JiJi's Asian Kitchen on Carnival Vista
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Carnival has expanded its cadre of alternate dining choices on Carnival Vista with JiJi Asian Kitchen. The restaurant is located on Deck 11 aft, across from Cucina del Capitano, Vista's Italian restaurant. Both restaurants carry a $15 per person cover charge (plus 15% gratuity). And, reservations are required to dine at these venues. We made reservations for JiJi through the Carnival website a couple of weeks before the cruise.
Asian decor in JiJi Asian Kitchen
When we arrived at 7:00pm, we were greeted by the hostess and escorted to a very nice table for two. The restaurant was nearly empty on our visit, perhaps because it was embarkation day. A cocktail menu and dinner menus were already present on the table when we were seated. We ordered two Kirin Light (Japanese) beers.
Our waiter greeted us with an amuse bouche of pappadam with four dipping sauces ranging from hot to sweet.
Our waiter advised us to order one appetizer each, one entree each and one side item each. I ordered the Nanjing Style Duck while Rickee went with the Jade Shrimp Har Gow.
Nanjing Style Duck
The duck was a glazed and roasted leg of duck served with three fritters. The duck leg was tasty, but somewhat overcooked and dry. The Jade Shrimp Har Gow consisted of three beautifully constructed shrimp dumplings that were delicious. This dish left us each wanting three more!
Jade Shrimp Har Gow
The dumplings were served with a variety of dipping sauces. For our main course, I ordered the Peppered Beef and Rickee selected the Sweet & Sour Fragrant Shrimp. We also ordered a side of Fried Basmati Rice and Wide Noodles.
Peppered Beef
The Peppered Beef was a large serving of very tender, flavorful beef that paired well with the Himalayan Basmati Fried Rice. Rickee's Sweet and Sour Shrimp was a bowl of delicately deep fried shrimp coated in a light sweet and sour sauce. Both entrees were delicious. The Wide Noodles were good, but not as good as the Basmati Fried Rice. I doubt if I would order the noodles on my next visit.
Carmelized Crepes
Notwithstanding the dessert, we were extremely pleased with our dining experience at JiJi. The food, service and atmosphere far exceeded our expectations and is a bargain at only $15 per person.
