Philadelphia is about a four drive from home so any trip there will involve an overnight stay. The first time I took my eldest son there was to see Editors at the Electric Factory. We’d chosen to try Chinatown to find somewhere to eat and Jade Harbor was the restaurant that we settled on. We’ve been back since largely because my son really likes it there. My experiences have been a bit more hit and miss, largely because trying different dishes hasn’t always paid off.
As with previous visits, the restaurant was packed but the terrible weather outside meant that we were happy to wait for a table rather than go and find somewhere different. The restaurant is on two floors and waiting by the stairs meant that there was a succession of tempting dishes wafted by us on their way to the upstairs dining room.
After a while we were given a round table, complete with lazy susan, at the end of the long narrow dining room near the fish tanks where the shrimp, crabs, lobsters and fish are kept. The highlight of a previous visit was watching a waiter repeatedly bash a fish fresh from the tank to kill it. The only comparable thing I’ve seen was Neil’s assault on a trout on The Inbetweeners.
As with previous visits, the restaurant was packed but the terrible weather outside meant that we were happy to wait for a table rather than go and find somewhere different. The restaurant is on two floors and waiting by the stairs meant that there was a succession of tempting dishes wafted by us on their way to the upstairs dining room.
After a while we were given a round table, complete with lazy susan, at the end of the long narrow dining room near the fish tanks where the shrimp, crabs, lobsters and fish are kept. The highlight of a previous visit was watching a waiter repeatedly bash a fish fresh from the tank to kill it. The only comparable thing I’ve seen was Neil’s assault on a trout on The Inbetweeners.
With four of us eating we decided to go for a mixture of dishes for everyone to dig into.First orrive at the table was a generous portion of cold jellyfish with pickled daikon. The jellyfish itself had little flavour being dominated the sesame oil and sesame seeds that accompanied it. However, the dish was peculiarly moreish and it was difficult to resist going back for more (and more) even though there were a number of other dishes still to come.
The next appetiser was a plate of roast pork with honey sauce. This is the reason why my son repeatedly goes back. Thick slices of pork were piled high on the plate and topped with a generous serving of honey gravy that was not too sweet for the meat. The combination of the pork with the lush sauce was bewitching and with four people eating the whole dish evaporated.
The main courses turned up together and all continued the theme of generous portions. The General Tso’s chicken was the most disappointing dish of the evening. Although billed as a spicy dish, there was no heat to speak of. The coating on the chicken was too doughy to be pleasant and the mountains of steamed broccoli didn’t add much either.
The roast pork lo mein was a nicely executed dish if somewhat standard. The smoky noodles came with generous strips of the roast pork with coarsely chopped onion, spring onion and carrot.
The sizzling steak and scallop was described as a savoury mix of steak with sea scallops and Chinese vegetables in oyster sauce. The dish could have lived without the scallops but the combination of beef with snow peas, baby corn, broccoli, water chestnuts and carrots was good.
Easily the best of the main courses was the chicken in hot garlic sauce. A nice blend of vegetables including peppers, broccoli, snow peas and two varieties of mushrooms helped bolster the dish. The hot sauce carried a subtle heat that lingered in the mouth.
The meal was rounded out with a plate of fortune cookies and orange slices.
Overall verdict
Jade Harbor serves fairly standard Chinese food but there are some good dishes that justify a visit.
Would I revisit Jade Harbor?
Although I’d like to try other places in Philadelphia’s Chinatown, Jade Harbor does give us a good place to fall back on. I’m sure we’ll eat there again.
Overall Rating - 3/5
Jade Harbor serves fairly standard Chinese food but there are some good dishes that justify a visit.
Would I revisit Jade Harbor?
Although I’d like to try other places in Philadelphia’s Chinatown, Jade Harbor does give us a good place to fall back on. I’m sure we’ll eat there again.
Overall Rating - 3/5
