Category: Dining & Entertainment

Fushia Asian Bistro — Happy To Celebrate 15 Delicious Years In Tampa Palms!

When you consider the number of restaurants that have come and gone in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel the past 15 years, it’s pretty impressive that Fushia Asian Bistro, located in the Shoppes at Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms, is celebrating its 15th anniversary in that same location.

Owners Sharon and Charlie Wang actually have been in the plaza for 20 years, as they previously also owned Joy-O-Wok, which was much more of a takeout Chinese place, rather than the affordable fine dining restaurant that Fushia is today.

The restaurant is so named not so much because of the color fuchsia, but because it offers a fusion of different Asian cuisines, especially some unique Korean fare.

Sharon always has kept up with the latest trends in her business, and in recent years has added all-you-can-eat, cook-it-yourself options like Korean-style barbecue and a hot pot buffet (more on these below). She also recently expanded Fushia’s dim sum (appetizer and dessert) options. She even offers multiple private karaoke suites with thousands of song titles available, another popular Asian trend.

But, despite all of these other options, I still say that Fushia has the best (and most authentic) Chinese cuisine in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel — and one of the best things I can say about it is that even though I have my always reliable (and yummy) favorites, I keep finding new ones. But, I would really like to give you just a little taste (pun intended) of why I love this place so much.

Dim Sum

The dim sum appetizers craze in New York started shortly before I moved to Florida in 1993. Even so, I’m still more of a traditional egg roll, barbecued spare ribs and pan-fried dumplings guy for starters because it’s the Chinese main dishes that I crave most.

Therefore, it’s not too disappointing to me that many of the items on Fushia’s extensive dim sum menu have shrimp in them, which (as you loyal readers hear ad nauseum) I’m too allergic to for me to risk trying any of them. However, if you love crispy shrimp balls or steamed shrimp dumplings, the folks around me on my most recent visit who ordered the shrimp balls said they’re the best in town.

Although Fushia’s pan-fried pork dumplings are as good as they get, I did recently sample and enjoy the pork soup dumplings, which a lot of people were eating when Jannah and I visited an excellent Chinese restaurant in New York. The soup dumplings have a different texture than the pork wontons in most wonton soup, and they’re excellent. I also love the flavor of Fushia’s spare ribs dim sum, which are cut-up sections of pork ribs cooked in your choice of two different sauces — I love ‘em both, but probably prefer the garlic and black pepper sauce to the black bean sauce.

And, although dim sum is only served 11 a.m.-3 p.m. every day for lunch, many of the items are desserts — like the egg tart dim sum (think sweet mini-quiches) and the sesame dessert balls (lower center photo on next page), which are filled with sweet red bean paste — to name just two.

“We make everything fresh, cooked-to-order here with the best ingredients,” Sharon says proudly. “Many of our regular customers tell me they can’t eat Chinese food anywhere else.”

Hot Pot Buffet

I’ve written about Fushia’s hot pot buffet before and even though it’s a great, different way to enjoy the restaurant, I’d still rather order dishes off the menu and have them served to me, rather than have to pick my own ingredients (including raw meats, veggies, broth to cook them in and sauce) and have to cook it myself in a boiling hot pot, but I will say that the few times I’ve had the hot pot buffet at Fushia, I’ve loved it. Several of the sauces are outstanding. It just will never be my first choice.

Even so, the all-you-can-eat hot pot buffet, which also includes soft drinks and a huge variety of desserts, is still a pretty good deal at the regular price of $25.99 per person. However, in celebration of Fushia’s 15th anniversary, you can try the hot pot buffet for only $19.99 per person (with the ad in the current issue), which truly is a bargain for everything you get. And, even though there’s raw shellfish available for the hot pot buffet, I’ve never gotten a reaction from it at Fushia.

Korean BBQ Buffet

One option I’ve yet to try — but that lead videographer Charmaine George says is amazing — is Fushia’s Korean BBQ buffet.

Charmaine loved grilling her steak, pork, shrimp and veggies on the Korean BBQ grill right at her table (top left photo on next page). “Everything was fresh and delicious,” she said afterwards. “I will definitely try that again!” Again, you choose your own ingredients, so those with allergies don’t have to worry about cross-contamination.

