Bites Nearby: Jasmine Restaurant

You may have heard the old adage “Do one thing and do it well” before. Well, Jasmine Restaurant in Forks Township does two things, and if local feedback is any indicator, it’s doing them both well.

Jasmine Restaurant, which opened this past April in the strip mall that also houses Big Woody’s sports bar, serves up both authentic Japanese cuisine and Thai specialties.

According to owner Yong Lin, sushi is their most popular venture. Lin himself is a Manhattan-trained sushi chef of nearly ten years.

“I started making sushi when I was seventeen years old,” Lin said proudly.

The sushi bar in Jasmine Restaurant is open-style, facing the dining room, so that customers can watch the magic of a veteran sushi chef slice and dice fresh seafood before their eyes.

On the Thai side, Jasmine offers popular dishes like Pad Thai--fried rice noodles with egg, bean sprouts and onions--and a variety of curry dishes cooked in coconut milk.

For those a bit more adventurous, there’s an extensive à la carte sashimi menu that includes the likes of eel, oyster, squid and--no kidding--sea urchin.

When asked if his seafood was fresh, rather than frozen, Lin exclaimed, “Of course!” (Apparently this was a bit of ignorance on my part, asking a New York-taught sushi server if his seafood was fresh). Lin went on to explain that his seafood comes in fresh daily from New York and Philadelphia.

Prices vary at Jasmine; a simple lunch can cost under $10, but if you’re coming in for a hibachi or tempura dinner, expect to pay up to $20 per person. Sushi ranges from $4 to $16 per roll. The restaurant also offers a couple of sushi specials for two, at a cost of $35 to $50.

All in all, Jasmine Restaurant expresses a versatility not only in cuisine, but in dining options: customers can order a quick meal to-go, relax in its posh Asian-inspired dining room, or sit at the sushi bar for dinner and a show.

Jasmine Restaurant is located at 1855 Sullivan Trail in Forks Township. The restaurant is open Monday through Thursday, from 11:30 a.m. to 10 p.m.; Friday, 11:30 a.m. to 10:30 p.m.; Saturday, noon to 10:30 p.m.; and Sunday, from 1 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. It accepts all major credit cards with a minimum purchase of $15. The restaurant is smoke-free and is a BYOB establishment.

From now until September 30, Jasmine Restaurant is offering 30 percent off sushi orders on Mondays and Tuesdays, as part of the grand opening celebration. Stop by for one of its 16 signature rolls, some Pad Thai, or, if you’ve got the stomach, some sea urchin.