Lunch at Karma Asian Fusion in Winchester: First Impressions

Karma Asian Fusion is a high-end, Asian fusion restaurant and the first location was founded by Iverson Guo in 2006 in Westford. There are now locations in Concord, Burlington, Andover, and Winchester, with more to come. Although the menus at the different locations are largely very similar, there are some differences as well, allowing each location to have its own identity. I have previously dined at the Burlington location, and generally enjoyed the various dishes, especially their Sushi offerings. 

The Winchester location is now serving a new weekday Lunch Menu, and have also opened their patio dining, which can seat up to 36 guests. The Lunch Menu is available from Monday to Friday, 12PM - 3PM. The lunch menu intrigued me so I've dined there twice, to check out a significant number of their offerings. 

The Menu includes:

Appetizers

--Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings (3 pieces) $9.50 
--Salmon Carpaccio $15
--Chili Hamachi $15
--Crab Rangoon (4 pieces) $9
--Crispy Wonton (5 pieces; shrimp, chicken and sweet chili) $12
Soup/Salad

--Wonton Soup $10
--Cucumber Salad $10
Chinese Wok Lunch Sets $22

--Featuring General Gao’s Chicken, Yuen Yang Spicy Chicken or Beef, Vegetarian Mapo Tofu, and Mongolian Chicken or Beef. All served with hot and sour soup, white rice, pan fried dumplings, and edamame
Sushi Lunch Special $28

--Miso soup, edamame, 3 pieces of nigiri (otoro, Salmon, yellowtail), sashimi don, and ½ Fire Dragon Maki

The decor and ambiance is casually elegant, with some Asian accents, and a lengthy Sushi bar. There are multiple dining areas, and it's great for a casual meal, date night, a family dinner, a business lunch, or more. 

As for the Appetizers, the Salmon Carpaccio was excellent! Silky, tender slices of salmon, in a type of soy-based sauce with sesame seeds and scallions. A pleasing blend of textures and flavors, and an ample amount of salmon. Highly recommended!

The Chili Hamachi was also delicious, consisting of three large slices of hamachi, topped by jalapeños, and a slightly sweet sauce. Atop all of this was a crunchy and tasty mass, mixed with small yellow flowers. A pretty dish, which also possessed an excellent blend of textures and flavors. 

The Crispy Wonton were stuffed with shrimp and chicken, and accompanied by an enticing sweet chili sauce. The wonton were crunchy and crisp, with a plump and tasty pocket of shrimp and chicken. The chili sauce was delicious, with a mildly spicy heat which enhanced the taste of the wonton. I enjoyed these so much that I ordered them on both of my lunch visits.

The Xiao Long Bao (Soup Dumplings) were another excellent appetizer, with a savory and complex soup within the firm dumpling. 

On one visit, I ordered a Chinese Wok Lunch Set, with the General Gao’s Chicken. It's an ample amount of food, and is visually appealing as well. 

The General Gao’s Chicken was delicious, meaty pieces of chicken, with a thin crispy coating, and the tangy sauce was complex and compelling. The dish felt fresh, and was probably one of the best General Gao's I've tasted in quite some time. Highly recommended!

The Pan Fried Dumplings were also excellent, with a very crispy exterior, and plenty of flavorful pork inside. The toppings enhanced the dumplings, and its obvious why these dumplings are so popular at the restaurant.

A bowl of Edamame.

The Hot and Sour Soup was tasty, nicely balanced, and topped by some crunchy wonton strips.  

On my second lunch visit, I opted for the Sushi Lunch Special, and again it was an ample amount of food, as well as visually appealing.

The Nigiri included Otoro, Salmon, and Yellowtail, and each piece was superb, silky tender and flavorful, each with its own slightly different preparation, such as the sesame seeds on the salmon. From my prior experiences at Karma in Burlington, the restaurant certainly excels at their Sushi. 

The Fire Dragon Maki is composed of spicy tuna & tempura crumb over a roll of tempura crabmeat, avocado and cucumber. Large maki pieces, they are a pleasing blend of textures and flavors, both crunchy and creamy, with some mild spiciness. 

The Sashimi Don contains several different slices of sashimi, cucumber pieces and roe, atop a bowl of rice. The sashimi was superb, tender and fresh, with a nice combination of colors. Another winner of a dish.

The Miso Soup was very good, with a savory broth and tender chunks of tofu, with seaweed. 

Overall, the food was excellent, and reasonably priced considering the quantity and quality of what you receive. The new Lunch menu is a great way for you to try the culinary delights at Karma Asian Fusion in Winchester. I will definitely be returning. 

However, there was one issue that occurred on my second visit. On my first visit, the service was excellent and it was a fine dining experience. No complaints whatsoever. On my second visit, the service was a little lacking, primarily as the server also worked as the bartender, so wasn't able to properly devote his time to all of his tables. For example, when my Fried Wonton were brought, the sauce was missing. I gave him a couple minutes to return with it, but when he didn't reappear, I flagged down another server and asked about the sauce. When my server finally brought the sauce, it was later with my Entree, and the sauce wasn't even the same as the one I received on my initial visit.   

Have you tried the new Lunch menu at Karma in Winchester yet?