Zhou 'nuff, Part II: Still keepin' it real

Our quest for authentic Fuzhou fare continued at A San Fuzhou Restaurant, and I can sum up its credentials in three lines:

1. Not a word of English is seen nor spoken there;
2. Someone was smoking inside, and no one seemed to care;
3. Even the vegetarian dish had meat in it.

But, oh, what a delicious "vegetarian" dish it was. I'm afraid I can't transliterate the name of this $8 stir-fried tofu revelation (I did, however, save the check so I could order it again on my next visit), and I'm pretty sure I can't do very much justice to its glory, either. Not only did the tofu have a firm but spongy texture (which is a good thing, despite the way it might sound), it had a surprising smokiness that somehow made me wish it came with a side of collard greens (now that's some Asian fusion I wouldn't mind seeing).

Our fish ($17) was also a hit, stuffed with garlic and essentially deep-fried to 11. While I certainly liked the way it turned out, I'm not so sure it's too different from the Mazola-blasted specimens I've seen in countless other Chinese restaurants. An order of ribs ($8) didn't seem too different from the lychee rou we tried over at Best Fuzhou, except that it included potatoes.

Oh, and you can't argue with the price on those beers.

A San Fuzhou Restaurant
7 Eldridge St. b/n Division and Canal (map)