AUGUSTA, GA – A lot of people tend to think of Chinese as a universal food — universal, that is, in its sameness. In other words, you have one Kung Pao Chicken or Shrimp Lo Mein, you’ve had them all.

Those of that mindset should pay a visit to Hunan Cafe.

Located inside a small storefront in the Publix shopping center off Furys Ferry Road, Hunan Cafe serves up beautifully plated variations of traditional Chinese fare, as well as more exotic offerings with their roots in fusion and Malaysian cuisine.

Although the restaurant offers take-out, the 30-seat dining area also provides a quiet, comfortable setting for dine-in customers, right down to the white tablecloths and linen napkins.

We started our meal with the Volcano Shrimp appetizer ($6), crispy fried shrimp coated in a creamy, tangy sauce atop a bed of lettuce and baby spinach. It reminded me a bit of Bonefish’s Bang-Bang Shrimp, though a bit more delicately constructed. The crispy coating was light enough that you didn’t feel you were overindulging in fried food, but the dish still brought a sinful satisfaction.

For an entrée, I ordered Chili Shrimp ($11.15), shrimp sautéed in a spicy sweet chili sauce with peas and finely diced vegetables. The beautiful red hue of the sauce and plump juicy shrimp made for an immaculate presentation atop a recessed white plate. The shrimp were perfectly cooked and the flecks of chili added a nice heat that built throughout the eating of the dish.

My dining partner ordered Happy Family ($12.50), a common enough offering at most Chinese restaurants consisting of (imitation) crab meat, shrimp, scallops, pork, beef, chicken and vegetables sautéed in a brown sauce.

However, there was nothing common about this version of Happy Family. Thescallops were enormous and cooked toperfection. The dish was full of succulent, thick slices of pork, mushrooms and vegetables.

The dish did lack the aggressive soy sauce-saltiness of other Happy Family versions I’ve tried, which may not be a bad thing. Still, I was left craving a little more salt in theportion of the dish I sampled.

The only real disappointment during our visit was finding out that Hunan Cafe serves no alcohol. I’m one who nearly always wants to enjoy a beer with a spicy meal, especially on a Friday night. Hunan Cafe only serves soft drinks and a variety of teas.

But that was a minor drawback when considering the quality of the meals wereceived. And the absence of alcohol would still make the restaurant a no-brainer for lunch, particularly with 20 items on the lunch menu — including Shrimp withLobster Sauce — that top out at $5.75.Hunan Cafe also offers 11 early-bird specials for less than $8 between 4:30 and 6:30 p.m.

I still want to get to some of the other dinner offerings that sounded intriguing, like Steamed Ginger Sea Bass with ginger soy sauce on a bed of baby spinach ($19), or Malaysian dish Five Spice Soy Braised Duck, a half duck slowly cooked in five-spice soy sauce, served on a bed of cucumbers ($15).
 
Hunan Cafe
403 Furys Ferry Rd.
Mon.-Sat., 11:30 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and 4:30-9:30 p.m.
706-869-1480
hunancafeasiancuisine.com