Jing Modern Asian Restaurant

Jing (formerly West Side Cottage)

689 Ninth Avenue (between 47^th and 48^th St)

Manhattan

A pleasant, comfortable restaurant that aspires, not always successfully, to be a notch above the typical inexpensive New York Chinese restaurant. It is conveniently located near Theater Row. Prices are reasonable.

Jing’s menu claims to offer “Modern Asian Cuisine” but the menu is really a traditional one with a few twists. The Paradise Chicken is described as “Diced chicken with zucchini, yellow squash, collard greens, and dried cranberries in a light creamy Asian herb-vodka sauce sprinkled with Macadamia nuts.”

My dining companion and I did not sample a wide variety from the menu. We shared vegetarian dumplings that were delicate and tasty. We both ordered a dish with cashew nuts; mine with chicken and his with shrimp. My dish was tastier than the usual cheap Chinese but I would have preferred more white meat. Collard greens were a nice change from the stringy spinach usually found in such dishes. The large cashews were fresh and crisp and not overdone. The price of each dish was around $11-13. The portions were generous but not so large that I felt bloated after the meal.

The Chardonnay that I ordered with dinner was refreshing but unexceptional. The waiter forgot to charge for the glass of wine and when we pointed this out to him, he merely revised the check to include the wine. An astute businessman would understand that even a modest discount would have been a wise investment in my future custom.

The restaurant décor is stylishly modern with attractive dark wood furniture and restful lighting. Water gently flowing over chains of pebbles provides a calming atmosphere. The framed pictures of chic magazine covers seem an afterthought and incongruous with the rest of the décor. There were not many diners for this pre-theater dinner so we did not feel cramped but the tables would be uncomfortably close if the restaurant were full. If they are too stingy to offer a complimentary glass of Chardonnay, one doubts that it ever will be full.

The men’s restroom was clean and had a lavabo of clear green glass. One almost expects to see koi swimming in it. The toilet was standard porcelain that spoiled any attempt at a unified design.

I might give Jing another try. The food was good and reasonably priced if not out of the ordinary. The restaurant optimistically offered a coupon for 15% off our next dine-in

meal. Isn’t a 15% discount approximately equal to the cost of a glass of Chardonnay?

The Millburn Diner Restaurant

72 Essex Street, Millburn New Jersey

An above-average diner with good food, reasonable prices and a pleasant atmosphere.

The Paper Mill Playhouse, offering Broadway-quality revivals of plays and musicals, is Millburn’s main attraction. This suburban town is a pleasant 45-minute train ride from Penn Station but train service for weekend matinees is infrequent. The train either arrives a few minutes before curtain or arrives an hour and a quarter earlier. The same is true for the return trip. One can either sprint to the train station pushing aside slow-moving, elderly theatergoers or enjoy a leisurely post-theater coffee while waiting for the next train.

I discovered the Millburn Diner on one such extended layover. Not caring to stand on the train platform for an hour, I decided to explore Millburn. I soon discovered the restaurant conveniently located just two blocks from the train station.

For my first after-theater meal, I had the shrimp basket. A shrimp basket is not always a reliable indicator of the quality of a restaurant’s cuisine but my basket had a good shrimp-to-fries ratio. Too many diners skimp on the shrimp and overload the basket with French fries. The shrimp and French fries were fried to perfection. That meal convinced me to come back the next time I was in Millburn.

On a recent visit to Millburn, I caught the 11:11 from Penn Station so that I could enjoy a late breakfast at The Millburn before going to the Paper Mill. I ordered a Swiss cheese omelet. The omelet was fluffy and not overdone. Next time, I would avoid the stringy Swiss cheese and choose cheddar. I avoid the ubiquitous, tasteless diner “home” fries for French fries. The French fries were well done and not greasy. I would have preferred the more delicate shoe string potatoes but these fries were quite tasty. With a nod to the health conscious, The Millburn also offers the option of a side of lettuce and tomatoes with their omelets. I chose the French fries but I did order whole wheat toast that was unfortunately served with the standard unappealing Welch’s grape jelly. My order was served on a brightly trimmed plate with a bold modern design rather than the dull institutional issue of many diners.

The Millburn’s coffee is a robust and flavorful blend. I always get a refill; however, on my last visit the waitress offered me a refill too quickly, and I felt rushed.

Prices at The Millburn are reasonable. My omelet was $6.95 and the refillable cup of coffee was $1.40.

Service at The Milburn is pleasant but not obsequious. I prefer a somewhat sullen waitperson over a perky, young person with a bright future; yet I cringe at the surliness of a Greek waiter who throws down the plates and spills coffee in my saucer. The Millburn staff presents an unhappy medium.

Unlike most diners in New York City, the décor is bright, cheerful and even somewhat tasteful. There are no imitation Greek vases and artificial flowers. There are colorful pendant blown glass lamps over the counter and the predominating color of the comfortable booths is an attractive dark wood. The walls are a beige faux marble with flagstone trim. The men’s restroom is clean and finished with a masculine brown tile and the sink was appointed with a stylish minispread faucet.

On Sundays the restaurant is crowded with locals, and there is often a line for a booth. When unaccompanied, I prefer to sit at the counter, which has a sparkling grayish-black finish. The counter had the usual diner cookie with its garish, phosphorescent sprinkles but they were far enough away not to compromise the enjoyment of my meal.

After my satisfying meal, I still had time for a leisurely walk around downtown Millburn before the matinee. I did not see any restaurant that matched The Millburn Diner in quality or price. The Milburn has my most enthusiastic recommendation.