Flying Tiger Chinese Restaurant

The Flying Tiger Chinese Restaurant has been serving excellent Szechuan cuisine since 1989. Owned and operated by three generations of the Liu family, "The Tiger" is an icon of Fairborn; a unique place to eat that exists nowhere else. I typically grab a take-out lunch when I'm in a hurry. But when I'm not I sit down and relax, like I did Sunday night. So I treat My Dad out for dinner. I order the Double Wonder and he has Chicken Golden Thread. Our waitress, Linda, is the epitome of the feminine oriental. She is slender, petite and carries a warm friendly smile with her everywhere she goes. (Well, I mean within the restaurant anyway.) She brings the entr��es and the obligatory bowl of white rice quickly and efficiently. With that smile. My Double Wonder is a two part meal. Shrimp and chicken. Each separated by orange slices in the middle of the plate. The chicken is very crispy and drenched in a sauce slightly sweet. The shrimp comes mixed with broccoli, carrots, Chinese pea pods, green peppers and water chestnuts. The sauce is dark and spicy. Both are delicious. My Dad's Golden Thread is a savory blend of angel hair pasta and thinly sliced breast of chicken in a mild but tasty curry sauce. This is good as the curry does not overpower the meal. Shredded carrots, cabbage and green onions are mixed into the affair making for a delicious pasta dinner. A pot of tea is served with the meal. It's good. It always is. Soft instrumental music plays in the background. Many of the tunes are somewhat melancholy. A little black-haired girl flits about the double aquariums up front, obviously the daughter of the woman working the cash register. The girl is animated, but quiet, the way you wished more children in restaurants were; full of life but not at all a nuisance. The restaurant is divided along three sections. The main central space is where we enjoy our meal and is the largest. Two smaller wings, separated by walls with decorative glass windows, mark the private group banquet area and the former smoking section. Since Ohio voters opted for a smokeless state the restaurant is entirely smoke-free. The wall furthest from the front door sports wonderfully etched glass with ambient lighting. Tonight each pane tosses out a subdued blue hue, very pleasing to the eyes. Jim arrives to refill the teapot, which will be drained to half before we depart. His demeanor is crisp and friendly. As always, the restaurant is clean and tidy. The atmosphere is well-lit and slightly stark. Not exactly a romantic spot. A red statue of a fat balding Buddha greets all who enter. He smiles too. Perpetually. The double aquariums are occluded by his paunch. Richard, the manager, is off on Sundays. Pending redecoration causes him to consider removing the fish tanks. Richard's a good guy. I must persuade him otherwise. The aquariums work. During the meal, Linda checks up on us once. It is enough. We are neither neglected nor do we suffocate under too much attention. The perfect balance. There's no way I can eat a dinner portion plus tea and rice, so Linda scoops what we've not touched into take-home boxes. She returns with the check and two fortune cookies, useful for scheming the numbers I'll pick to rid the Mega Millions lottery of its 88 million payout. Total damage was $19.80. I rounded out the receipt to an even $20 and placed a paper Lincoln on the table for Linda. When you find yourself in Fairborn, and in the mood for Chinese, visit Richard's place and "Let the Tiger Make Your Meal."