Jardin De Chine / Jal El Dib

Jardin de Chine is actually one of the oldest Chinese restaurants in Lebanon. It's a restaurant I've always wanted to go to, and last week I did. Since it's been around for ages, I had some expectations before going there, but for many of them it was a disappointment.

In a Word:

Average

Location:

Jardin de Chine is located in a very calm neighborhood on the main Jal El Dib road. It is easy to park around the restaurant or across the street but for the laziest there is always the valet parking available. The valet parking was surprinsingly very pleasant, thing that doesn't always happen if you don't have an overly expensive car. One thing though, get directions to the restaurant as it is not indicated and you may get lost.

Notation: 6/10

Decoration:

The decoration of the Jardin de Chine is as old as the restaurant. It has a very unique 90's style which was probably very trendy up until 1999 but since we are in the 21st century, it makes the restaurant look cheap and inelegant. There are plenty of talented interior designers in Lebanon, so I don't understand why the decoration stills cold and unfriendly.
Notation: 3/10

Ambience:

The ambience is no different than the decoration. While entering Jardin de Chine you will unexplainably feel the presence of your grand-father around. They may not have succeeded in making the room "Chinese style", but they managed to create a time machine, and we should give them credit for that. So you get it, the ambiance is really classic and not recommendable for young people. The main room is huge, killing the charm of any Chinese cosiness they may have intended to create. You will also be overwhelmed by a mix odours combining cigarettes and frying oil. Don't look for it, it's not on the menu.
Notation: 3/10

Service:
The waiters are friendly and welcoming, this is a good point for the restaurant, though the menu is very complex! If you are not an frequent visitor, or habitué(e) of Jardin de Chine you will have some problems understanding it. Once you decide to overcome the embarrassment of being totally lost on a Chinese menu, you can to ask the waiter for some help. Unfortunately they have absolutely no clue about the plates, ingredients and spiciness of the meals.
The service is rather fast, so there's no complaining there. Nevertheless, the decoration of the plates needs a bit more creativity as it is very plain. It is always pleasant to see that the chef made an effort to make his food look attractive and not just a random disposition of ingredients like it was the case at Jardin de Chine.

Notation: 6/10

Food:

The food is simple, not very original nor elaborated. It is ironic considering the mathematical complexity of the menu.
The starters were classic, nothing new that will inspire you for tasting! But you can be sure to have good quality meat, chicken and shrimps in your dish compared to the other chinese restaurants in Lebanon.The meat is good and tender, the shrimps are tasty and fresh and the chicken is not bad at all! The only deception is that we didn't have the chance to order the duck, as you have to book it 3 hours in advance. That's very unusual, but then again, you have to be an Habitué(e) to know these particularities about the restaurant.

As for the rice, it was bad. And not just according to the standards of a reputable chinese restaurant such as this one, but according to any world's rice cooking standards. I don't think that they serve Asian basmati rice, instead they offer you a roundly-shaped Egyptian rice à la façon Basmati, and it is a total failure! It looks more like a rice purée than anything else.

The food misses a little bit of attitude and style. For example the sizzling beef usally comes hot and sizzling, a show for your eyes and ears but in our case the dish was served quietly and unimpressively - killing all the excitement of ordering it.

Regarding the drinks and desserts, it is a total disaster. There are no chinese beers, no chinese teas and not one type of typical Chinese liquor. The desserts are not Asians at all, they consist of the regular fondant au chocolat, canned litchis and other international things. I was expecting to see at least the legendary bananes flambées, but no.


To Taste: Spring rolls with salad, Ginger Shrimps, Sizzling Beef (even if its not sizzling)

To Avoid: All desserts, the litchis espacially, All dumplings, and rice !

Notation: 6.5/10

Price:

Price is OK! but they should use our money to make some modifications in the restaurant.

Notation: 6/10

Jardin De Chine / Jal El Dib


Kitchens:

Didn't get the chance to see it.

Toilets:

OK

Notation: 5/10

TOTAL: 5 /10

Conclusion: Jardin De Chine is a "has been" place where many things, from ambiance to food presentation, need to be improved. Though I got the impression that it is a place for the frequent visitors and attracting new crowds isn't necessarily in their strategy at the moment. The food is of good quality, but nothing extraordinary.