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mpjmph Apr 27, 2012 12:31 PM

Jade Palace (Carrboro) - Cantonese menu?

I haven't been to Jade Palace in ages, and from what I remember they serve standard American-Chinese food. OK for what it was, but not something I'm going to go out of my way for. The other day I found myself surrounded by undergrads for several hours, including a group of Chinese-American students who were evaluating the local Chinese food scene. One of them was raving about the Cantonese food at Jade Palace. Well, now I'm thinking about dinner so I went to the Jade Palace website to see if the menu is really that different than I remember - They do have a separate Cantonese menu, but no English translation! Is there anyone out in Chowhound-land who can post a translation? Thanks!

http://www.jadepalacerestaurant.com/c...

  1. r
    rockycat Apr 29, 2012 04:42 PM

    We just got back from dinner at Jade Palace. My feelings are a little mixed, but mostly positive. First warning - Do not go on Sunday, at least during the academic year. They were out of a number of dishes we tried to order such as the lamb with tofu skin casserole and a few of the vegetables such as pea tips, water spinach, and I think a few others. Apparently they had most of these things on Friday and sold out.

    We ordered the fried fish and tofu casserole, beef chow fun, and "mixed Chinese vegetables." The fish and tofu was very good, mildly but distinctly flavored. The ginger was strong in a good way and the sauce was a deep brown and slightly thick. The chow fun was mostly as one would expect with the exception of the noodles. They were more delicate than what you usually get and that absolutely improved the dish.

    My only real problem was with the vegetables. Since most of what we wanted was not available, we chose to go with our standby, gai larn in oyster sauce. The waiter/manager was pushing us strongly towards the "Chinese mixed vegetables" so we changed our order. I didn't feel to good about making the change and even commented that if we ended up with a plate of broccoli and carrots I would be very upset. Unfortunately we did get a plate of cliched American vegetables - broccoli, carrots, zucchini, white mushrooms, and the ubiquitous canned water chestnuts and baby corn - in a somewhat Americanized Szechuan-style sauce. It wasn't bad for what it was, I suppose, but it wasn't anything you couldn't find on any take-out menu in the area. Absolutely not what I wanted to eat and, as I result, I didn't.

    The staff who were working tonight for the most part did not speak English well and I'm sure that contributed to the problem. They were very kind and interested in how we liked the meal and, oddly enough, did not seem surprised that we were disappointed with the vegetable dish.

    We gave them a heads-up that their restaurant is getting talked up on line and that a menu translation is making the rounds. Hopefully they will not be too surprised when a bunch of Westerners start ordering solely off the traditional menu.

    Long story short - if we lived closer I would be happy to go back much more often. I think I would just be more likely to stick to my guns about what I'm ordering.

    1. s
      sierrarot328i Apr 27, 2012 10:15 PM

      Left column

      Appetizers (cold I assume)
      Chicken feet
      Jelly fish skin
      Jelly fish head (the whole thing?) not a fan of jellyfish anyway
      Marinated Beef shank
      Fried pork intestine
      Char siu

      Poultry
      Peking duck
      Roasted chicken with red fermented tofu (nam yee)
      Chicken with scallions
      Baked salt crusted chicken
      Steamed chicken
      Soy sauce chicken

      Pork
      Pork intestine stir fired with pickled veggies
      Sweet and sour pork
      Salt and pepper pork chops
      Peking pork chops
      Pork tripe stir fried with XO sauce
      Pork tripe stir fried with pickled veggies

      Soups
      Seafood tofu soup
      "west lake" beef soup
      Fish maw crab soup

      Casserole
      Fried fish with tofu (my favorite)
      Pork with dried pickled greens
      Oyster with ginger and scallions
      Lamb with tofu skin
      Beef brisket with chu hou sauce
      Pork with purple yams (ube)
      Frog legs with chestnuts

      Sizzling hot plate
      Oysters with XO sauce
      Seafood medly
      Flanken beef short ribs with XO sauce
      Steak with black pepper sauce
      Frog legs!

      8 Replies
      1. re: sierrarot328i
        s
        sierrarot328i Apr 27, 2012 10:46 PM

        Right column

        Veggies
        Buddhist Delight
        Water spinach with red fermented tofu
        Stir fried assorted veggies
        Chinese broccoli with oyster sauce
        Stir fried luffa

        Seafood
        Scallops and shrimp with XO sauce
        Stir fried fish fillet with celery with XO sauce
        Flounder with XO sauce
        "Typhoon Shelter" fried clams (chili garlic sauce)
        Sautéed sliced sea whelks with chives
        Seafood pan fried noodles
        Sat and pepper frog legs
        Fried shrimp
        Clams with black bean sauce
        Abalone with veggies
        Pan fried flounder

        Beef
        Flanken short ribs with black pepper sauce
        Steak with sweet and sour sauce
        "French style" steak cubes
        Sir fried beef with veggies
        Beef with oyster sauce

        Noodle soups
        Shrimp wonton
        Beef brisket and wontons
        Marinated duck

        Fried rice/noodles
        Fried noodles with oyster sauce
        Beef chow fun
        Beef chow fun with greens
        Singapore mei fun
        Fujian mei fun
        Tai Pang mei fun
        Fried noodles with seafood
        Fried rice with saled fish and chicken

        Bon appetit!

        1. re: sierrarot328i
          LulusMom Apr 28, 2012 03:55 AM

          Wow, you're amazing. Thank you. Have you tried anything from this menu?

          1. re: sierrarot328i
            c
            chazzer Apr 28, 2012 05:35 AM

            Thanks Keven

            1. re: sierrarot328i
              c
              corkys Apr 28, 2012 10:53 AM

              Thank you! This is wonderful. I just returned from Hong Kong and was wondering about whether Cantonese food was available around here. Can't wait to visit!

              1. re: sierrarot328i
                m
                mpjmph Apr 28, 2012 04:07 PM

                Thank you!

                1. re: sierrarot328i
                  p
                  Panski Apr 28, 2012 07:06 PM

                  I'm so excited. Thanks from Panski. I am so looking forward to enjoying this menu.

                  1. re: Panski
                    r
                    Rory Apr 28, 2012 07:53 PM

                    woah this is great; and it's right near me. Mpj & Keven thanks so much.

                    1. re: Rory
                      t
                      Tom from Raleigh Apr 29, 2012 11:25 AM

                      Eager to hear if this place is good.

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