An "Yum Cha" experience

Whitewashed walls, a tiny sign board, and a 70s tea-stained glass door—Jade Villa’s lack of décor has never been a concern for hordes of weekend pilgrims. Sitting at the corner of Broad Street and Independence Boulevard, it attracts Chinese food connoisseur with its genuine authenticity.

Once inside, be prepared to embrace the authentic experience entirely—including the Chinese dine-out etiquette. Make sure you won’t be bothered by the jam-packed crowd when calling for the floor staff’s help. Further, seats are limited, so take delight in the opportunity to sit closely with friends, say ten crammed in a table for eight. Even so, for the palate-awakening comfort food it serves here, Jade Villa has been considered the “only Chinese restaurant” by most of the local Chinese.

To find out why, start with the basic dim sums. The value-for-price ingredients hit at first bite. “Siu Mai,” a canary basket-shape dumpling with filling squeezed out over the top, embeds a whole shrimp and minced pork. Exotic, stewed chicken feet in black bean sauce, bite-sized pork spareribs, and exquisite shrimp balls savor your palate with juicy freshness. “Har Guo,” the purse-shape shrimp dumplings, however, is a bit disappointing. The supposed to be translucent skin is clouded by its thickness; a typical example of northern cooking style being applied on southern food. Choose “Fan Gor" instead, which is double-size of “Har Guo.” The same chewy skin with filling of crunchy peanuts, pork, and preserved cabbage makes a better match.

Once the appetizer is cleared, it’s time to whet your appetite by those with more delicate culinary skills. Although not piping-hot, the silky soft, glistening rice noodle rolls, “Cheng fan,” wrapped with tiny shrimps is close to the top-rated version in Hong Kong. Alternatively, order the all-time favorite of Cantonese, “Jar Leung,” from the kitchen. The deep-fried dough sheathed in tissue-thin white rice sheets is worth a try, but it needs crispened further to satisfy. To supplement traditional steamed buns which are, surprisingly, not available, pineapple buns become a must order. This Hong Kong style sweet bun earns its name for its criss-cross pattern cap, and the fluffy custard filling here lends an extra sweetness. Only available in this restaurant, these three alone merit going back again and again.

Oiliness is usually the hallmark of Chinese fried noodles, but the dishes here are not very “authentic” in this sense. The classic Cantonese stir-fry noodles, “Mixed Chow Mein,” stands out with the golden and crispy egg-noodles topped by slices of fish, pork, Choy Sum, carrots, and a tint of chives. Another traditionally greasy dish, stir-fry board noodles with shredded beef, glazes faintly with just enough sweet, dark-brown sauce. Renowned as the best stir-fry noodles offered in Jade Villa, just remember to infuse the dishes with the appetizing heat from Sichuan style chili sauce before savoring.

Choices of deserts are limited, yet it is worth saving room for at least these two: egg custard tarts and Bean Curd Gelatin “Tofu Fa.” While the aureate egg custard tarts with traditional flaky crust are served from a cart, you need to order for “Tofu Fa.” Next to the bar table, the big wood barrel where “Tofu Fa” is stored promises the quality of this delicacy with the start-from-scratch procedure—natural aroma of soy bean preserves. This unflavored creamy soy custard comes alive with warm ginger syrup. If green tea washes down all and helps you go further, pick deep fried sesame balls as the last dessert order if they are puffed up with a whiff of sesame fragrance. Gooey, crunchy, lotus-sweet, and sesame zest, they were so delicious that an on-diet lady of my table literally asked for one more.

Waitstaff is efficient and solicitous; the tea pot and table were attended to frequently. Only during peak hours were the three little carts stuck at two far ends by hungry patrons. One minute seems too long for hot treats to be delivered down the narrow isles. The young servers were amiable, yet they were not proactive enough in guiding inquisitive patrons to choose from a great assortment. Well, here is the deal. Ask more, peek into the cart, and you will get filled. Forget about the Americanized menu which offers you a guarantee; unleash your taste buds to the journey of discovery.