And, with the ad on pg. 42, the Korean BBQ Buffet (with soft drinks and desserts) is just $21.99 per person — a $5 savings!

The Main Event!

But, despite all of these other options, I still prefer Fushia’s authentic Szechuan (or Sichuan) cuisine. One of my favorite dishes is the Young Chow (mixed ingredient) fried rice.

Fushia always holds the shrimp for me and gives me extra chicken and pork. My new favorite Sichuan dish is the spicy chicken dry pot (top right), which comes with a variety of fresh veggies and features a stinging spicy sauce which is given a kick from jalapeño peppers. The chicken is the opposite of dry, but the sauce is definitely less runny than at most Chinese places. And, although I might order it next time without the thick potato slices it comes with, there’s also plenty of snow peas, carrots, broccoli and celery — and they will sub out any veggies you don’t want. Too good!

My other favorite dishes (all of which I order spicy) are the beef with Chinese broccoli, the already-spicy Yan Jian pork and the boneless Sichuan duck with mixed vegetables.

But, Fushia’s menu is so extensive, I know there are dozens of other dishes I’ve yet to try that could one day make my list of favorites. Sharon says, “There’s no other Chinese place with a bigger menu than Fushia. I know we have what you want, whether you’re American, Asian, an adult or a kid. We have something for everyone!”

And, the local community agrees — as many of Fushia’s reviews on Yelp tout the food as “the best” and “most authentic” in all of Tampa. High praise, indeed!

And of course, with all that spicy food, there’s nothing better than an ice cold Tsingtao (from China) or Sapporo (from Japan), although Fushia also offers a nice variety of reasonably priced wines.

So, please check it out and tell Sharon and her amazing staff that I sent you!

Fushia Asian Bistro (15317 Amberly Dr.) is open every day except Monday, 11 a.m.-midnight. For more info, call (813) 903-6705 or visit FushiaChinese.com.

chinese fuschia

Wiregrass Brewing Company — One Of The Brew Fest’s Best

Randy Gailit liked to spend his Saturday mornings doing crafts.

Craft beers, to be exact.

In the garage of his Meadow Pointe home, he meticulously measures, mixes and mashes, making sure the right ingredients are producing the perfect results for what he hopes will be a tasty craft beverage.

“It’s like a science class,” he says.

He won’t know for weeks, in most cases, as the process is just beginning. Sometimes, he needs three weeks for his concoctions to ferment. Other times, depending on the style of beer, the fermenting process can take eight weeks or more.

Patience is a virtue, and in Gailit’s cased, his patience is rewarded with a cold, tasty beer.

Gailit and his one-man Wiregrass Brewing Company will be one of the many returning brewers at this weekend’s New Tampa Brew Fest, which is again being held at the Venetian at St. Mark The Evangelist Catholic Church in New Tampa today at 6 p.m..

While the process for a small home brewer can take a while, don’t worry — the beers Gailit will be bringing for those at the Brew Fest have long been fused in his garage, and will be ready to sample at the event, which raises money for causes supported by the New Tampa Noon Rotary Club.

Like last year, he is bringing his Ginger Island Ale, which he says is his most popular beer, and a tasty Rotary Red Ale, named for Gailit’s affiliation with the Land O’Lakes Rotary Club, a spinoff from the Rotary Club of Wesley Chapel Noon.

In a nod to the upcoming holiday season, Gailit also has brewed a Peppermint Porter for the event, and will have a fourth drink to sample — a Strawberry Margarita Cider, the most popular cider he has brewed.

“I’m pretty happy with how they turned out,” Gailit says.

Gailit’s brewery is highly efficient, making amazing use of a third of his three-car garage’s space.

There are multiple refrigerators, an actual bar — with 4-5 beers usually on tap — and shelves filled with equipment, malts and yeasts, as well as a small room he built for the fermentation process.

Wiregrass Brewing doesn’t sell any of its beer, so the primary beneficiaries of Gailit’s weekend hobby are charities.

Gailit will provide beer at 5-6 charity events a year, like the New Tampa Brew Fest. He has provided the beverage for charities that work with a hospice in Land O’Lakes, for a cancer walk in Dunedin and a Wounded Warrior event in St. Petersburg.

