Jing's offers charm in the rear of a renovated Third Ward building. There are perhaps a dozen tables, tall ceilings and a window that offers little to view but provides sunlight. It's more colorful in the evening, when light emanates from red paper globes suspended from the ceiling.
Your server could likely be the owner, Jing Wang. She is excited about her restaurant and is very knowledgeable about her food. It is this knowledge that you'll see in the restaurant's "special" menu, which offers more sophisticated, regional Chinese items. The Cantonese salt and pepper seafood items and the Sichuan fare aren't that unusual, but the items from Shanghai merit a trip to this restaurant, especially the Shanghai broth dumplings.
When I spent a couple of nights in Shanghai a few years ago, I escaped the shackles of a tour group in order to explore gardens and museums and to sample as much of the local food as possible. (In the United States, food from Shanghai can easily be found in New York City and San Francisco, but is sparse in between.) My best meal in Shanghai consisted of an entrée of whole jumbo prawns in a sweet and spicy sauce and an order of xiao long bao, broth dumplings. They are a bit tricky to eat, even for natives. Instead of piercing them with the chopsticks, place one in the ceramic spoon provided. This will help to save any of the broth that escapes. Also allow some time for the dumplings to cool-otherwise, that first bite will be a hot explosion of steaming broth. The six pork-filled dumplings at Jing's are a bit smaller than those in Shanghai, but I could not imagine entering this restaurant and not ordering them.
Another good starter from the special menu is cold-dressed cucumber ($5.95). The cucumber is dressed with rice vinegar with cilantro, garlic and a hint of hot red pepper. The people of Shanghai use hot pepper far more sparingly than the natives of Sichuan.
The gentle side of Shanghai cookery is expressed in the fish slices in fiery sauce ($10.95). The pieces of fish are more chunks than slices. The sauce has a reddish hue, but it is as sweet as it is spicy. It's a fine introduction to the food of Shanghai and is served over a bed of cabbage. For something a bit different, try steamed pork belly with preserved mustard ($9.95). The server offered the encouraging remark, "Are you sure?" and I was. The serving is a half-dome of pork belly in thin slices. It is bathed in a dark and rich sweetened soy sauce and garnished with a ring of broccoli. The bed of preserved mustard leaves is a tad, though not overly, salty. Yes, the pork is fatty and there is little meat, but fat of this type is prized in China and any true foodie should experience it.
Alas, the regular menu is the one most customers use. But they will still find cooking that is well above average. And if your favorite Chinese entrée is not on the menu, see if this kitchen can serve it. Do not expect much of a wine list, but Tsingtao beer will do just fine. Also expect items ordered from the special menu to take more time to prepare, especially the dumplings. New customers are greeted just as warmly as the regulars, so the Shanghai broth dumplings are not the only reason to pay a visit to Jing's.
