Editor Gary Nager has picked his local food favorites.
How do his top choices for Chinese food stack up agianst the choices of the New Tampa and Wesley Chapel Neighborhood News readers?
Check it out:
Gary’s And Your Favorites: Chinese
Fushia Asian Bistro Adds An Authentic Chinese ‘Hot Pot’ Buffet
Did you love The Melting Pot the first time you ever ate there? For some people, dipping cubes of bread into boiling hot cheese or meats into equally hot oil is just a little too adventurous, while others love it so much they choose to enjoy it for Valentine’s Day or another big night out.
Invoking that same spirit of adventure is Fushia Asian Bistro, located in the Shoppes of Amberly plaza in Tampa Palms (next to Crunch Fitness), less than five miles south of the Pasco County line. Fushia owners Sharon and Chef Charlie Wang say that theirs is the first Asian restaurant in the Tampa Bay area to offer an authentic Chinese hot pot buffet and they have spared no expense to bring it to you, hoping to capture a new audience for my favorite Chinese restaurant in New Tampa and Wesley Chapel (see pgs. 38-41).
In the newer side of Fushia, where the restaurant also offers its private karaoke suites for 6-20 people, there are now multiple tables where each seat has its own stovetop burner. Each person at your table will have their own stainless steel pot which they will fill with one of about ten different kinds of broth — from Japanese-style miso to Thai curry to spicy red (oil) broth and literally any other “stock” you can imagine.
Then, you visit large refrigerated cabinets which offer a variety of flash-frozen meats — lamb, pork, beef, chicken, etc., as well as beef stomach and other choices less commonly known by the average American diner at the place.
For those who aren’t allergic to shellfish (like I am), there also is a huge selection of not only white meat fish, but also raw shrimp, clams, squid, crab claw meat and others, as well as a variety of dumplings, wontons, ramen noodles and a huge selection of veggies.
Each person at your table selects his or her own selection of these items to place into their own hot pot. Most of the items take only a few seconds to cook, while the dumplings and noodles take a few minutes.
While your hot pot is simmering, there is an ever-changing variety of appetizers for you to enjoy. On our most recent visit, for example, there was a spicy cucumber salad, spicy chicken chunks, Korean-style pickled kimchi vegetables (also spicy), and others. You also can choose from a dozen different sauces, some spicy, some sweet and mild.
Once your ingredients have been simmered in your hot pot, you pull them out using a ladle that is provided to each person with a hot pot. The food comes out piping hot and most of the fat on the meats are rendered into the pot.
“It’s a really healthy, lower-calorie way to eat,” Sharon says. “Hot pot buffets are very big in major cities like New York and even Miami. We think people here will love it, too, if they give it a try.”
Although I really enjoyed the hot pot buffet, there is an element of chance involved — you have to figure out which broth to start with because different broths definitely bring out different tastes. I really liked the so-called “fatty lamb” and “fatty pork” the most, but I preferred them in the butter broth rather than any of the spicy broths. The fish filets also cooked up fluffy and white and were particularly good with a mix of peanut sauce and Thai chili sauce.
Young people, especially college students like my WCNT-tv production assistant Gavin Olsen, really seemed to enjoy the hot pot buffet the most. Staff writer Celeste McLaughlin and billing manager Stephanie Smith (bottom right photo) also really enjoyed the adventure of the hot pot, although Celeste said she probably wouldn’t bring her younger children to try it because of the heat, although I do see kids enjoying the hibachi tables at Japanese steakhouses, which also can burn them.
Your hot pot buffet also comes with unlimited desserts (including delicious ice cream) and soft drinks, all for $25.99 per person — and yes that price is the same, whether you enjoy the hot put for lunch or dinner. The good news is that with the coupon in the Fushia ad on page 42, up to eight people in your party can each receive $2 off that cost, although the coupon can not be used on Friday or Saturday. Even so, my employees all agreed that it was well worth the cost.
Old Favorites, Too!
Of course, there were no hot pot buffets when I learned to love New York-style Chinese food during my youth growing up in Long Island. For me, Chinese food is still about great egg rolls, fried rice and spicy beef and pork dishes with traditional Chinese vegetables.
