Jade Too Chinese Restaurant

Hubby and I and our daughter walked in to Jade Too one evening last summer. Outside temperature was 95 degrees. Temperature inside Jade Too: 94 degrees. I won't deduct stars for an equipment malfunction clearly out of their control, but I wanted to die nonetheless.

For starters, even though there are four small tables in the restaurant, it's clearly meant for takeout only- water and other beverages are only available in cans or plastic bottles and only plastic utensils for use. Your food is served in the takeout containers, with Styrofoam plates. For that I would deduct a half star, but I'll let it go.

We ordered our food and sat down to wait. It took about three minutes to get our cream cheese won tons, and while they're not the best I've had, they were very fresh (though bland) and the sweet and sour sauce served with them was very good. It took about eight more minutes to get our entrees. I'm not mentioning the times to split hairs, rather to point out that our food was cooked to order, and arrived very fresh. Hubby got the chicken sub gum chow mein- his "usual" at Chinese restaurants. I ordered the shrimp with garlic sauce and my daughter had the beef fried rice.

The food came out piping hot. My shrimp was advertised on the menu as a spicy dish, but I had low expectations based on every other Chinese takeout I've ordered from in the Twin Cities. To my pleasant surprise, the dish was very spicy, and the best shrimp with garlic sauce I've had in 20 years! The shrimp was cooked perfectly- tender, not at all rubbery- and there was a good amount of shrimp in the container. Excellent dish, but a little heavy on the water chestnuts.  I asked my husband about his sub gum, and I got an "It's all right..." which is about the only compliment he can muster unless he's laying down $200 for a steak in Minneapolis. I thought it was better than "all right" - the chicken was fresh carved and the vegetables fresh and still crunchy.  My daughter reports her fried rice was "delicious and flavorful."  

Don't bother eating in.  It's priced consistent with other Chinese takeouts, but the quality is far better than the competition.  In subsequent visits, I've had the eggrolls and hot and sour soup, both are excellent.  I especially loved the hot mustard served with the eggrolls.  It wasn't the usual packets, but a condiment cup of the greatest sinus clearing mustard I've ever tasted.  Go easy...it's got punch!