Adam & Eats: China Jade

Editor’s note: Adam Brandt is a graduate from the Cobra Kai School of Culinary Callousness, where he received their highest award, the Red Apron of Merciless Eating. Aside from eating and talking about eating, he makes pots, paintings, prints, books, photographs, and generally, a big mess. He has been the studio assistant at Mudpuppy Pottery for 10 years and is attending a local university in a desperate attempt to earn a biology degree.

We’ve been visiting mainly bizarre and traditional American food lately, so I thought it best to visit someplace a little different this week. And when I say a little, I mean a little.

The invention of the all you can eat Chinese buffet is one that is solely American, but since they don’t serve cheeseburgers, I figured it counts toward the goal of different. Close enough anyway.

Located on Zero Street right next to a used car lot is the home of China Jade. They’ve been there as long as I can remember and that’s a long friggin’ time. That in mind, they must be doing at least something right. Their simple building and modest decorations allow for the focus to remain on the food, which is by far some of the best bastardized-Chinese around. Plus, their buffet isn’t any ordinary buffet. It’s “Super Hot”, whatever that means.

The staff are kind and efficient, managing to keep your glass from ever being empty for long, restocking the super hot buffet, and helping customers in the drive-thru. Yes, they are a super buffet with a drive-thru. You can’t get much more American than that.

In addition to the super hot buffet, they offer a vast menu spanning the entire alphabet of old favorites, and they have a Mongolian grill. For those of you unfamiliar with this concept, let me explain. Imagine a buffet bar, but instead of hot, it is kept ice cold. This bar is stocked with a variety of raw meats, raw vegetables, and sauces which the diner (you) gets to pick. Take as little or as much of anything as you want and pile it onto your plate. Once your ingredients are gathered, you hand them off to the grill cook who proceeds to cook them on a large gas-heated steel table right before your very eyes. Using various oils and seasonings, your chef turns once ordinary items into a tasty masterpiece. It’s pretty fascinating to watch really. That is, if you are the type of person who enjoys watching people cook food.

As far as individual dishes go, like many other eateries, some fall short while others hog all of the spotlight. My first recommendation would have to be the Lo Mein. This simple noodle dish is excellent at China Jade. The combination of noodles, onions, scallions, bean sprouts, cabbage, celery, and your choice of meat is rich and savory with a hint of sweetness at the end. It is the type of dish that makes you keep eating because you keep longing for another delicious bite.

Also, the chicken spring rolls are fantastic. These deep fried goodies are chicken and rice noodles stuffed into rice paper and come out as crispy sticks of awesomeness. They are billed as an appetizer, but they can easily stand on their own as a meal.

One of my favorites, the steamed pork dumpling, is sadly not offered at China Jade. So, if you are craving these slick and slimy little meat pies, you’ll have to seek them elsewhere.

Some dishes that fall a little short are the General Tso’s chicken and the beef & broccoli. Both dishes were all right, but they lacked something vital that I can’t quite put my finger on.

So, as to end on a good note, the egg drop soup is different here compared to everywhere else in town. China Jade’s egg drop is thick, creamy, delicious, and a frightening shade of Neon yellow-orange. If the color bothers you, you can just close your eyes as you slurp down ever last (egg) drop of this wonderful soup.

Well, if you’ve never ventured into this little Chinese joint for one reason or another, you should really give it a try. I’m sure they’ll be happy to see you. They are happy to see everyone.

Until next week, good eating to you and yours.

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