My favorite traditional dishes at Fushia are the Yan Jian pork, which is made spicy by being sautéed with jalapeño peppers. It’s amazing with Fushia’s Yong Chow fried rice, which is a savory combination fried rice with pork, beef, chicken and shrimp (I order it without the shrimp), plus some onions, egg and veggies. Yum.
I also love Fushia’s beef with Chinese broccoli, which is like broccoli stalks with spinach leaves instead of florets, as well as the true New York-style egg rolls, spring rolls and pan-fried dumplings.
I also really enjoy Fushia’s Mongolian-style chicken, the crispy Beijing (Peking) duck and so many other dishes on the extensive menu. If you want the hot pot buffet but your significant other isn’t that adventurous, you can both get what you want and enjoy a great Chinese meal.
And yes, you can even get a private karaoke suite for your party (at no additional charge) and entertain each other after dinner while you enjoy a glass of plum wine, hot or cold sake or a delicious Tsingtao or Kirin (or domestic) beer.
Fushia Asian Bistro is located at 15315 Amberly Dr. and is open every day for lunch and dinner except Monday. For more information, call 903-6705 and tell Sharon we sent you!
Quartet Of Seniors To Lead Wiregrass Ranch High Softball
Spring is in the air and so are the softballs at Wiregrass Ranch High (WRH).
The softball team embarks on the 2017 season with high hopes. After going 9-12 a year ago, the 2017 Bulls are preparing for a season with something they haven’t had, well, ever — a quartet of seniors, all of whom have signed to play collegiate softball.
Veterans Jaime Valenta, Sam Hiley, Alexis Ridolph and Kameron Aitken will lead a Wiregrass squad with hopes of making a little bit of school history.
The Bulls have never won a district title and despite going 9-6 outside the league, were 0-6 last year in Class 8A, District 4, a division filled with some of the better Hillsborough County softball programs.
However, if there was ever a year to make some history, it could be this one. Hiley, Aitken and Valenta were WRH’s top three hitters from 2016, and along with Ridolph make up the top four batters in your typical Bulls lineup.
Valenta provides the speed, and has been the team’s lead-off hitter the last two seasons. The right-handed centerfielder has signed to play at the next level with St. John’s River State College.
As the leadoff hitter, Valenta’s job is to get on base and then steal some, and she did both well last season, batting .377, including .428 over the final eight games. She led the Bulls in triples with four, and stolen bases with 15 in 16 attempts.
Valenta has 32 steals for her career.
“I’m the table-setter,” she says. “I enjoy the leadoff position, I’m more of a contact hitter. My teammates hit me around.”
Aitken, the Bulls’ shortstop, signed her letter of intent in November to play at Florida International University. Aitken brings a .973 fielding percentage over from last season, with just two errors in 21 games at arguably the game’s toughest position.
She hit .422, second on the team, and led the Bulls with four homers and 30 RBI.
Hiley, who is signed to play collegiate ball at Edward-Waters College in Jacksonville, can also play catcher, but is more of a utility player, able to fill in at third base, left field or wherever she is needed.
“I’m like the Band-Aid,” she says.
Hiley’s bat, though, can sometimes leave the opposing pitcher’s arm needing a Band-Aid. Last year, she led the Bulls with 30 hits in 65 official at bats, for a team-best .462 average. She was second on the team in runs scored (19), RBI (21), doubles (5) and homers (2). She carries over a six-game hitting streak from last season into this one, which officially opens Saturday, February 11, at Dunnellon. The Bulls home opener is tonight, February 15, 7:30 p.m., against the Land O’Lakes High Gators.
Hiley’s versatility is shared by Ridolph, who has shifted between second and shortstop in her tenure at Wiregrass and batted .317 last year. A Hillsborough Community College (HCC) signee, she’ll join her older sister Kaitlyn there, for a year.
“It feels unreal, being a senior,” Ridolph said. “I saw my sister and my friends graduate and I still can’t believe it’s actually my senior year now.”
WRH head coach Yamani Vazquez is delighted to have such a talented and experienced senior core, which will be backed up by some impressive younger players like junior Kacie Lemanski (.382) and sophomore Miranda Perez (.379), plus a sophomore-laden pitching staff.
