Jing Jing
A low-key throwback in chic Palo Alto, serving up Chinese-American favorites packed with heat and vigor.
Insiders:
Message from Jing Jing
Jing Jing Szechwan & Hunan Gourmet Restaurant serves lunch and dinner as well as providing banquet and catering. Contact management for special banquet and catering menu.
Editorial by Citysearch
The SceneAromatic spices waft into the dining room from the kitchen. The restaurant's relaxed vibe attracts groups of friends, couples on dates and business types.
The Food
Jing Jing has long been esteemed for its spicy Szechuan and Hunan fare, reasonable prices and unassuming atmosphere. Its reputation is well-deserved. The food is loaded with heated flavors and prices border on cheap. The gooey kung pao chicken, generously flecked with chili peppers and scattered with peanuts, is a great entree for those looking to stay on the beaten path, but are still interested in spice. People who aren't afraid of a scorched palate should try one of the specials, all of which register a "spicy hot" warning on the menu. Appetizers like egg rolls and vegetarian dishes like dry sauteed string beans are also worth a whirl.
Key Points
- Spciy Chinese Food
- Convenient Location
- Huge Selection
The Inside Scoop
- Know Before You Go - Up for a dinner and movie? See what's playing across the street at the Aquarius.
- Save Time - Jing Jing's speedy service makes it a great place for a quick bite at lunch. Or call ahead and get it to go.
Reviews for Jing Jing
This is the first time i have ever written a review about any restaurant because it has never been as horrible, with food and customer service. I have had bad experiences of my own in other restaurants, but this is the first time i couldn't even swallow my food! the food smelled as it tasted! I went to this restaurant with two of my friends and when one of them asked for a napkin the waiter rudely grabbed the napkin from the table next to ours and practically through it at her face, she also asked for new silver ware and he did the same thing! he was so rude! and the only thing that came out of his mouth was NO! The taste of the food is still in my mouth!! Do not even come close to this restaurant.The price is over high.TRUST ME!! its Disgusting!
Posted 03/10/09 | Report Abuse
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I used to be addicted to Jing Jing's. I worked a block away and would go for their lunch specials all the time. Then I ended up living three blocks away, and really had to force myself not to go more often... If you like hot and spicy Chinese food, it's a good place to go. The prices are very reasonable for the quantity of food, and there's usually plenty of space inside the restaurant.
It's in downtown Palo Alto, just off University, so parking can be a bit tricky, but there's a lot across the street, and recently, several parking structures have been put up nearby -- so if you're willing to walk a few blocks, you should have no problem finding space. It's also only about two blocks from the CalTrain station.
The interior is average quality; it's not upscale. But the food... mmm... the food is great.
PROS: Great spicy food
CONS: Parking can be an adventure
Posted 07/27/06 | Report Abuse
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I have eaten at Jing Jing a few times recently and received great food, fast service and really enjoyed it. With all the chinese restaurants around I sometimes forget about this gem!
Posted 05/12/06 | Report Abuse
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This is a neat place. The menu demands you order to different dishes and they have a nice selection of complimentary tastes, some hot, some really hot. Good price too. Can get crowded, so try to get their early. Parking is ample if you're willing to walk a few hundred feet.
Posted 05/09/06 | Report Abuse
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This is a wonderful restaurant for family and friends. Food is served hot by friendly people. Lots of choices and never disappointed in service or taste of food.
Posted 05/08/06 | Report Abuse
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We like their warm welcome and casual ambience. They are very sweet to kids also. To top that the food is steaming hot and spicy (as we like it.). It is the only one of its kind in Palo Alto!
Posted 05/01/06 | Report Abuse
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If you want some of the best spicy hot Chinese Food anywhere in the Bay Area, Jing Jing is the place to go. Their lunch special includes your choice of two entrees with your soup and rice and gives you the opportunity to try many different menu items. I especially love the lamb dishes as well as the garlic and eggplant. With reasonable beer and wine prices this is a great place to go for an inexpensive meal in downtown Palo Alto.
Posted 04/26/06 | Report Abuse
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This place prides themselves on being hot and they are for sure. After eating their Mongolian beef, you may feel as though you can see through time. It can be crowded, but it's worth the wait. Be sure to try the Dan Dan noodles, which come in a spicy peanut sauce.