And, in between the charity events, he shares his latest brews with the 100 or so people he works with at Mediagistic, a marketing and advertising agency in Tampa, and his neighbors who, at a recent party, went through four 5-gallon Cornelius kegs (the kind primarily used for soft drink fountain machines, as opposed to the larger barrel-style kegs).

“The garage door is always open,” he jokes.

Gailit has always enjoyed drinking beer, but when one of his friends was selling one-gallon home-brew kits, he decided to buy one. It ended up being the first item at the Wiregrass Brewing Company — but it sat on a shelf in his garage for two years.

It wasn’t until he signed up for a brewing class at the Land O’Lakes World of Beer that he says he finally cracked it open.

“I was in there one day and they were doing the class, and I thought, ‘Hey, I can do this,’’’ he said. “So I did it, and it was a lot of fun. I’ve been brewing ever since.”

A former restaurant owner in Pennsylvania, Gailit has been mulling for a while now about moving his home brewing company into a bigger building, but he says the right space at the right price hasn’t presented itself yet.

And that’s fine, he adds. His Saturday mornings are quiet and relaxing, and the results of his efforts makes those around him happy. Being able to help worthwhile charities is simply an added bonus.

“No matter where I do it, it’s something I really enjoy,” he says. “I’m glad everyone seems to like it.”

For additional information about Gailit’s home brewery, search “Wiregrass Brewing Company” on Facebook.

Brew Fest

New Tampa Brew Fest 2019!

When the New Tampa Noon Rotary went looking for an idea to create a signature event that would raise thousands of dollars for the club’s favorite causes, it wanted something hip, trendy and successful.

Now, heading into its second year, the club members have high hopes for their New Tampa Brew Fest, which will be held tomorrow — Saturday, November 16 — at the Venetian Center at St. Mark The Evangelist Catholic Church on Cross Creek Blvd. in New Tampa

“We actually stole the idea from the Temple Terrace Rotary Club,” says Jeff Ulbrich, the event’s co-chair.

According to Ulbrich, his fellow Rotarians in Temple Terrace have been holding a craft Brew Fest in the spring for five years, and it has been wildly successful, drawing more than 2,000 attendees from more than 70 zip codes to sample the wares from roughly 35 different breweries.

The Temple Terrace event has made the kind of impact that the New Tampa Noon Rotary is hoping for with its Brew Fest. Despite some nervous moments leading up to the event, last year’s inaugural New Tampa Brew Fest was deemed a success, drawing 28 breweries and about 500 attendees.

The event raised enough money to cover expenses and contribute thousands of dollars to U.S. military troops and the second Fisher House at the James Haley VA Hospital on BBD, which is a “comfort” home where active U.S. military and veteran families can stay while their loved ones are being treated in the hospital.

“The purpose behind the Brew Fest was for our Rotary Club to create an event that the whole New Tampa, and greater Tampa Bay area, can take part in,” says co-chair Chris Stennett. “The dollars go back into civic projects, so we wanted something that had the biggest value. We aren’t a big club, so for us to make a big impact, we had to dream big.”

The New Tampa Brew Fest is by far the biggest fund raiser put on by the Noon Rotary, and the plan is to continue building it until it rivals the one held in Temple Terrace.

The numbers have been encouraging. Last year’s event had 28 breweries, but dipping further into Tampa and St. Petersburg’s deep bench of craft breweries, close to 35 of them will be represented this year, serving more than 100 different kinds of beers. “I was stunned by how many craft breweries there are,” Ulbrich says.

The craft beers available for tasting come from such noted craft breweries as Cigar City, Big Storm Brewing, Coppertail, Florida Avenue (which is opening a new brewery on S.R. 56; see pg. 39) and 3 Daughters, as well as smaller brewers like Krazy Eddie’s Garage (KEG) Brewing, which is made in garage in Odessa, the new Double Branch Artisanal Ales (which is opening next month at The Grove in Wesley Chapel)l, and Wiregrass Brewing, another independent brew which attended last year’s event (see pg. 38).

Ulbrich says the bigger craft breweries use big distributors like Pepin and JJ Taylor, which also will provide beers for the event from 24 breweries, with the rest coming from smaller independent brewers. “We are trying to find a balance,” Ulbrich says.

