Jing, Gurgaon

[Rating:3/5]

Ed: Jing was one of the few places we’ve rated a 5 on 5. Per reports coming in however, Jing’s standards seem to have dropped. Per Parul Pratap Shirazi, blenders run at full volume, service staff abusing one another in Hindi on the stairwell and badly put together recipe modifications (suggested by the restaurant) didn’t add up to a great experience. Jin Bum Kim really didn’t enjoy his visit when the restaurant shut down the air conditioning and switched off the lights because they were the last guests. Sad.

Restaurants in Gurgaon now have an ideal to look up to – Jing. How do you describe an experience that defies words? How do you elaborate on food that goes beyond the realm of just execution and delivery? Jing places me in precisely such a dilemma.

Jing (Chinese for gold, pronounced ‘ching’) is the latest entrant to the Chinese food scene in Gurgaon and what an entrant we found it to be! Placed in a breathtaking setting (at night), Jing is a Chinese restaurant with a difference – it serves food that really is Chinese with service that beats all others by a long long mile. The difference in attitude is obvious from the moment you walk in. There’s acres of space between tables, service is excellent without an inch of subservience and the food is heavenly to say the least. Why do I mention the word ‘attitude’? A simple example is that most establishments would jump at the chance to increase the number of covers given available space. Jing has however, chosen to make the setting airy and spacious at 75 covers instead of the 85+ it could well have settled for. Jing offers excellent Chinese food under the watchful supervision of Chef Wang Li from Beijing, China. For the record, Chef Li has been cooking for the last 28 years, which is nothing to be sneezed at. Thoughtfully decorated and well located, the Jing experience combines all three – food, service and ambiance.

Before visiting Jing, I read a review in a renowned newspaper’s city supplement. The review essentially said Jing serves Indian or Punjabi Chinese (BTW: I believe Indian Chinese is nearly a type of cuisine in itself. So that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. However, the phrase was used in a derogatory manner), among other niggly things that appeared to be mentioned solely to trash the restaurant. The commercial nature of supplements is probably the industry’s worst kept secret and the Jing review seems to be influenced by a favorite advertiser or other such commercial compulsions. Commercial interests are good, but maligning a perfectly good food establishment just isn’t done. We discovered this after spending an evening at Jing, our opinion of the publication and the author getting lower with every dish that came to our table. Tsk tsk.

Spoiled for choice, we settled on steamed chicken shao mai, prawn and spring onion salad, corn and pine nut salad, pork spare ribs, steamed snapper, kung pao chicken, udon noodles and stewed lamb. The low point of the meal were the chicken shao mai, which were quite good. They were the low point of the meal because each dish that followed was excellent! Unlike Indian Chinese food, where nearly everything is fried, has strong flavors with liberal doses of MSG, the food at Jing is subtly spiced and delicately flavored. My favorite was the steamed snapper – tender, succulent, melt-in-the-mouth portions of goodness accompanied by a light soya broth. The spare ribs were crisp on the outside, slipped off the bone easily and had enough bite for one to appreciate the gentle flavor. Dessert was fried milk – two bite pieces of gooey, sweet filling encased in a crisp shell and dusted with powdered sugar. The service was impeccable with prompt responses and attentive staff.

Jing has just opened, so reservations should be easy. Given another month I won’t be so sure.

- Sid

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