Jinja Bistro offers creative blend of Asian, Polynesian cuisine
Jinja Bistro offers creative blend of Asian, Polynesian cuisine
The shaking beef at Jinja Bistro in the Northeast Heights is just memorable enough to help you forget about the restaurant’s minor shortcomings. “Shortcomings” might be too strong a word. “Annoyances” is probably better.
This fancy Asian joint with two locations in Albuquerque and one in Santa Fe fuses Asian and Polynesian cuisine, but it generally sticks to the familiarity of a Chinese menu, with a few creative exceptions.
The shaking beef is a bit of a crossover sensation, part Asian and part Hawaiian but not entirely exotic. Chunks of beef tenderloin are marinated in lime and chile, then seared in a wok and cooked to order. The beef is prime, and the preparation couldn’t be better. The meat explodes with flavor.
The minor annoyance is that, at $13.49 for the small portion, you get about 6 total ounces of steak.
Still, lime as a meat marinade is a wholly underrated idea, and the shaking beef was, well, quivering with flavor. Sweet, citrusy, a little bit spicy.
Fresh white rice flavored with jasmine is served on the side, along with fresh spinach and onions sautéed to a golden brown. The plate packs some great flavor, but the smaller portion might leave you hungry for more.
The Hong Kong chicken, $12.99 for the small portion, is Jinja’s equivalent of sweet and sour chicken, and it was good. It didn’t