Jue Lan Club-- Southampton, Long Island, NY

Differentiating from Union Cantina, Jue Lan Club attempts bringing a different cuisine into the Hamptons but actually succeeds in a spectacularly stylish, tasty fashion. Located in Southampton, the restaurant is decorated with a very nautical feel, accompanied by a large bar and an expansive outdoor eating area. The restaurant has a variety of modern Chinese dishes, and we began our dinner with the Pan fried pork and chive dumplings, along with the Crystal shrimp dumplings. Both arrived steaming hot, with the meat cooked and seasoned to perfection in the pork dumpling, while the shrimp had a very tastable sweetness and umph to its bite. After a round of the flavorful, salty, yet slightly mushy Edamame dumplings, the main courses arrived. The green prawns, which I first tried at Red Stix a few years ago, were seasoned deliciously with a spicy, green sauce, accompanied by some crunchy cashews and fresh water spinach. We then continued on to an unbelievably tender and flavor-bursting crispy beef, to finish off with an under-whelmingly simple, boring vegetable fried rice dish. We also had a side dish of bok choy which highlights the strength of the chef's restraint and not overusing heavy, Chinese sauces that usually drown fresh ingredients. We were still so hungry that we requested another order of the pork dumplings and a classic dish of Peking Duck buns, which had a perfectly soft, salty duck but with a crunchy, zesty slaw.

Upon exit of the restaurant at around 9:00 PM, you could bear witness to the pure mass of people in the main room. I haven't seen a restaurant this bustling in a very long time. Overall, I give Jue Lan Club 4 1/2 pineapples. Despite a couple disappointing dishes, Jue Lan Club makes up for it with some not disappointing dishes and a fun, energetic atmosphere. Till next time!

-tdg