The New House of Hunan

For the Sun family, re-tooling their Fairlawn House of Hunan meant revamping the inside to include a brand new sushi bar. After three months of renovations, they’ve re-created one of the best tri-Asian dining experiences in the area, featuring Japanese, Thai and Chinese cuisine—all in one house.

By: Beth Newcomb
Date: 06/03/2008
Wanna wasabi?

Sushi rolls are half-price every Monday from 4-9 p.m. during Wanna Wasabi at House of Hunan in Fairlawn—and that’s just one of the changes you’ll find.

“We’ve remodeled the entire restaurant from top to bottom,” boasts Dustin Sun (pronounced Soon.) He’s part of the family that’s been creating the nearly 40-year-old dining institution, along with the two others in Downtown Akron and Medina. In fact, much of the clan, including Eric Sun (Dustin’s father) and Lawrence and Cheryl Suen (his aunt and uncle), can be found working six days a week at any of their Hunan locations.

“The sushi bar in Fairlawn has been completely re-created,” Dustin explains. “Some guests may not have realized we had a designated sushi area because it was difficult to see that section.” Now there’s no question.

The sushi bar has been beautifully styled in rich woods and earthy wall tones. It’s got a contemporary vibe that blends in wonderfully with the rest of the new House of Hunan. The customized bar was hand made in New York, and there is ample seating so anyone can get up close and personal with the talented chefs who hold court behind the bar’s lengthy expanse. “Our sushi is made only from saltwater fish, the way it’s supposed to be,” he insists. “Some restaurants substitute freshwater fish to save money, but we’ve always maintained the highest standards of quality.” They’ll even go off the menu if you’d like and customize an assortment of rolls to suit your palate.

“We’ve recently introduced our sushi selections on the lunch menu as well,” Dustin says. “And our new sushi chef is from New York.” But he’s quick to point out—with a small grin—that the new sushi chef and the new
sushi bar made the trip separately.

“We wanted to bring back the House of Hunan that everyone had fallen in love with years ago,” Dustin insists. “To do that, we needed to make some physical changes and we closed the restaurant for three months while the work was completed.”

The stunning putty walls with minimalist Asian art are now wonderfully accented by rich Earth tone seating. A mammoth gold Buddha statue rests just outside of the kitchen where the fish tank used to be, and there is new carpeting throughout. One thing that hasn’t changed is the glorious and painstakingly assembled tile mural on the back wall of Hunan, representing ancient warriors and their travels.

But don’t let the magnificent new interior dissuade you from bringing the entire family. “We’ve always got tons of kids running around,” Dustin encourages warmly. And because Hunan has such a diverse menu, there’s something to please even the littlest diners.

They’ve re-opened their family-friendly, tri-Asian destination to rave reviews.

“We continue to be the only restaurant in the area to feature the cuisine of Thailand, China, and Japan,” Dustin proclaims. “Nobody else offers this level of diversity.” And nobody else does it at such affordable prices.

Another thing that hasn’t changed are the still-generous portion sizes.

From Japan, try the Empire Roll. It’s under the Futomaki Sushi (fat rolls) section of the menu. Spicy tuna, salmon, and yellowtail are rolled with avocado and tempura crunch in a soybean seaweed, then glazed with a colorful variety of delicious sauces. Ten pieces come with your order for just $13. “We feature the largest variety of sushi in the area,” he insists.

The Red Curry Chicken offers a taste of Thailand. Tender slices of chicken are combined with zucchini, bell peppers, bamboo shoots, and carrots in a fragrant curry sauce with garlic, onion, cumin, coriander and coconut milk. It’s served with steamed rice. Take the trip for just $13. “All of our Thai recipes were created by a renowned local chef,” Dustin says.

From China, and listed under the Chef’s Specialties on the menu, try the Three Cup Chicken, also just $13. Delicious marinated chicken is tossed with fresh basil, garlic and chili. “It’s cooked in a clay pot and comes out sizzling,” he smiles. “This is a unique but very traditional dish that’s slightly sweet and tangy.”

Fairlawn’s House of Hunan is located at 2717 West Market Street in the Fairlawn Town Center. The phone number is 330-864-8215. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 11:30 a.m.-10:00 p.m., Friday 11:30 a.m.- 11:00 p.m., Saturday from Noon-11:00 p.m. and Sunday Noon-10:00 p.m. Half-Off Sushi Night is Monday.

Akron’s House of Hunan is located at 12 East Exchange Street in Akron. The phone number is 330-253-1888. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 11:00 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Friday 11:00 a.m.- 11:00 p.m., Saturday from Noon-11:00 p.m. and Sunday they are closed. Half-Off Sushi Night is Wednesday.

Medina’s House of Hunan is located at 18 Public Square in Medina. The phone number is 330-722-1899. Hours are Monday through Thursday, 11:00 a.m.-9:30 p.m., Friday 11:00 a.m.- 11:00 p.m., Saturday from Noon-11:00 p.m. and Sunday they are closed. Half-Off Sushi Night is Tuesday.

Reservations are recommended, but not required. Visit the website at www.HouseOfHunan.net for more information.

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