“It’s exciting, it’s a great motivation for the younger players that the seniors are college recruits,” Vazquez says.
It wasn’t too long ago they were just starry-eyed freshmen themselves, fighting older players for playing time.
“I don’t think people consider just how fast the years go by,” Hiley said. “I remember when I was a freshman, Jordan Pierceall (a WRH senior at the time) told us that the years go by faster than you think, and I was looking at her and laughing. Now, I’ve blinked and it’s my senior year.”
Senior night will be held on April 13, against district rival Freedom High.
“I remember decorating for past Senior Nights,” Valenta said. “Now, it’s going to be decorated for us. I probably won’t cry but I don’t know.”
SPOTLIGHT ON… Back To Wellness Center!
Back To Wellness Center Chiropractic & Physical Therapy emphasizes the importance of integrated care to help people dealing with pain.
“By combining chiropractic care with physical therapy and massage therapy, we’re not just going to get you out of pain,” says owner Jonathan Hancock, D.C. (Doctor of Chiropractic). “Our goal is to rehabilitate you so the condition doesn’t become chronic.”
Dr. Hancock opened the Back To Wellness Center in 2012 and he says he was pleased to recently welcome a new associate, Esperansa Nino, D.C., to the office.
Patients who visit Back To Wellness will see Dr. Hancock or Dr. Nino for their chiropractic care, and can also see physical therapist Justin Spiegel, DPT (Doctor of Physical Therapy).
“We work closely together and even sit down and brainstorm specific conditions,” says Dr. Hancock. “We give patients a higher level of care because we are all right under the same roof. Patients get better quicker because we’re all on the same page.”
While every treatment plan is tailored to the individual, Dr. Hancock says the Back To Wellness Center often offers shorter treatment plans than patients might expect, because of this integration.
“I would say we average three to five visits to get out of pain for non-traumatic injuries,” he says.
The Back To Wellness Center treats a wide variety of musculoskeletal pains and conditions.
“We cater to all walks of life,” says Dr. Hancock. “From workers comp injuries to auto accidents to athletes.”
He adds that the office accepts all insurance plans and is “in network” for the vast majority of those plans.
“We also offer flexible, affordable cash pay plans, and work with CareCredit financing, too,” he says.
The Back To Wellness Center Chiropractic & Physical Therapy is located at 27454 Cashford Cir., in the Summergate Professional Center, behind Sam’s Club off S.R. 56. The office is open Monday-Wednesday, 9 a.m. – 6 p.m.; 3 p.m.-7 p.m. on Thursday; and 9 a.m.- 3 p.m. on Friday. For more information, visit WesleyChapelChiropractor.com, or call 973-4747 to make an appointment.
Let Marimark Mortgage Help You Find Financing For Your Dream Home
When Mary Catchur opened her Tampa Palms-based Marimark Mortgage business in 2006, the housing market in the Tampa Bay area was at a high point in terms of prices and sales. The ensuing decline in prices and sales that imploded the industry in 2008-10 resulted in new regulations requiring more scrutiny by lenders and disclosure to borrowers.
While some mortgage professionals may chafe at the increased oversight and additional rules, Catchur says embracing their intent — ensuring that homebuyers make informed decisions — provides a way to stand out among mortgage brokers.
“We all have the same products and very similar rates,” Catchur says. “What differentiates me and my business from other people in the industry is our level of service and our commitment to educating the homebuyer.”
Even with all of the new regulations intended to improve the level of service extended for homebuyers, Catchur encounters many who say they haven’t benefitted.
“I get people calling me all the time that have talked to three or four other lenders, and even at that point, they don’t have a clue whether they’ve been qualified for an FHA mortgage, whether it has mortgage insurance on it, or the fees associated with the rates,” she says. “That’s a real issue in the industry right now and that’s why we keep getting more and more compliance (rules) and guidelines. But, to me, all of those things that people fill out do nothing to take the place of what is really required, which is explaining to the borrower exactly what they’re doing, what product they’re applying for and what their alternatives are to that product.”
