Asian fusion in North Carolina’s Research Triangle doesn’t sound promising, but then on second thought given the huge academic/research population in the area maybe it does make sense. In any case we tried Jujube, located in a strip mall in Chapel Hill–it not only exceeded our expectations–it was wonderful.

Of course we started with a bunch of appetizers/small plates–the dumplings were outstanding, particularly the classic shrimp and pork (siu mai), spring rolls, and wonderful spicy fried calamari. We followed that up with two noodle dishes–one curiously labeled bolognese which had flat noodles and a thick Asian pork ragù sauce; the other a coconut milk sauce with chicken and vegetables. In addition we had a wonderful grilled chicken stuffed with bulgur and a great skirt steak dish. These were not classic Chinese or Vietnamese dishes, but they were spiced with Asian flavor and all were uniformly good. We even debated ordering more dumplings at the end of the meal.

Jujube provided a good transition from home in South Carolina with no outstanding Asian food to a summer in San Francisco with an endless range of choices.