During a recent trip to Switzerland and France, I was curious not only to try the local cuisine, but also to try some restaurants from other nationalities to see what the local interpretation would be of these cuisines. Jardin D'Asie provided an opportunity to experience a Swiss take on Chinese food, and compare it to the Americanized Chinese food that I am used to.
Jardin D'Asie is located on the top floor of a small shopping mall, in a well-lit and airy space. The staff was exceptionally welcoming and friendly, and there were members who spoke French, English, and Chinese. We always had a full carafe of still water for the table. The menu was lengthy and contained many images of dishes that looked more like depictions of the real food you might get, and not stock photos or dressed-up versions of the dishes. Most of the dishes were familiar to me, but they had a few things on the menu that were either unique or I was missing something in my French-English translation (Jamboneau façon Shanghai, for example).
I wanted to get something familiar so I could make a direct comparison to other versions of Chinese cuisine, so I ordered squid with leeks and ginger. Our server came out with metal plate warmers that contained small tealights, which our plate sat on until the main course arrived, and then our food sat on them! It was nice to keep our food warm, but did take up a fair amount of space on the table. My dish had plenty of squid and it was pretty nicely cooked - maybe slightly overcooked, but still tender enough to enjoy. The flavors of ginger and leek were both strongly and pleasantly present, and the sauce had a typical cornstarch-thickened glossiness. I'd consider this a solid take on this sort of dish, not particularly different than restaurants in North America. My dining companions praised their own dishes (spring rolls, sweet and sour chicken, and a duck dish) as well.
All in all, an enjoyable Chinese meal in Switzerland! read more