Jing Tan Grill House

Tonight we were gathered at Jing Tan Grill was House, in Richmond for a birthday party. The birthday boy wanted barbecue and everyone liked the idea of all you can eat. I, myself liked the fact that there are 3 different all you can eat menus to choose from.

Despite making reservations, we had to wait. The restaurant was packed and busy, with customers waiting in the foyer and grouped close to the self help appetizer bar.

When we were finally seated, we set about checking off our desired order with their pictorial menu and golf pencil. There is a set of check boxes that allows you to jot down the quantity you want of each item, round after round.

And while you wait for it to all come to your table you can kill time and soothe your appetite at the above mentioned appetizer bar. Like a buffet you grab a plate or bowl and help yourself to whatever is available, and how much of it as you please.

This is a collection of fried items and cold pickled Chinese appetizers. French fries, barbecue chips, sesame balls, colourful shrimp crackers, chilli bean curd, wood ear mushrooms, seaweed salad, oranges slices, and a chill shrimp ceviche of sorts.

My favourite was the collection of steamed and fattened buns. Available in an assortment of shapes and colours, but all plain with no filling. Grape, pineapple, eggplant, strawberry, watermelon, moons, and clouds. A delicious treat for the eyes and a dry and unappetizing bite for the mouth.

The kids loved the fries, chips, and seaweed salad. And we all gravitated towards the orange slices for dessert. An impressive assortment all together, but nothing all that complimentary to our feast below.

Despite all the charcoal grilling being done the space was well lit and it felt clean. What sets their grills apart is an extendable hose that you can pull down closer to the actual smoking grill. So basically the smoked is sucked right up and out of your face.

There is one grill and one suction hose per table, which was actually not enough for our group of 6 adults and 2 kids. There was too many of us and too little raw food being cooked at once. This design is best suited for a more intimate party of 4, each with access to the small dinner plate sized grill.

The all you can eat menu is divided into 3 options between classic for $28.85, deluxe at $38.85, and supreme which is almost double the price at $68.85. If you opt in for the deluxe menu you can order anything from the classic menu as well as the deluxe options. And supreme gives you access to order all of the above.

For those with smaller appetites the classic is plenty with 7 different meat options between chicken, beef, and pork; plus a slew of vegetables, noodles, and rice for sides. Different seasoning for both pork and beef belly, beef tongue, chicken thighs, and pork shoulder.

But for only $10 more the deluxe menu is the best value. It opens up 19 more protein options including lamb, eel, squid, and abalone. And more unique parts and seasonings like chicken skin and knees, supreme pork belly, black pepper blade steak, pork chop in cumin, and pork ribs served in a hollowed out pineapple with pineapple slices.

We all liked having the additional option of seafood and enjoyed the squid and abalone the most.

The supreme $68.85 gives you the ability to order as much foie gras, whole wagyu beef tongue, lamb rack, and garlic scallop that you want. You were limited to how much wagyu and premium short rib you could order, at 3 portions per person. And only 1 rib eye steak per person.

Considering that a single steak or a pound of quality foie gras can run that price and more alone, this is worth considering. But your whole table would have to commit to the supreme menu, and for the two kids in our group it would be $28 each. Therefore, as a whole was a little too hefty for our wallets.

Not to mention we left just as full, having over eaten for $38.85. And at the end of the day, the quality of the meat can and does dwindle depending on your skill behind the tongs. And the seasonings are moot when most of it comes off, burnt to the grill, and you are forced to use the sauces and powders provided to each person, that ultimately affects the taste of your food anyways.

Therefore I won’t be describing each item we had (and we tried everything), but instead offer some notes of what we did like and what I would avoid the second go around.

The chicken wings took the longest to cook. And with such a limited grill plate, having to cook all our orders to fruition took time, time that had us growing full quick. However, they were the kid’s favourites, especially the honey sauce style, they found the Korean and New Orleans versions too spicy.

There were a handful of mushrooms and sliced vegetables to order, but they too took a long time to cook tender, so after the first round we forgo-ed ordering any more. For vegetables we also had the option of checking off regular and pickled cabbage that we didn’t have to grill.

I did like the cups of sweet cheesy corn. They were already cooked and made a great side, adding sweetness to the meal in kernels.

The abalone was a bougie touch. For those at the table whose first time it was trying them, they liked what they had. I on the other hand found them on the smaller side and tough to chew through. Not a something I would grill.

The pacific white shrimp was tedious. Quick to turn grey into pink, it took longer to peel the shell back; in order to enjoy the unseasoned meat within.

As in hot pot, the thin ear slices of meat were the quickest to cook and the pieces that took on the most seasoning. These we enjoyed with plain rice and bowls of udon in beef broth.

And when it appeared that your meal was winding down, staff came around asking if you wanted either a vanilla or chocolate cone to end on. Creamy soft serve like I enjoyed in my childhood, a lovely milky end to such a rich meal.

To summarize, this is a great group activity to surrounding eating. I would just limit the group size to 4 for a more enjoyable meal. One where everyone actually has access to grill at arm’s length and can maximize eating all they can.

Jing Tan Grill House
5960 Minoru Blvd #140, Richmond, BC V6X 3J3
(778) 789-9919
jingtangrillhouse.ca