Unexpected cuisine inspired by Far East

The next time you visit Jade Dynasty Seafood Restaurant in Ala Moana Center, ask your server, “What’s new on the menu?” His or her reply usually will consist of an original, hot new item or two, thanks to the eatery’s use of culinary influences from The Far East.

For the most recent list of new dishes, inspirations span from Taiwan to Shanghai to Vietnam. For instance, Drunken Chicken and Jellyfish ($14.95) — which will be available tomorrow — traditionally can be found in Shanghai and involves poaching chicken in white wine and sake until tender. The jellyfish is prepared with sesame oil and Tabasco and served cold. The unlikely combination requires an adventurous and willing palate, but once you try it, you’ll see why it’s a favorite.

Golden Look Fun Roll ($5.95) is topped with pork floss, aka fluffy dried meat.

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As with most upscale Chinese restaurants, dim-sum carts are a thing of the past. Instead, all dim sum from Jade Dynasty’s list of 60-plus choices is fresh and made to order. Two new additions, which also will be available tomorrow, are Szechuan Spicy Siu Mai with Fish Roe ($4.50 for three pieces) and Golden Look Fun Roll with Pork Floss ($5.95).

Szechuan Spicy Siu Mai with Fish Roe takes the spice synonymous with the Szechuan Province and adds it to Jade Dynasty’s siu mai (pork hash) recipe. Add a strip of nori instead of the usual wonton wrapper and steam it with tobiko, or fish roe. It’s like nothing you’ve ever tasted before, which is exactly what the restaurant hopes for.

“I want people to remember us,” says general manager Gary Chan. “People go to a Chinese restaurant and have the same old thing. If they don’t open their eyes they wouldn’t even know where they were. But here, you taste the food and know that you’re in Jade Dynasty.”

Szechuan Spicy Siu Mai with Fish Roe ($4.50 for three pieces)

Lastly, take a chance on the Golden Look Fun Roll with Pork Floss. With a varied selection of look fun dishes to choose from, this one definitely will be the crunchiest and most unique.

Crispy bits of fried Vietnamese spring-roll wrapper — the same consistency as tempura batter — is rolled in the traditional rice noodle. The pork floss, which is dried meat that has become light and fluffy in texture, is sprinkled on top, adding smoky and salty flavors to the dish.

With these new items, one thing is certain: You always can expect creative recipes at Jade Dynasty. Still, you may never be able to predict what’s coming next, which, in this situation, is an exciting and wonderful thing.

Jade Dynasty Seafood Restaurant

Ala Moana Center, 1450 Ala Moana Blvd., No. 4220, Honolulu
947-8818
Daily, 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m.; Dim sum, 10:30 a.m.-5 p.m.