1911 W. Anderson Ln., 371-0689
Open daily 11am-9:30pm
It may sound strange, but one of the things I miss most about Paris is its
Chinatown. There, on a nondescript side street, hides a restaurant without a
name where specials are scribbled on a board in Chinese and an old man with a
pinched brow rolls dumplings in a window under dozens of hanging ducks. It was
there that I discovered I loved duck tongue and despised duck feet. There that
I sampled sea cucumber, abalone, and the more mundane, though no less tasty,
Chinese specialties.
It is because of the dinners I enjoyed at that bustling, out-of-the-way place
that I have yet to find a favorite Chinese restaurant in Austin. I’ve got my
favorite noodle house and preferred place to catch a capsicum high on Thai
chiles, but there isn’t a Chinese restaurant in town that has definitively won
me over. Jasmine Cafe however, shows promise.
Although many of the dishes that initially tempted me on Jasmine’s sizable
menu — stuffed sticky rice, oysters in ginger sauce, eggplant in garlic sauce
— were unavailable, those that ultimately arrived at our Formica-topped table
proved to be fine substitutions. More adventurous visitors to the modest eatery
might have begun with an appetizer of pig ears or pork stomach. I opted, upon
the advice of my surprisingly knowledgeable Spanish waiter Roger, for the onion
crepes ($2), fried crispy tofu ($2.50) and the leek pie ($1.50).
Of the three, the onion crepe earned the most accolades. A stack of
puff-pastry thin crepes layered with tart green onions was fried until crisp,
resulting in a dish that was light, slightly crunchy, and commendably not
greasy. At $2.50, the heaping plate of fried tofu was a protein-packed bargain.
(Ask for two sides of the garlicky soy sauce.) The leek pie, an oversized
dumpling of sorts that actually resembled a jelly fish, was also enjoyable, if
not particularly notable.
Entr�es, served with a choice of steamed, fried, or earthy brown rice
and a cup of soup included a piquant squid in ginger sauce ($7.95), a pork with
pressed tofu ($6.95), and a shrimp in black bean sauce ($7.95). The latter was
excellent, loads of moist shrimp, broccoli, Chinese cabbage, and other
vegetables bathing in a silky sauce of black beans that was brightened with
garlic. The pork with pressed tofu was also a welcome discovery. The dish
consisted of shreds of pork and celery tossed in a garlic-laced glaze along
with julienne strips of compressed tofu that appeared to have been browned
before serving. The tofu’s texture was particularly agreeable, not at all like
the porous cubes so often served. The sole disappointment of the evening was
the squid dish. In it, the chiles and ginger which usually pack a potent punch,
were overshadowed by the squid’s pronounced fishiness. A friend’s huge bowl of
wonton soup delicately perfumed with Chinese five spice deserves mention, as
does Jasmine’s interesting condiment basket brimming with the usual soy sauce
and chile paste as well as several varieties of rice vinegar which provide new
dimension when splashed sparingly on dishes.
— Rebecca Chastenet de G�ry
This article appears in July 26 • 1996 and July 26 • 1996 (Cover).