Jai Yun Report, Finally.

The last few weeks of work have been really tough on me, and I find myself unable to motivate to blog or do anything else at the end of the day... My meals have been terse, providing nutrients over pleasure. I keep telling myself things will get better, and surely, next week will be one fit for an epicure. THREE MORE DAYS til I head over to Japan!

But before I jet away, I will finish my report of my meal at Jai Yun. I think my meal at Jai Yun was one of those in which the impression immediately after the meal was vastly better than what I can reflect upon - I feel like I liked the place right after I ate there than I do now. Like I said yesterday, there was absolutely nothing I didn't like about my meal. In fact, I genuinely enjoyed everything. However, now, a few weeks later, nothing is really coming back to me as being striking.



Every dish was carefully prepared, with each vegetable in the stir-fry firm yet completely heated, dressed in just enough oil to satisfy the taste buds without leaving an oily streak all over your lips.



All the sauces were carefully concocted to highlight the sweetness of the vegetables and to unify the meat into the dish.



The starch for the evening were paper-thin transparent noodles, which was delicate and light. Neither overpowering or particularly memorable, it fit right into the course meal as another dish without demanding all the limelight.



And really, the meal was a perfect sequence of dishes - colorful and tantalizing. The course was designed to fit neatly together to draw a beautiful image of Chinese cuisine. Yet, what was lacking was a climax - or any build-up leading to a climax. The entire course was pleasurable, but I don't recall there being one deliciously memorable dish. And to tell you the truth, despite the deliciousness, there were no ingredients or treatment of the ingredients that was utterly unique.

The whole experience was unique and I'm really glad I finally had a chance to check out the infamous reservation-only prie-fixe-only Chinese restaurant. It really was an experience! And although I might be too demanding, for over $60 a person in a no-frill setting, I was hoping for something spectacular and memorable. No doubt Jai Yun was good, but so is Daimo and Saigon Seafood Harbor. And for the same price, I think I will be getting the sampan-style fried lobster next time...

PS: Remember that abalone I was so excited about when I made the reservations? Like most of my meal at Jai Yun, although it was delicious, it just didn't knock my socks off. And no, the abalone was neither previously dried nor as fresh as the abalone sashimi at Anzu...