Asian fusion Jade Eatery & Lounge opens in Port Washington

The first two restaurants to occupy this Port Washington spot were easy to define: Waterzooi (2020-23) was a Belgian brasserie and oyster bar; Mesita (2023-25) was upscale, fiesta-ready Mexican. Jade Eatery & Lounge, which opened in May, is harder to define. The restaurant is part of a local mini-chain, owned by Arun Kumar, that started in Forest Hills and opened in Hicksville last year.

Jade identifies as "modern Asian fusion," but that doesn’t convey the breadth of the menu. Globe-trotting through Japan, Thailand, China and India (as well as the Hakka repertoire of Chinese restaurants in India), it’s apparently too broad to be printed and lives on a tablet that customers swipe through.

This overwhelming electronic document lists 26 appetizers (including crab Rangoon, coconut shrimp with mango sweet chili, sriracha wings, steamed dumplings, chicken satay, Manchurian cauliflower) and seven soups (e.g. tom kha, miso, hot and sour). The sushi menu is further subdivided into nine sushi appetizers, 31 rolls and 19 entrées. There are more than 50 entrees (divided among steak, lamb, chicken, seafood, noodles, rice, vegetarian and tacos) and then an additional 38 "Mughlai kitchen" entrees (tandoor, biryani and more South Asian dishes). Add in bar snacks and lunch specials and you’re looking at more than 100 options — this is Asian fusion diner territory!

Kumar told Newsday he worked for a year and a half on the Hicksville Jade, turning the off-the-beaten-path spot into a "glitzy Vegas experience" complete with a 20-foot Buddha statue and koi pond. By contrast, Port Washington opened less than three months after Mesita bid the town "adios." Other than a paint job and some new ceiling fixtures, the decor is largely the same.

Jade Eatery & Lounge, 1029 Port Washington Blvd., Port Washington, 516-786-0009, jadeeatery.com. Open every day noon to 10 p.m.