The mega-popular White Claw hard seltzer, which is fighting a nationwide shortage of its product, will again have a booth at the event as well.

This year’s Brew Fest also will have three new food trucks on hand – Bacon Boss, BBQ Time and Mr. C’s Grilled Cheese.

“Last year was our first year, and we had no idea how many people would show up,” says Stennett. But, we knew it could work, and we knew the event could be a lot of fun and engage the community. We want to be able to do more (with our donations), and we feel we’re on to something here.”

beer brewery fest

Summer & Winter Both Come To Wesley Chapel This Weekend!

Santa Claus is coming to town.

The round, cherry-cheeked giver of gifts (if you’ve been nice, that is) will arrive at the annual tree-lighting celebration at The Shops at Wiregrass, marking the official start of its popular Symphony in Lights display in the center of the mall.

The dancing light show, set to music featuring the Trans-Siberian Orchestra, is expected to premiere at 5 p.m., and there will be shows nightly from 6 p.m.-9 p.m. through December 31.

This will be the 11th year of the lights display.

After the trees and lights are unveiled, Santa will waste no time taking his toy requests from the kiddies, starting tomorrow — Saturday, November 16, 7 p.m.-9:30 p.m.

You can even get your pet a photo with Santa on Monday nights from 4 p.m.-7 p.m. between November 18-December 2.

For more information about Santa’s schedule (and his break schedule; it gets hot in that suit!) please visit TheShopsAtWiregrass.com.

Parrot Fest At The Lagoon!

However, if you’re not quite ready for the holiday season or prepared to put away your summer clothes to prep for winter, you might want to take an opportunity to check out the Epperson Lagoon (31885 Overpass Rd.) free of charge.

The lagoon is transitioning from water events to those held on land, as it plays host to its first-ever “Parrot Fest.”

The event will be held tomorrow (Sat., Nov. 16), 5 p.m.-10 p.m., and will feature the Caribbean Chillers (right photo), a popular Jimmy Buffett tribute band.

Bring your own blankets and chairs and get ready to chill out to some classic Buffett tunes.

There will be multiple food trucks on site — you might even be able to get a cheeseburger in, well, paradise — as well as drink specials at the tiki bar.

Although tickets are free to attend the event, Epperson is asking everyone to register online at EventBrite.com. Just go to the site and search for “Caribbean Chillers.”

For more information about the free Parrot Fest, visit LagoonInformation.com or call (813) 527-0775.

chillers tree wiregrass

Las Palmas Earns The Title Of Best Cuban Restaurant In Tampa Bay!

Ramses Garcia, the owner/chef at Las Palmas Latin Grill off County Line Rd., just south of the Pasco County line (near Five Guys Burgers & Fries), is a pretty confident guy — confident about his food and his restaurant’s entrenched position in our community — and that confidence has been boosted in recent years, as Las Palmas has won a couple of impressive titles.

After being named as the purveyor of the “World’s Best Cuban Sandwich (Tampa historic style)” at the Cuban Sandwich Festival held in Ybor City the last two years, and with the shocked reaction he received from the community when he closed his former Las Palmas location (in the Pebble Creek Collection, a little further south on Bruce B. Downs Blvd.) nearly two years ago — as well as the overjoyed reaction he and his wife Ana got when Las Palmas resurfaced in its new location earlier this year — it’s easy to understand why he feels so strongly about what he does.

But, even the big man with the bigger personality couldn’t possibly have expected to win the title bestowed upon him recently by another well-known (even though I’d never heard of it before…just kidding) local publication — Best of the Bay Cuban Restaurant, by Creative Loafing.

Or did he?

“Hell yes, we deserve it,” Ramses says proudly. There were at least 75 other Cuban restaurants throughout the Tampa Bay area that received votes, so that’s not something you can win by accident. You and the Mrs. love my food, don’t you?”

Heck yes, we do. I’ve enjoyed so many dishes over the years at both of Ramses’ Las Palmas locations — from the ropa vieja (shredded beef) to the breaded palomillo steak to the lechon asado (roasted pork) and the crispy beef, aka vaca frita (which is marinated in garlic-lemon mojo sauce sautéed to a delicious crisp), to the deep fried pork chunks drizzled with garlic mojo (masitas).