Posted 06/16/05 | Report Abuse
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Latest reviews from Citysearch.
decent food. lunch prices are hard to beat. if youre looking for a quick bite this isnt a bad option.
Posted 09/25/09
The food is absolutely abysmal. Dry, Overcooked and just plain disgusting. Not even fit to feed my dog
If you like to eat at this place then you're pallet must be made of iron.
The price is super high, and the sevice is poor.
These guys can't stay in business too much longer serving such pig slop.
Cons: bad food, bad and slow service, overprice...........not recommended
Posted 03/10/09
Jing Jing promotes itself as a spicy-food Sichuan restaurant, and some of the previous reviewers didn't order their specialties. If you like Kung Pao Prawns, order these ? they're probably the best you'll find anywhere, and they're popular here. A generous serving of plump, fresh prawns (a large number for the price), with just peanuts, a few green onions, and a spicy-sweet sauce. Also recommended is the Hunan Chicken, which is chunks of chicken deep-fried and tossed in an unusual sweet-but-tart sauce (not like "sweet-and-sour"), and garnished with dry-fried green beans. If you like Shredded Pork in Spicy Garlic Sauce (a.k.a. Yu-Shiang Pork), theirs is mostly lean pork, and not mostly fat and/or bamboo shoots, as are too many other restaurants' versions. On the milder side, the potstickers are good, as are any of the asparagus preparations (some with black beans). The spicy food is usually respectably spicy, but not incendiary; you can always order "mild", "medium", or "extra spicy" if you wish. Your food should come quickly; in fact, the time between ordering and getting your food will probably be shorter than the time it will take you to find a parking space in the area (one of the few downsides of the place).
Pros: Very good versions of spicy Sichuan dishes; large menu; fast service; good for large groups; good value
Cons: Parking in the area is competitive; atmosphere and climate control not the best
Posted 03/19/07
This place sucked! Despite what is said on the information, they do not take American Express! It looks innocent enough from the outside and by the number of people on the inside I thought maybe its ok to randomly try. Boy was I in for a shock. My friend and I ordered the rock fish and the orange chicken with two medium bowls of soup. He had the hot and sour and me the wor won ton. When you come in the restaurant you see awards for best spicy food etc - later on I thought they just printed those out to get people to come in because whoever won the award is not in the kitchen. The soup was oversized and jammed pack with content. At first this wasn't so bad. They came out reasonably quick and tasted ok. Despite all the content to the soup, it didn't taste that great or that bad - just bland. My Indian friend was expecting a spicy hot and sour and he said it didn't fit his expectations whatsoever. They did provide some chili sauce which made it better. For the main course, my orange chicken had nearly no orange taste and burnt oranges in the sauce - the breading was too thick and the chicken was dark meat not white. Also, no rice came with either dishes, I had to order that separately. Ok so I ordered some fried rice combination style. It too was rather bland, but tolerable. My friends fish was not that good - he only ate half and decided not to take the remainder home. His was twice the cost of my meal (approx $20). Basically the soup is ok, the main entrees are poor. I could cook macaroni and cheese that tastes better. The beer was the best part of the whole meal in my opinion. Go there if you want to have soup for dinner. Order a large soup and have water and you've got a decent meal for a good price. Take your chances on all the rest.
Pros: Park across the street near the theatre
Cons: Food! We also had a sarcastic waiter.
Posted 09/25/06
I went to this restaurant from 3 hours away to here just because of the good review/rating from this website.
I was very dissapointed by the "hot and sour soup" to begin with. Was it drenched with the black pepper? I could only taste black pepper. The main entree came right after that, which consisted of aspargus, tofu, and noodles. The aspargus had too much red peppers added to it, while the tofu tasted more like cinammon and pepper combined, lastly the chow mein noodles had the texture of a funnel cake gone bad. To top it off, our rice was cold, dry, and hard. The three of us had to pay 30 dollars for this steaming pile of garbage. As we left the restaurant with a sour taste in our mouths the only thing spicy there was the fire in my fist as I wanted to ram it into the stomach of the cook there.
Pros: Non applicable.
Cons: Waiter vacuuming while we were eating.
Posted 09/24/06
'Jing-Jing' is all about great food. Their service is fast, so you do not have to wait long. The food comes in good quantity and of course, it tastes great. I have always been satisfied with whatever I have ordered and always have got the value for money. Thumbs -up to this place.
Pros: food, food, food
Posted 08/06/05