Jade Island - Staten Island

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Jade Island Restaurant & Cocktail Lounge, Staten Island, NY
As a general rule, I happen to be a proponent of trying to find the most authentic version of a cuisine possible. Be it Italian, Chinese, or even American, I'm not a fan of fakes or of low effort, dumbed-down versions of the food I should be eating. That said, every so often an Americanized Chinese restaurant creeps into the fold despite my best efforts to keep them away. One such restaurant - Jade Island in Staten Island, NY,  stands a thankful bastion of tradition, hearkening back to years I can hardly remember - or wasn't around for. By the way, If you thought that tiki-themed restaurants were gone for good, brace yourselves - you're in for a treat!

The Grub:

If you have eaten Chinese food in the USA before, you know exactly what you're in for at Jade Island. All the classic dishes make an appearance: wonton soup, chop suey, chow mein, lo mein, beef with broccoli, chicken with cashew nuts - all of which are just as good, if not better than where you probably get them now. What really sets Jade Island apart though, are its tiki drinks. Who doesn't love a half-pint of alcohol served to you in a gigantic vessel with fruit juices? A few real standouts here are the Pineapple Paradise - served in a hollowed out pineapple, the Jade Island Special (I have no idea what's in it and I don't care) and as always, the classic Mai Tai. No wrong choices here, just pick a good drink, or two, a few plates of food and have some fun with your friends!

My Order:

Pork Fried Rice
Chicken with Cashew Nuts
Pineapple Paradise

The Digs:

Some may call the tiki-theme restaurant dead, but with spots like Jade Island, the spirit is kept alive and well. Jade's spacious interior is decorated in a bamboo and green tropical motif with tiki-head lights to boot. The atmosphere here will definitely take you back a few years, but in a really comforting way. The staff has always been friendly and helpful. Plenty of seating if you want to bring a party, and space to park in the shared lot of the strip-mall.

The Nitty Gritty:

A quick tropical getaway in the heart of Staten Island.

 Jade Island
(718) 761-8080

© 2019 The New Jersey Foodhound™. All rights reserved.
Location: 2845 Richmond Ave, Staten Island, NY 10314, USA

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