Weekend Grub: Everyone should ‘Jing’ling’ in Lahore

With a vast number of eateries providing quality food and myriad of cuisines under one roof, Lahoris remain spoilt for choice.

But this weekend, if you’re in the mood to really excite your taste buds and enjoy authentic Far Eastern cuisine, we’ve got the perfect place for you.

Where To Go: Jing

Located in the heart of Lahore on MM Alam Road in Sorrento Square Mall, the cozy little restaurant with an elegant black and red exterior can be easily spotted.

With Jing’s name, the tagline of the restaurant ‘Far Eastern Wok Works’ is tempting enough to make your stomach growl for freshly served spicy stir-fried noodles.

The restaurant has been brought forth by Mariam Saqib, the owner of Veranda Bistro, an extremely popular restaurant among the affluent who love its fancy buffet dishes, Jing also has the edge to attract such clientele.

When to Go:

Jing is small but the seating area is divided between two floors with separate booths providing ample privacy. So both lunch and dinner works if you’re looking for a quiet time.

However, the place can get crowded around the evening on weekends, so getting a reservation prior to going is a good idea.

The ambiance exudes simplicity with neutral colors and red light fixtures suspended over each table, giving the restaurant a refreshing modern interplay of east-meets-west.

The overall effect is of a sophisticated yet comfortable eatery, which is perfect to take a loved one out on a date.

The light music in the background also supports the peaceful atmosphere. In fact, children under 12 are not allowed during dinnertime.

What to order:

Jing’s menu offers a wide selection of flavorful dishes, some familiar and others new, so you can have the opportunity of experiencing food not offered elsewhere in Lahore.

Items range from Cantonese, Chinese and Thai cuisine intriguing a foodie’s curiosity, but we stuck to our favorites (a combination of fish, rice and stir-fried chicken.)

Recommended appetizers:

If you’re a fan of seafood, especially prawns, then Jing's Prawn Tempura had us licking our fingers.

Very soft on the inside and deep-fried well, the tempura had the perfect crispy golden tinge we all desire. Accompanying sauces enhanced its taste further.

Other appetizer options that are popular include wasabi and chili garlic prawns, chicken wontons and if you’re in the mood to be adventurous, duck and squid options seemed appealing.

Recommended main-course:

Sticking to the classics, we ordered Szechuan Chicken with Garlic Fried Rice, which was a powerful combination that left us wanting more.

The thinly sliced stir-fried chicken was tender and easy to chew. It struck the right balance of chilies with onions, green onions and bell peppers. Garnished with mint leaves, the chili sauce perfectly blended with the veggies, tantalizing the taste buds with each bite.

Combining it with hot garlic rice, also seasoned with spices and scallions, the main course was absolutely delectable.

However, if you want to avoid spicy food, options such as Tamarind Fish, Beef Teriyaki, Green Curry Prawns and a variety of other items are available.

Portion sizes are meant for two and they were adequate, but if you want to avoid getting those midnight hunger pangs, we suggest ordering a third entrée for two people.

What to avoid:

Although we started our meal with Szechuan soup and rice crackers, we recommend avoiding both items altogether.

The soup was fresh and the taste was authentic, but it was not piping hot. The rice crackers were cold and the crunchiness went stale.

With winters fast approaching, Jing needs to reassess their serving style for soup and other dishes. The plates could be hot as provided in some other Chinese/Thai restaurants like Yum.

There was an exotic choice between two specialty (recommended) drinks, Kiwi Margarita and Lychee Smoothy.

We ordered the former, which turned out to be below our expectations. It was merely a blend of sugar and ice with no taste of kiwi.

Also, for people with a sweet tooth, Jing’s only choice for dessert is commercial ice cream.

Damage on the pocket?

It comes under the fine dining category. So, if you order a soup, appetizer, a main entrée with a bowl of rice, be prepared to dish out Rs.2000 per person. Fish, especially prawn items, are more expensive, ranging between Rs.1200-1500.

Pro tip: Unlike many restaurants in Pakistan, Jing included the service charge in the bill. So, before you go about paying a tip for the exceptional service, check if it’s already included.