For a place that bills itself as specializing in “Modern Asian Cuisine,” new Flushing restaurant Mulan seems better suited to the Epcot crowd than hardcore fans of Asian cuisine, modern or otherwise. To be fair this assessment is based upon an initial lunch and the place has been open less than a month. But as it stands now, the fare in the brand new skyscraper, Queens Crossing, is pretty ho-hum. It’s hard to believe that this stuff is coming from Malaysian-born Chef Peter How, who has cooked for Jean-Georges Vongerichten.
The crispy eel was quite tasty at first, but after two or three pieces, the sweet glaze was overwhelming; the accompanying chili sauce also erred on the side of sweetness. Something brighter and hotter with an acidic component would have turned this dish into an addictive appetizer.
Berkshire pork belly wrapped around cucumber slices was attractive and much tastier than the eel. The intermingling flavors and textures–rich fatty pork and crunchy cucumbers, tied together with a bracing hot sauce that brought to mind an amalgam of Sriracha and chipotles – was wonderful.
Sadly, the pork belly was the highlight of the meal. The most interesting thing about the duck pickle mustard fried rice noodle was the garnish of fried noodles bound together with a bit of tempura to resemble a Chinese fan. There was no pickled mustard to be found in the entire platter. Perhaps the kitchen ran out of it and decided to double up on the sautéed onions.
Chian Zan frog leg was also lackluster. There was nothing wrong with the meat, but the overall flavor of the dish was driven by a bland, gloppy sauce. Chef How might want to hit up nearby Little Pepper for some first-rate frog legs.
A restaurant in the heart of Flushing that encompasses the best of “Modern Asian Cuisine,” is something to be devoutly wished for. Hopefully Mulan will wake up and smell the fish sauce and change things up. Perhaps its management should look to one of the tag lines from the namesake Disney film for inspiration: “The flower that blooms in adversity is the most rare and beautiful of all.”
Mulan Restuarant / 136-17 39th Ave, 2nd Fl / Flushing, NY 11354 / (718) 886-8526
