as people have told me the sushi was good.

Appetizer

I dined with a friend one night and our wait time wasn’t long at all. After being seated, our waiter took our drink orders and came back with a complimentary appetizer. Another kudos for that! Feeling the mood for seafood, we ordered the Veggie Lo Mein, Kung Pao Shrimp, and Fish Filet with Garlic Sauce. This place gave generous proportions so it was easy to share. Some dishes proved to be more authentic than others, though that would be because of the healthier option that was available. The glazes and sauces were not that sweet/savory, but they did add flavor to the dishes. I guess that’s where the healthy part kicked in. They weren’t drenched in soy sauce or sweet and sour sauce, just lightly coated. We also ordered brown rice for a healthy alternative. The entrées satisfied. The service was super efficient, considering we came during the dinner rush.

Veggie Lo Mein and Fish Filet

Kung Pao Shrimp

Overall, Fortune Cookies is a better alternative to everyday chinese food meals we eat. While you won't have that traditional deep fried goodness, you'll still delight in the taste of savory goodness from other chinese dishes. Just like their motto, Eat Healthy Stay Healthy, this restaurant is a great place for healthy eating and  happy living.

Fortune Cookies is located at:

18774 Brookhurst Street Fountain Valley, CA 92708

www.fortunecookiesrestaurant.com

They also have a second location is in Los Alamitos!

Fuji Grill: A New Way To Experience Sushi

Imagine your favorite sushi and all the contents mixed together in a bowl. Enjoy the authentic taste of sushi but experience it differently.

Fuji Grill is a fast dining restaurant with authentic Japanese food. Although their teriyaki and rice bowls are popular, it’s their sushi bowls that caught my attention. Yes, you heard me right. Sushi. In a bowl. I couldn’t pass up this opportunity to try an Alaskan roll in a bowl. I went here with my cousin for lunch one day after feeling the need to eat healthy since she went to the Orange County Fair the day before.

Half and Half Sushi Bowl

She and I ordered the Alaskan bowl (Alaskan Roll: Salmon (sashimi), Imitation Crab, Rice) and the Half and Half bowl (spicy tuna roll and a California roll in one: spicy tuna, imitation crab, sliced avocado, rice). Along with the bowl comes a side of edamame, which just hits the spot as an appetizer before moving on to the main course. It was a burst of flavor. I mixed the ginger and a dime size of wasabi (just the way I’d make a dipping bowl for my sushi) and sprinkled it with a few layers of soy sauce, sirachi sauce, and their house teriyaki sauce and dug in. WOW. It never thought I could love sushi even more. Yeah, it’s just as great in a bowl like it is as rolls. Granted Rolls as very much cleaner, faster and easier to eat, but if you have the time and want to eat portions of your favorite roll then I recommend trying Fuji Grill.

Alaskan Bowl

Fear not, they do have sushi rolls as well as salad bowls. I love sushi and all kinds of Japanese food. If their bowls are fresh, I would highly think the rest of their menu items are worth trying. My bowl, along with a drink (buy separately) came up to $10. About the same amount you’d pay for a roll, plus it was fast dining and a healthy meal. And to think they couldn’t be any healthier, you can substitute brown rice with any bowl.  Took a liking to brown rice, or at least now I tolerate it and appreciate how healthy it really is. But I tell ya, the brown rice is just a space filler to the meat/fish of your bowl. It’s just a filling, you’ll barely even notice the difference, you’ll just realize that you’re eating something healthy and delicious.

Fuji Grill is located in Orange County with 11 locations, 3 more coming soon. Find one near you, It’s healthy eating, delicious tasting and will surely make you feel the happy living J

www.fujigrill.net