One way that Catchur responds to this problem is with digital media. She creates online videos, writes a blog and publishes a newsletter she circulates online to inform consumers about the mortgage marketplace, from the rules governing it to trends within the industry nationwide and in the Tampa Bay area. Her social media footprint covers everything from Facebook to Pinterest and it can all be accessed from her website, Marimark.com.
Topics that Catchur covers include so-called piggyback mortgages (using two loans to buy a home), the different factors influencing a loan interest rate and various types of mortgages and tax breaks associated with real estate transactions.
The internet also allows Catchur to conduct business with customers, both local and from around the world, who are looking to move to Florida or the other states in which she is licensed to do business, such as Virginia and her home state of Pennsylvania. She moved to Tampa from the Keystone State in 1979 to attend the University of South Florida (USF). She earned both a Bachelor of Arts degree in French and a Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting from USF.
Catchur says her office in the Tampa Palms Professional Center, off Commerce Park Blvd. (just north and west of the intersection of Bruce B. Downs {BBD} Blvd. and Tampa Palms Blvd.), puts her at the center of many long-distance inquiries.
“I get a lot of people relocating here who find me online,” she says.
Catchur adds that she works hard from the beginning of a client relationship so that in the end, everyone leaves the closing table happy. Just as she keeps her customers fully informed about their options, she expects the same level of disclosure in return.
“From day one, I take a very thorough application to determine what their exact needs are and what unusual circumstances they might have, such as an unusual employment situation or way of being paid,” says Catchur, who lives in New Tampa.
Getting The Financial Picture
She cites her 20-year background as a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) as providing the analytical tools needed to derive meaningful information from financial documents provided by her customers, many of whom collect their earnings in ways other than a weekly paycheck, such as entrepreneurs, freelance professionals and executives with compensation packages.
In an economy where many people are working as an independent contractor rather than as an employee, it is not an unusual situation. And, when you add in the regulatory oversight regarding things like financial gifts, the reporting task becomes even more complex, making financial knowledge and experience even more useful to successfully close a deal.
“You have to understand the whole picture before you decide which product to apply for,” says Catchur.
One case where Catchur’s expertise made it possible for a homebuyer to acquire a loan is that of Donnie Welsch, a subcontracted salesperson for a manufactured home company. He was looking forward to moving into a home in Wesley Chapel’s Lexington Oaks community with his wife and 18-month-old son, when the financing through a national bank fell through. He credits Catchur’s expertise for being able to get financing when the situation looked grim.
“Mary understood the guidelines and she was successful in getting it done through Freddie Mac (aka the Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corp., a federal government-sponsored enterprise which purchases loans from vendors to replenish their supply of funds so that they can make more mortgage loans to other borrowers) because she understood the situation and how to present my file to the underwriters,” says Welsch. “Now, me and my family have the house that we were desiring. If someone is looking to get a loan closed I would definitely recommend her.”
According to Catchur, that closing will likely happen sooner rather than later.
“We close most our loans in 30 days or less,” she says.
During the time the loan is being processed, customers and other interested parties are kept informed with automated responses that are generated as the steps of the transaction are initiated and completed, such as when a home appraisal has been ordered.
“We keep everybody informed every step of the way,” Catchur says.
Catchur offers a complete line of financing options, such as conventional loans, Federal Housing Administration (FHA) loans, loans through the Veterans Administration (VA) and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA), as well as “Jumbo” loans (a home loan of more than $424,100 for one unit). One new financial product Catchur says she is able to offer is a one-percent-down loan.
An emerging trend in the mortgage market is that many people who have a financial blemish such as a previous bankruptcy, foreclosure or short sale are interested in buying a home. Catchur says she’s willing to take a look at their situation.
“A lot of the waiting periods with those things are at a point where people can do things like buy a home,” she says.
Catchur, who is the treasurer for the Florida Association of Mortgage Professionals, says one reason she is successful is that she gets a lot of referrals and repeat customers. She credits that to applying something she learned while working in her father’s electrical company in Scranton, PA, to her own business.
“You treat people right and you educate them so they know what they’re doing,” she says.
Marimark Mortgage is located at 5327 Primrose Lake Cir. For more info, visit MarimarkMortgage.com, follow Mary on Twitter via @MarimarkM, view her Instagram account @marimarkm, or call 910-8020.