Dim Sum Cage Match - In this Corner, Jade Asian Restaurant

Restaurant	Jade Asian Restaurant
Address	136-28 39th Avenue Flushing, NY 11354 718 762-8821
Hours
Cuisine	Cantonese Dim Sum
Scotch	Highland Park

The challenger in our Dian Xin (Dim Sum) Cage Match, Jade Asian Restaurant, is a real heavyweight. Pushcarts transverse a huge hall with countless tables, serving up tasty treats to hundreds during its lunch hour business. It burst on the highly competitive Flushing restaurant scene last year, and immediately began gathering a fan base. 

Just some quick notes, CA Scotch Chick was able to snag a copy of their Dian Xin menu, so any English reflects the name they use on their menu. Also our heriones had to share a table, so some of the pictures reflect a need for discretion with other diners present. For purposes of the cage match, food will be discussed not necessarily in the order it was presented, and finally servers came promptly but were not quite as friendly or attentive in the packed hall. 

And, so, Ladies and Gentlemen, without further ado, "In this corner Jade Asian Restaurant!"

Round 1 (A Scotch Chick parades around the ring in red stiletto heels holding up a sign): Xian Shui Jiao (Glutinous Rice Dumpling), Cha Xiao Bao (Baked Roasted Pork Bun), Cha Xiao Su (Baked BBQ Pork Cake); Spareribs with Garlic Sauce, Chicken Feet with Black Bean Sauce, Dan-ta (Baked Egg Custard Tart), and Crispy Bitter Melon Flavor Dumplings Stuffed with Sesame. 

Part of Round 1: From Back Left

Back Row: Steamed Baby Chinese Broccoli

Middle Row: Chicken Feet, Xian Shui Jiao, Spareribs

Front Row: Bitter Melon Balls, Shrimp Dumplings with Pea Tips

The match started off with a flurry of action. CA Scotch Chick didn't think it possible, but the challenger met Ocean Jewels' Cha Xiao Bao and Cha Xiao Su blow for blow. Their bbq offerings were just as small and packed with filling as the champion's. These fighters have an true appreciation for the proper ratio!

It was also a draw in the Xian Shui Jiao (Glutinous Rice Dumpling) category, but not quite as exciting. While both contenders' crispy crusts scored high points, they lost points for a scarcity of filling.

Jade Asian Restaurant had Ocean Jewels reeling in the Sparerib and Chicken Feet category. Both dishes were tender, and the Chicken Feet's sauce was far superior to that of Ocean Jewels.

 

As they approached deserts, the contenders circled each other warily in the Dan-ta category. Both were nicely flaky, but both lacked something in the custard. However, in a surprising show of strength, our challenger slammed Ocean Jewels with their Crispy Bitter Melon Flavor Dumplings. While these plain looking tasty treats lacked the pine nuts, and were much bigger than Ocean Jewels' offerings, they were positively sublime.

On to Round 2 (A Scotch Chick parades around the ring in red stiletto heels holding up a sign): Steamed Cha Xiao Bao (Steamed Roasted Pork Bun), and what CA Scotch Chick believes was the Creamy Egg Yolk Bun.

Once again the competitors went blow to blow in the Cha Xiao Bao category. Jade Asian Restaurant's steamed version was excellent. 

The next part of the round was slightly skewed by a misjudgment on the part of the referee. When CA Scotch Chick saw what looked like the Cha Xiao Bao with custard on top coming by, she quickly flagged down the cart. However, while the buns looked the same, and the outsides were the same, the inside of the bun at Jade Asian Restaurant was custard rather than pork. While it scores points for yumminess, it didn't quite land the blow that the combination of salt and savory did at Ocean Jewels. Since the Cha Xiao Bao with the custard top does not appear to be on Jade Asian Restaurant's menu, Ocean Jewels gets the points for these similar buns.

Creamy Egg Yolk Bun

While no specials were carted around on trays, Wise Woman scooped up a variety of dishes from the carts that were not reviewed at Ocean Jewels: Baby Boiled Chinese Broccoli, Sharks Fin with Chicken Broth Dumpling, Minced Beef Ball, Steamed Rice Roll with Dried Scallops and Dried Shrimp, Shrimp Dumpling with Pea Tips, and Lotus Leaf Glutinous Rice.

Some of the Other Offerings: From Back Left

Back Row: Minced Beef Ball, Steamed Rice-Roll

Front: Shark's Fin Dumpling, Baby Chinese Broccoli

In the other offerings category, the Baby Boiled Chinese Broccoli was crisp and tender. The Sharks Fin with Chicken Broth Dumpling was flavorful but not as special as the name would have one believe. The Minced Beef Ball was savory and satisfying. The Steamed Rice Roll was an excellent version of a traditional Dian Xin (Dim Sum) dish. The Shrimp Dumplings with Pea Tips were quite interesting and quite good, savory with a crunchiness gleaned from what looked to CA Scotch Chick's eye to be more like tiny string beans than snow pea tips. Finally, the Lotus Leaf Glutinous Rice was an excellent offering. This dish was packed with chestnuts, meat, and pumpkin. Sugar and soy were both available for mixing. CA Scotch Chick sampled the dish both ways and found each variation to be quite good.

Lotus Leaf Glutinous Rice

With the meal over and a full tummy, CA Scotch Chick sat back to contemplate the results of the cage match. While both restaurants are very worthy contenders, CA Scotch Chick thinks Jade Asian Restaurant won on points. It had a stronger showing in Sparerib and Chicken Feet category, and their Crispy Bitter Melon offering was almost a knock out in itself. It was a very close match, however. Ocean Jewels was the only contender to have the Cha Xiao Bao with a custardy top, giving it major points, and their offerings in the Cha Xiao Bao category were all that Jade Asian Restaurant's were. Of course, with such a close decision, there will have to be a rematch.