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| - Although I didn't know it, I've been living under a rock for what must be ages because I had never heard anything about Fate. All you Yelpers must be in on some vast conspiracy to chat this place up on days when I'm outside sweating to the sweet sounds of backhoes instead of procrastinating on this site under the soul sucking fluorescent lights of the office.
Well played.
I wish I could say the same about Fate.
My dining partner (who is obviously in on the scheme as well) had heard rave reviews about this place from roommates and friends alike, so we swung by to grab a bite on a Thursday night. He was looking forward to a delectable Pan-Asian experience. I was just looking for something to satisfy my gnawing hunger.
We didn't have a very hard time finding the place, which seems to be a common complaint, and stumbled upon a cute little converted house with a group of five sipping beers outside as they waited for a table. Since they're on summer hours or something, only one of the two houses was open, and none of the cool outdoor decorations (aside from the wicked Buddah head) were present. Just a tiny little stylized sign that stated, "Fate."
I really hoped that the stars were about to align and the combined fury of the kitchen and wait staff would result in the culmination of its namesake.
After entering the restaurant and approaching the hostess, I was startled by the number of empty tables in the place and pleased that we'd soon have some saucy, ricey goodness to sate our hunger. Unfortunately, that wasn't so. She made us wait outside, after specifically barring us from remaining indoors, for five minutes. Baffling, but no biggie. Then we were ushered into a tiny room at the front of the establishment that boasted Ikea decor and very little ambiance, so I can't even give it points on that basis, which also seems to be a big seller with reviewers. We also sat about a foot and a half from the table next to us and I had to listen to the most pretentious and vapid conversation I've been a party to in recent memory. Not good.
The waitress was very friendly and attentive, and we placed our order for a couple iced teas and the pot sticker appetizer. When it came time for us to order, she was great help with the menu and we decided on the Cantonese Black Dragon Beef and the Szechuan chicken.
After paying four bucks for a bottle of Republic of Tea, which is by no means 'gourmet,' I was a little miffed but willing to ride out the experience and judge by food alone. Then the potstickers came on a bamboo platter and I felt those stars starting to drift into alignment. I raised one to my lips after dipping it into the sauce and the celestial bodies whizzed right by each other with no care for fulfilling their fate.
They were comparable to frozen Costco brand potstickers and the sauce they came with was heavy on soy sauce and light on any other flavor. I was too hungry to care so I scarfed my fair share, but my dining partner was completely turned off. Still, I'm willing to give them the benefit of the doubt, maybe it was an off night in the kitchen. Then the food arrived with a little side of rice.
It tasted a little better than your mom and pop corner shop Chinese, but it was on par with anything at P.F. Chang's. And if I can compare it to a nationwide chain, it doesn't deserve any more than a mediocre rating. My food was the perfect serving size, with just the right amount of rice, but the sauce was drastically different than any other szechuan dish I've ever had and the some of the chicken was diced into itsy bitsy little pieces that funked with the texture. I was really hungry, so I wasn't that critical, but my dining partner ate about three bites of his and declared, "I'm never coming back here again." To put it simply, he thought it sucked. Hard.
Fate is a restaurant that seems to cater to individuals that place ambiance very highly in their dining experience. The food isn't great nor is it well priced, but I may have gone on an off night, so I'm willing to give it another shot and possibly adjust my review. I'll just have to find someone else to enjoy it with.
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