But, the dish that hooked Jannah on Las Palmas that also has been my long-time favorite is the merluza a la Russe (whitefish with Russian sauce, made with chopped eggs, parsley and spices; left photo on next page). Well, maybe it used to be my favorite.

New Favorites?

The reason is not because I don’t still love this flaky, white fish (also known as hake), lightly breaded, flash-fried and topped with chopped egg and delicious spices. It’s because Ramses recently added a few new menu items that are now vying for attention as my favorite.

Ramses has a unique take on the traditional Peruvian-style fish ceviche tapas. Not only does he marinate raw whitefish in lime juice and spices, he places chunky pieces of it into edible cups made out of plantains and tops this tapas with onions and red and yellow peppers. Other favorite starters/tapas on the menu include yuca fries, empanadas, deviled crabs, stuffed potatoes and croquettes.

Las Palmas also has a great café salad, topped with smoked ham, Genoa salami, Swiss cheese, green olives and banana peppers and his creamy herb dressing is outstanding, although he also has great balsamic vinaigrette and ranch dressings, too.

Ramses also recently added thick-cut loin pork chops (costillas de puerco; photo above) that are available breaded and deep fried or marinated and grilled (as in the picture) and are tender and super-tasty.

But, my favorite of the new menu items is an amazing churrasco steak (above), topped with one of the best homemade chimichurri (green) sauces I’ve ever tasted. And, even though the churrasco is flank steak, it is amazingly tender and cooked to perfection.

“Of course it’s tender,” Ramses says proudly. “That’s prime flank steak — the best you can buy. It costs a little more, but I want people to know that when they eat here, they get top quality at great prices.”

For those looking for a quick and delicious lunch (served 11 a.m.-3 p.m., Monday-Friday only), many of Las Palmas’ Cuban favorites are available with one side dish for $8.49 to no more than $9.49, including the roasted pork, ropa vieja, picadillo (minced beef), fried butterfly shrimp and the chef’s selection “Tour of Havana,” a classic sampler trio of ropa vieja, roasted pork and picadillo.

Available lunch sides include black beans, boiled yuca, sweet or green fried plantains, green beans, peas, a side house salad and even French fries.

And, of course, Ramses sells a lot of his “World’s Best” Cuban sandwiches at lunch, too. He also serves a Miami-style Cuban (without salami), a roasted pork sandwich, breaded or grilled palomillo steak and a breaded basa (freshwater fish) sandwich, all served on artisanal Cuban bread.

At dinner time, you can have your choice of yellow or white rice and black or red beans, in addition to the lunch sides mentioned above. You also can substitute a cup of one of Las Palmas’ premium soups — black bean, white bean and collared greens, garbanzo beans or black beans and rice soups — for only 45 cents additional. Other dinner entrées not mentioned earlier include chicken and yellow rice, grilled chicken breast and two shrimp dishes I sadly can’t sample — breaded, fried shrimp and shrimp in garlic sauce.

What About Dessert?

You definitely should save room for dessert at Las Palmas.

The sampler pic above features items that are available every day in the beautiful display case at the front of the restaurant, including (l.-r.) the tres lechés (sponge cake soaked in three kinds of milk, including evaporated, condensed and heavy cream), a traditional chocolate layer cake, Cuban-style flan and a light and delicious creme brulée, which has that perfectly crisp topping even though it’s not flambéed tableside. A second display case located near the cash register offers a variety of perfect pastries, all with flaky crusts and delicious fillings like guava and (I believe) some kind of berry.

And of course, there’s amazing espresso (aka café Cubano) and some of the best café con leché in town.

Las Palmas’ catering menu is extensive but never expensive, with corporate events and large parties a specialty, and Ramses says beer and wine is definitely in the restaurant’s future.

Las Palmas Latin Grill is located at 6431 E. County Line Rd., New Tampa. It is open Monday-Wednesday, 11 a.m.-8 p.m., and Thursday-Saturday, 11 a.m.-9 p.m. It is closed on Sundays. Reservations are never required. For more information, call (813) 803-3903 or visit LasPalmasLatinGrill.com.

Las Palmas