My bride and I were driving home from scouting potential next homes in the Riverside area when we both began craving Chinese food. With special thanks to my fellow Yelpers, we quickly seized upon Jade China, a small but friendly family run Chinese fusion type restaurant with outsized reviews (4.5 stars on nearly 700 reviews).
At 4:30pm on a blustery, crisp SAT in February afternoon we were both so hungry we could've eaten the northbound end of a southbound goat, and our order at Jade China reflected that:
* Our appetizers were a trio of hot and sour soup, a quartet of crackling good vegetable egg rolls and a plate of BBQ pork
* Vegetable chop suey
* Kung Pao Chicken
* Orange Chicken
For all that food (enough leftovers to feed our 17yr old son who eats like a rabid rhino), our bill was only $51 including tax. 5 STARS on value!!!
The soup was excellent, so much so that I scarcely got in a tablespoon of it before my hungry bride quaffed the entire bowl- DIdn't even have the chance to take its selfie for you my beloved Yelpers.
The vegetable egg rolls needed a red carpet- Such was their unquestioned status as the STAR of the appetizer round. Fresh out of the kitchen, crackling like Lechon at a Pinoy party and flavorful.
The barbeque pork looked fabulous with its glassy sheen, but the taste suggested that the pork used may have been a day or so past its ideal "use by" date. Also, the mouth feel was a little odd, replacing the snappy crinkling noise that good BBQ Pork with a slightly pasty texture that was off-putting. Even our son with his robust athlete's appetite demurred and it ended up being served to our French Bulldog!
In sum, our trio of appetizers earned a 4, the duo of 5s for the egg rolls and hot & sour soup hamstrung by the 2 accorded the BBQ pork.
I'll tackle our trio of entrees one by one.
My wife's Vegetable Chop Suey was a 5, featuring perfectly wok'd cabbage, sugar snap peas and broccoli dressed in a simple Mandarin sauce comprised of light soy sauce, oyster sauce and Shao Shing (Chinese cooking wine).
Our Kung Pao Chicken brought an unusual partner to the dance, diced spears of Zucchini Leti and I have ordered this "founding father" of Szeuchuan cuisine in over a dozen states and this marks only the second or third time we've ever seen zucchini utilized in it. The JADE CHINA family recipe doesn't use scallions, which happens to be one of our favorite additions to Kung Pao. As for taste, the Kung Pao was lustily piquant with plenty of spice. We think it warrants a 4, but this is highly subjective.
Alas, tonight's Orange Chicken showed up poised to win "Miss Universe" but left disappointed, having to settle for "Miss Photogenic." When executed well, orange chicken is a perfect marriage of spicy, super crunchy bites of chicken dressed in a thick, shiny sauce that sparkles like any starlet's make up on the red carpet! Unfortunately, Jade China's version clearly had the LOOKS but none of the texture or flavor. Specifically, the chicken pieces were limp (perhaps the result of too much time under the lamps on the steam table in the back?) and blander than Mitt Romney on his sabbath!
Good orange chicken clobbers you with a left hook of heat then rewards the back half of your tongue with tart, sweetness. This version, however, tasted like store bought, frozen orange chicken. If you diluted the sauce packet with a lot of water! Two disappointed stars.
The service warranted a 5. My wife pulled a "me" and spilled her water, which prompted one of the staff to arrive quicker than Usain Bolt in Olympic sprinting form! They kept our drinks refilled and brought our orders out in the order we ordered them.
BONUS TIP: With any entree order, they'll letcha upgrade to FRIED RICE for a nominal up charge of $1.00. As a fried rice freak, I vastly appreciate this option over having to order an entire order of it, when I'm the only person in my party (typically) who likes it.
Caveat: Is it just me or have any of you experienced Chinese cuisine where they bring you the soup or egg rolls (obvious starters) at the same time or even AFTER the entrees? Call this faux pax, committed by approximately half of the sit-down Chinese restaurants we've visited, a personal pet peeve.
The restroom was clean and well stocked.
In sum, this cozy but super friendly establishment earns its stellar overall reviews. While a couple of misfires, particularly the BBQ pork and Orange Chicken, prohibited me from awarding a 5, I can definitely see the potential and will just steer clear of ordering either of those items the next time we're in the Riverside area and seeking Chinese fare.
The Chinese Zodiac heralds that 2022 is the Year of the Tiger. Show up at JADE CHINA with a bengal's hearty appetite and you will not be disappointed. For a feast of epic, reasonably priced Chinese food, this place is a bona fide contender. read more