On our trip to Valley Forge last weekend in addition to dining with Martha Washington, we also celebrated my birthday with a dinner in the Susanna Foo's Gourmet Kitchen, located in the nearby Radnor, Pennsylvania. Susanna Foo is a pioneer in Asian Fusion cuisine, pairing traditional Chinese dishes with classical French techniques and presenting Chinese cuisine in a modern style. She was born in inner Mongolia, China, and raised in Taiwan, then traveled to United States. Her renowned Susanna Foo's restaurant in the center of Philadelphia has recently closed after 22 years and opened a more casual Gourmet Kitchen in Radnor to be near her family.
I have been a huge fan of Susanna Foo ever since I made her Korean-Style Grilled Sirloin in Pear Jalapeno Marinade from her cookbook Susanna Foo Fresh Inspiration
a few years ago. This was one of the best tasting and most tender steaks we've had. I couldn't wait to sample some of her classic dishes in her restaurant. We started our dinner with crabmeat ravioli, topped with roe and served with butternut squash and adamame emulsion. We loved the delicate texture of these handcrafted ravioli. Butternut squash was a nice seasonal autumn addition.
My daughter had Popcorn Pork Ravioli, lightly fried miniature dumplings, accompanied by sweet roasted white corn, tomatoes and jalapeno peppers. She ate every single one of her delicious ravioli!
We couldn't resist sampling a lobster salad and a lobster spring roll, resting on an avocado tower. We especially liked the spring roll paired with the sweet and spicy flavors of the apple wasabi chutney that was served along with this dish.
With our meal, my husband and I tried Kaguyahime(Bamboo Princess) sake. The light fruity flavors of the sake complimented all of our dishes nicely.
For our main course, we sampled Susanna's Classic Crispy Duck. The meat was moist and tender while the skin was perfectly crispy. We also really enjoyed the light whipped sweet potatoes with the crispy duck.
We also tried a special Mongolian-style inspired rack of lamb with a wonderfully flavorful star anise sauce. The side dish of coconut polenta was a terrific addition.
For our dessert, we shared a warm peach crisp with vanilla ice cream and caramel sauce.
We had a delicious dinner at Susanna Foo's Gourmet Kitchen and enjoyed the relaxed casual atmosphere of the restaurant.
