T. Jins China Diner
Chinese · 20835 US Hwy 281 N Suite #502, San Antonio, Texas 78258
★★★★½ 1 review(210) 545-9999
Menu Items
Reviews
-
Good Food, Presentation Was Fancy, Flavors Were Excellent.
Another place that has been on my try list for a while, I finally visited T. Jin China Diner. Its located in a shopping center right at the intersection of 281 N and Evans Rd. According to other Google Reviewers, the General Chicken and the Pad Thai were the most mentioned items. My notes indicated the portions were large and they had decent lunch specials. Since it was dinner time, I decided to go with the General Chicken.
Since I hadn't eaten all day I decided to also order a cup of wonton soup, which also came with crispy noodles. My drink and soup came out pretty quick, the general chicken about 10 minutes. At the time there were only 3 tables dining, and 2 had already been served.
The wonton soup was decent, 3 wontons in the cup, the broth had good flavor, but the wonton filling were not very flavorful and tasted like plain ground beef. It was better than buffet wonton soup, but not anywhere near the best I've had. Maybe a 6 or 7 out of 10.
The plate of general chicken came out next. The presentation of the plate was great. An orange garnish with a sprig of parsley sticking out of it, the orange was peeled and divided making it easy to squeeze, and the bellpepper and jalapeno slices was set to the side in a small area void of chicken. The chicken itself was golden brown, large chunks, semi-crispy and evenly covered in sauce, with enough sauce on the plate to allow dipping of your pieces as you eat.
The menu mentioned that all chicken items were "white meat only" and the flavor of the chicken was what I would expect from that. The general chicken had a fresh, clean flavor, the insides were bright white, and the batter shell wasn't overly thick, but was cooked just long enough to crisp but not become crunchy. I would guess the chicken chunks are partially cooked then battered and then fried to get the moist meat and crispy shell without overcooking either, and the meat not being undercooked.
The menu mentioned brown rice and fried rice were a $2 upcharge. I went with the fried rice. This item however was probably the most disappointing of the meal. The rice was a light brown color, similar to steamed rice with soy sauce poured over it. I dug around a bit and saw pieces of egg in it, but beyond that, nothing else. When I tasted it, it tasted exactly how it looked, like steamed rice with soy sauce. There was no flavor of onion, carrot, green onion or scallion, no flavor of sesame oil or anything else. I've had rice like this before at other places but I dont really consider it fried rice. It was pretty plain in appearance and flavor.
My waitress was friendly, checked on my table a few times, refilled my drink when it was half full, and provided more than adequate service. The food was priced under what I would have expected for the quality, and the portions were large enough you will leave full without an appetizer. I would recommend this place for General Chicken, and as of this first visit would classify this just shy of an upscale Chinese restaurant. The presentation and quality of the entree really surprised me, especially at the price.
Im sure I'll return to try some more items.
T. Jins China Diner
General Chicken
General Chicken
Wonton Soup (Cup)
T. Jins Dining Area
T. Jins - Menu Page 1
T. Jins - Menu Page 2 (Appetizers)
T. Jins - Menu Page 3
T. Jins - Menu Page 4 (Specialties)
T. Jins - Menu Page 4 (Chicken)
T. Jins - Menu Page 5 (Beef & Pork)
T. Jins - Menu Page 6 (Shrimp)
T. Jins - Menu Page 7 (Lunch Specials)
— Paul