Undercover Buffet - Jade Garden Slightly Understated

By Billie Wong

Well it has been awhile now and it is time to visit Moose Jaw's various buffets and let you know what I think of them.

There has been plenty of changes in the Moose Jaw buffet scene over the past year with new owners and even new restaurants springing up like water lilies on a bit of a stagnant food swamp. The question is how do they measure up?

They say lovers are not suppose to talk about each other but in the world of food lovers that is so gauche.

For my first buffet experience I chose to visit an older established restaurant Jade Garden.

Conveniently located at the corner of Athabasca and Main Street North (471 Main Street North) Jade Garden recently changed ownership with the new owners also purchasing another flagship Chinese restaurant in the City.

There is still free, but limited, off street parking.

With new ownership there usually comes new styling and in Jade Garden there are only small changes in how the restaurant is run, maintained and the food.

Some of the changes have added to the experience while others are for me were overdone and overcooked.

When you enter the restaurant the first thing you will notice is it is well lit in every nook and cranny means it lacks a softer atmosphere necessary to bring a date out on a romantic evening. With that said it is very utilitarian and functional.

There has been some noticeable changes with the table arrangements and the drab and wearing tablecloths of the past have been retired. The tablecloths are now plain white and they do not sport the cocktail menu of the past.

Nor will you be able to sit there and check out what Chinese year you were born in. But there is free customer Wi-Fi available so you can check it out on your smart phone.

Jade Garden's new white tablecloths stand out from the dreary dark ones from the not so distant past - Billie Wong Photo

The washrooms - both men's and women's - have not been upgraded but the new ownership has given them the thorough cleaning they so desperately needed.

A major annoyance though is the local country music station blaring through Jade Garden's sound system. It is much too loud and any restaurant music is suppose to be background music and not overpowering your senses and making it hard to talk amorously with your companion.

The nice bright shiny metal glasses have noticeably changed the taste of the ice water over top of the glassware it has replaced. The two slices of fresh lemon in the water pitcher is both refreshing and appreciated.

Pop is no longer fountain fare but rather the canned version which means no refills and sadly no glass or straw was offered to me.

The buffet line has much of the same fare as last year with a few noticeable exceptions.

There are changes but the same cooking staff means a continuation to the greatest extent of what the former owners offered. There is sadly no great new experiments and creativity to be had in the food.

Additionally though on a positive note if you are looking for a gluten free buffet the buffet items you can indulge in are clearly marked.

Not so noticeable though is the once prominent ‘No MSG' sign once proudly displayed on top of the buffet line is missing so it may be something diners should be aware of.

The number one thing the buffet line thankfully disposed of was the beef and broccoli. Thankfully it is now gone from the buffet line.

Although a staple of Chinese buffets in Regina and great from the menu the beef and broccoli that was on the buffet table when I was here the last time just lacked any zing to it.

There is sadly no longer any fish nor egg rolls on the buffet line.

The fare offered is close to what was offered before but sadly in many ways far too simplistic.

The chicken balls on the outside were perfect in colour and texture - not overly crunchy. Although on the inside was just a little bit over battered but it was not overly noticeable. The portions of meat were undersized but not terribly so.

The sweet and sour pork (lower) and the spicy pork are two highlights of the buffet - Billie Wong Photo.

New additions to the menu include crab ragoon. This is not a true Asian dish but actually an American one. The cream cheese used in the fare I slightly sampled - due to my lactose intolerance - was slightly on the pasty side and the crab meat which it is suppose to wrap around was as artificial as this appetizer is. It is a filling that is slightly understated.

The deep fried wonton was slightly overcooked but it still redeemed itself by not talking to you as a greasy and crumbly affair. It is obviously deep fried in canola oil which on this Wednesday night was fresh and free of the taste of a myriad of other things.

The rice was also great in texture and well cared for although buffet goers might enjoy a different variety.

The chicken wings were slightly overcooked and sadly relied far too much on a simplistic flavouring seemingly just pepper and salt when a decent sauce would have had these birds up again and flying.

The deep fried wonton noodles (lower) and the crab ragoon - Billie Wong Photo

The broccoli and bok choy mixture was disappointingly just a few seconds under done but still acceptable. Like the chicken wings their sauce free nature was sufficient but at the same instance prevented a decent buffet experience from being a magnificent one. Sadly though these fried vegetables were slightly cool sadly the buffet table was a few degrees chilly.

The fried shrimp was properly cooked and the massive spicy flavoring is gone from this stir fried dish. Sadly though the shrimp was cooked sufficiently sadly the accompanying onions and peppers with it were in my opinion too undercooked.

A sweet and sour pork was surprisingly good despite being listed as a gluten free dish. It was cooked really well and was tender and not chewy. It is a good sign for this outing.

The desert table seems colourful enough but sadly just not packing the flavorful punch your taste buds are expecting through all that visual attention grabbing.

Overall Jade Garden is a decent enough buffet offering a similar decent selection but with that said it just lacks that saucy attitude to make it a great buffet.

On my scale I give Jade Garden a 6.3 - 6.7 out of 10.

To check out Billie's initial review of Jade Garden click the link here.

Billie Wong is a Regina resident and university student whose family worked at the National Cafe during its heyday.