Located at 3293 Samet Drive in High Point, Full Kee offers
Chinese fare for lunch and dinner. The restaurant is open seven days a week and
serves alcohol.
Ever since I moved from New Jersey to North Carolina ten
years ago, I have been on a futile search for good Chinese food. To be fair,
the Tarheel State does offer some credible Asian fusion. But the strictly
Chinese establishments are, more often than not, likely to be generic takeout
or a chain (PF Chang’s, Panda Express, etc.). Enter Full Kee, a full-service
restaurant with a respectably varied menu. Could this be the end of the search?
If the first visit was any indication, the answer is no.
To its credit, Full Kee has a fairly deep menu, especially
for these parts. While I was dismayed to see that cold sesame noodles (a
personal favorite) were missing, the establishment offers a variety of duck,
lamb, and sea bass dishes to complement the usual suspects (fired rice, kung
pao, etc.). Moreover, the interior, while a bit dated in its design
(salmon-on-brown, dark lighting, etc.) is nevertheless classy, clean, and
comfortable. Service, while a touch impersonal, was efficient.
Unfortunately, the food disappointed. An order of steamed
dumplings was doughy with an unexpected sweet note, qualities one doesn’t
typically appreciate in this type of dish. The Singapore noodles were pleasingly
fragrant and visually appealing but could have used a bit more seasoning.
Were this take-out Chinese, these missteps would have been
par for the course. However, Full Kee seems to hold itself to a higher standard
– and its customers to a higher price point. To put it simply, this place
overcharges. All of the entrees are in the teens or higher, including simple
noodle and rice dishes. For perspective, I was able to get a superior version of
the dumplings and Singapore noodles in center city Charlotte (nobody’s idea of
a low-cost area) for several dollars less.
Full Kee looks and feels the part of a real Chinese
restaurant, and the menu suggests that Chef Yu knows his way around one, but
the high prices and uneven execution don’t inspire much faith. Consider Full
Kee a half-measure.
6.5/10
