Page 148 - South Mississippi Living - September, 2018

Chef Young
ADDRESS:
875 Beach Blvd., Biloxi
PHONE:
228.386.7111
HOURS:
Friday
5 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
Saturday
5 p.m. - 11 p.m.
Sunday
5 p.m. - 10:30 p.m.
JIA
story and photos by Julian Brunt
Jia has forged a reputation as the go- to Asian restaurant on the Coast. After two recent visits, I’d have to disagree because it’s so much more. Is there any place in this state, and perhaps the Deep South, that comes close to capturing such a broad spectrum of Asian culinary influences as Jia does? And it does it with a style that belongs only to Jia.
The official description is Pan- Asian, but after meeting Chef AYoung Chang and sushi chef Choi Young Min, and dining with them, I think a better description is more chef-specific. The Korean dash is palpable, but it’s the personal touches these two amazing chefs bring to the table that make Jia what it is.
In a professional kitchen, detail is what makes the difference, and Jia is on a level all its own. You will see stunning knife skills, artful plating, and a quality
and freshness of ingredients that could not be better. The fish is blazingly fresh, and things that are supposed to be crunchy are as crunchy as can be.
Expect the unexpected. The sashimi platter I sampled was garnished with gooseberries. Wow. But that was nothing compared to the very pho-like dish I tried (the national soup dish of Vietnam), but let me assure you, other than beef, stock, and noodles, this was not pho.
The first punch was delivered with the first spoonful: smoky ox-tail is a long way from the rare beef you might expect. Holding hands with the ox-tail, the vegetables were also grilled, slightly smoky and crunchy. Add to that an eight-hour simmered beef broth and beautiful presentation, and I’d make Jia a regular stop just for this dish.
I asked chef AYoung to describe
ABOVE: MISSISSIPPI ROLL
148 SOUTH MISSISSIPPI Living • September 2018 FOR MORE REFLECTIONS OF THE GULF COAST >> www.smliving.net
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