Tonight's dinner is at Jai Yun, something a little out of the ordinary for my birthday. Besides, it's the Lunar New Year and a Chinese restaurant just seems appropriate. Unlike typical Chinese restaurants that offer items a la carte, Chef Chia's Jai Yun serves a Chinese wedding banquet-style fare of 20 dishes. There are no entree listings or descriptions, instead meals are ordered by price. Ranging from $55 to$150, each price increase affects the ingredients used and style of execution. It may sound expensive but there are 20 dishes and lots of care go into each creation! Chia does not crank out the usual cheap egg foo young or broccoli beef combo that can be found on every corner in Chinatown so please don't walk in expecting as much. Chef Chia is showcasing Northern Chinese (lighter, less spicy, less greasy than Southern Chinese) food with a new experience.
At first glance, I didn't understand how I'd get full from our 20 dishes. We had a party of seven and the first 10 plates arrive at the same time, all small cold-style appetizers typical for a banquet. The dishes consist of Chinese charcuterie as well as some vegetable dishes, including tofu and gluten. Basically the cold dishes are light but hint at the impending flavors to come: garlic, soy sauce, star anise, sesame oil, five-spice and more. As the courses progress, they do get heavier and fuller in flavor – and the feeling of fullness sneaks up on me. Chef Chia does a good job of mixing traditional dishes (i.e. sauteed Chinese celery with baked tofu and red bell pepper) and dishes with a new take on tradition (i.e. abalone strips sauteed with lightly cooked egg whites). Or, traditional flavors with atypical textures/preparations (i.e. fried pork with an airy texture but also the crispness of a crunchy piece of bacon). We eat most of it but are unable to finish everything. Strangely, we're not allowed to take our leftovers with us. I guess Chef Chia is being "Chinese" and trying save on the cost of to-go containers. But the waiters tell us the food is proprietary and Chef doesn't want his secrets revealed in case anyone feels the need to analyze and re-create his food at home or even another restaurant.
Pictures are below. We all have the $65 tasting option.
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pickled ginger |
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beef tongue |
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ham |
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pickled cucumber |
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pickled radish |
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abalone with egg whites |
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gluten |
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shrimp |
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pork ribs with taro balls |
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white fish with corn, peas, tomatoes |
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Chinese celery sautéed with baked tofu, red bell pepper |
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pork shank |
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fried eggplant with a sweet glaze |
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birthday candle – petals open when lit But the music never stops so we have to yank out the mechanism. |
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