We wouldn’t call ourselves connoisseurs of Chinese cuisine, but we do have a lot of favorite Chinese spots around Columbus, from N.E. Chinese to ChiliSpot to Main Moon. This week we got to experience a new eatery on Bethel Road, Fiery Sky Asian Kitchen, and I could see this entering our regular rotation.
Fiery Sky opened in storefront that previously housed a pair of Mediterranean spots. It’s operated by Lu Sha, who originally opened Xia Xia Western Chinese Cuisine in the Kenny Centre Mall and Mashida Chicken in Delaware.
The shopping plaza around the restaurant will be familiar to many diners, as it’s home to eateries like New India, Meshikou, KPOT, and many others.
We sampled our way through the menu and really enjoyed each of the dishes. There were flavors both new and familiar, and it was a testament to the quality (okay, and maybe our hunger) that we polished almost all of it off.
We chose a few favorites and followed Lu’s suggestions as well. The cucumber salad offers a nice, refreshing start. The cucumbers are sliced and almost slightly smashed, then thoroughly dowsed in a zesty oil.
The salt and pepper crispy pork is easy to love, with tender pieces of pork fried with a nicely seasoned and crispy breading.
And we’re never ones to turn down spicy dumplings, so it was pretty much assumed we’d snag a bowl of these Sichuan spicy wontons. They’re handmade, filled with pork, and drenched in a spicy oil. Pro-tip: save the oil to dump it over your rice later.
Our boys are something of experts in General Tso’s chicken, and they gave special props to Fiery Sky’s version. The chicken is tender, the sauce lightly sweet without being too heavy or cloying. I especially loved how the broccoli soaked up the sauce.
One of Fiery Sky’s signatures is the dry pot dishes, so we tasted the dry pot cauliflower with spices. It’s stir-fried with thick-cut vegetables and pieces of pork, served over heat in a small wok at the table, so it’s sizzling and hot.
Lu recommended a selection from their noodles, so we tried the stir-fried udon noodles with chicken. It all came together very well in a flavorful sauce.
And we love a good Chongqing spicy popcorn chicken. Fiery Sky didn’t disappoint. The diced, breaded, and fried chicken thighs were very tender and peppery.
So if you’re a fan of Chinese food, I think Fiery Sky is certainly a place to support. There’s something for everyone, no matter how adventurous or how familiar you are with Chinese cuisine. The service was very friendly and super quick, and the menu large enough that I think we’ll need to pay a couple more visits to try even more!
Fiery Sky is open Sunday-Monday and Wednesday-Thursday from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Friday-Saturday from 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. It’s closed Tuesdays.
Fiery Sky Asian Kitchen
1450 Bethel Rd.
Columbus, OH 43220
(614) 670-5775
Web: fieryskyasiankitchen.com
FB: Fiery Sky Asian Kitchen
IG: @fieryskyasiankitchen
