J Da Xia is the first official Jay Chou themed restaurant to open in the Mainland and it is a disaster of pop-star proportions.
As we enter, we’re given a Chinese menu – understandable, this being China and all – but when we ask politely if they have an English menu, the response is a curt “no.” Fine, OK – but then the waiter leaves and proceeds to ignore us for at least 10 minutes. Again, fine if it’s busy, but it’s not. It’s empty.
When we finally get their attention, they seem uninterested in our questions about the food. The menu suggests they offer a rather standard mix of cuisines from around China, with no particular gastronomical theme. This is something that only works if the food is really good.
It’s not. The waiter brings us our dessert first, a hot red-bean porridge (RMB25), presumably so it can be cold by the time we get around to it. We then munch on plain chicken wings (RMB58), whose lack of flavor is further insulted by the dry limes placed beside them, and chunks of fatty pork (RMB68), which are decent overall, but bizarrely accented with two totally unseasoned boiled eggs. The most palatable of the dishes is a bowl of Shaanxi-style noodles (RMB29), the kind you can probably get for much cheaper and much better at a noodle shop on your street.
But you’re not here for the food, are you? You’re here for Jay Chou, whose pretty popstar face is projected on the wall in the form of a concert film. Watch him dance as he wears a magenta blazer – watch him dance as fireworks shoot off in the background – watch him take a break from dancing with a soulful piano ballad – watch him return triumphantly to dancing with a mob of identical background dancers. You better believe there is Jay Chou merchandise for sale.
Now we don’t recommend you avoid J Da Xia. We recommend only that you reflect on your personal level of admiration for the star before you visit. In short, how far would you go for Jay Chou? Would you take the subway all the way to Joy City? Would you navigate your way past milk-tea shops and slow-moving families to the sixth floor? Would you then, upon your arrival, order overpriced food from cold, unhelpful wait staff?
If your answer is yes, then be his guest.
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