Jade Asian

Just as grunge unassumingly usurped hair metal, Jade Asian has been quietly setting itself apart from the Flushing competition since 2008, bypassing a gilded-banquet-hall crescendo for modern understatement. Case in point: Light-blocking red velvet curtains are forgone for floor-to-ceiling windows. The food follows along these lines, with clean, well-crafted updates on the classics from chef-owner Peter How. Turnip cakes (jiang chao luo bo gao) are chopped into cubes and stir-fried with chilies, scallions and bacon, turning a typically bland side dish into a spicy, crispy update on home fries. Seafood-stuffed hot peppers (jian niang qing jiao) have a lighter filling that allows the lip-singeing chili heat to really zing. The barbecued-pork buns (char siu bao) are meatier than most, skipping a showy, overly saccharine sauce in favor of hearty chunks of grilled meat and an impressively fluffy bao.