Lilac Blossom
650 Amherst St., Nashua, N.H.
603-886-8420
Mon.-Thurs. 11:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri.-Sat., 11:30 a.m.-11 p.m.; Sun., noon--10 p.m.
Reservations recommended
No smoking
Wheelchair accessible
Major credit cards accepted
On a frigid winter's night, diners gravitate to the fires inside Lilac Blossom like moths to a flame. Nearly every table is taken, and all eyes are on the small blazes bursting next to the tables. Tuxedoed waiters pour liquid fire over sizzling dishes and wave their hands like magicians. Diners ooh and aah.
Elegance abounds, whether it's in the sporadic blue flames, the starched white linen tablecloths, the fresh burgundy lilies on the tables, or the waiters' stiff bow ties. Even a lobby sign reads, "Proper attire required." The meaning isn't exactly clear, since more diners are dressed in open-necked shirts and sneakers than ties and jackets.
Harry Ku, a Littleton, Mass., dentist, opened Lilac Blossom 10 years ago. Born in Taiwan, Ku's ambition was to "show the community how Chinese food could be a delicacy." Locals have responded enthusiastically. Thus, Ku opened a second Lilac Blossom, last year, at 385 East Dunstable, also in Nashua.
Lilac offers an extensive menu -- Shanghai, Szechuan, Hunan, Mongolian, Cantonese, and Peking dishes. There's an entire book to read, so it's a good idea to order a wine or martini and settle back and relax before ordering. With any luck, your glass won't come with an annoyingly sticky stem and base, as mine did.
Symbols of little green chilies dangle next to the titles of the spicier dishes. Such a warning comes with Szechuan dumplings in spicy sesame sauce ($4.95). The waiter makes final preparations next to the table, as he does with all the dishes. In this case, he mixes the dumplings with the rich brown sesame sauce, the color of caramel. He dishes small portions onto individual plates. The sauce hints at red pepper, giving it a kick without requiring a water chaser. This appetizer is so large -- containing at least a dozen dumplings -- you could easily make a meal of it.
Another appetizer, lobster soong ($13.95), sounds and looks much better than it turns out to be. The minced lobster with black mushrooms arrives warm, and the waiter scoops the mixture into two crisp iceberg lettuce bowls. On top, he spoons plum sauce. The trick is to roll up this concoction and eat it without the iceberg lettuce splintering and the contents spilling down your clothes and all over the table. About this, I can only wish you good luck.
One of Lilac's more popular entrees is the golden crispy shrimp ($16.95). Jumbo shrimp, rolled in chestnut flour and lightly fried, arrive on a bed of broccoli with walnuts. It comes with a red sauce that smells like ketchup, but offers a more complex and interesting blend of flavors. An intriguing garnish perches on the side -- a lily woven from large carrot shavings.
Another house favorite is the Lilac sizzling delicacy ($15.95). Fans of tableside pyrotechnics will love this dish. It consists of thin slices of beef, fat scallops, French green beans, ginger shavings, and lots of blue flames. The sauce is made from the chef's own recipe, which includes vinegar, hoisin sauce, two types of wine, and secret spices.
Given the healthy-sized portions of the appetizers and entrees, you might be tempted to stop here and nibble on the remaining fortune cookies and orange slices. But passing up the fried ice cream ($3.95) is a big mistake. It arrives with all the gewgaws of a birthday cake and sits atop swirls of chocolate sauce and multicolored sprinkles made of crushed almond cookies. The waiter sets it ablaze. When the fires die, the dish tastes like vanilla ice cream wrapped in roasted marshmallows -- a taste that can be achieved only by fire. That's Lilac Blossom's specialty, and it's certainly a welcome sight on any cold night.
DEBBIE HAGAN
