Asian Wind restaurant

The trend in Chinese restaurants in recent years has been for all-you-can-eat buffets where quantity takes the place of quality, and diners feel obligated to stuff themselves relentlessly in order to get their money's worth.

In that atmosphere, Asian Wind Restaurant, 3735 Palomar Centre Dr. in Lexington, is a breath of fresh air.

Flavorful, healthy food, generous but not overwhelming portions and friendly service help make Asian Wind an attractive choice for lunch or dinner.

Asian Wind offers traditional dishes from China's Hunan and Szechuan provinces, along with fare from throughout Asia and the Pacific Rim, including Korea, Thailand, Malaysia, Vietnam and India. There are some Hawaiian Islands offerings available, as well.

The modestly sized restaurant offers a full-sized selection of dishes. Even the lower-priced lunch menu is surprisingly robust, with an assortment of 10 house specials ranging from the $8.45 Seafood Deluxe (scallops and shrimp cooked in a light sauce with mixed vegetables) to the Ma-La Chicken, a Szechuan dish seasoned with  jalapeno pepper, Orange Chicken, Sesame Chicken, Coconut Shrimp, hot and spicy Malaysian Chicken and more. Most are priced between $6.75 and $5.95.

Vegetarians will find plenty of choices, too, including vegetables with garlic sauce, and a variety of dishes featuring meatless chicken and beef called kwachic and kwabif.

If you're going to Asian Wind for dinner, you'll find well over 100 dishes, including traditional favorites like the $9.95 Kung Pao Chicken and the $9.95 Mu-Shu Pork, vegetarian choices like Kung Pao Kwachie and Mu Shu Kwachie, and house specials like the  $26.95 Hai Ba Wan for two, with sautéed lobster, shrimp and scallops surrounded with crab rangoon and coconut shrimp.

To start your meal, consider an appetizer like the barbecue spareribs, pot stickers or fried calamari. There is also an assortment of soups, and if you like yours with a little bite, be sure to try the Hot and Sour. It won't send you screaming for ice water, but it will perk up the taste buds.

You can find Asian Wind in the Palomar Shopping Center at the intersection of Harrodsburg Road and Man O' War Boulevard. 

- by Ivonne Rovira, Lexington Reporter for HelloMetro  (Click to leave a message)

Ivonne Rovira

A graduate of the prestigious Columbia University School of Journalism in New York City, Ivonne Rovira worked as a reporter for the Miami News, The Miami Herald and The Associated Press. She has written articles for The National Catholic Reporter and The Courier-Journal. For more than 15 years, Ivonne wrote and edited articles aimed at middle-school children.