Jinja
Noodle Saloon

In what is being referred to as DeVargas North one will find a relative newcomer to the Santa Fe Restaurant community. Called Jinja and dubbed a 'noodle saloon' I anticipated an east meets John Wayne type atmosphere. That was not the case. No the interior of this newly renovated space is nicely sleek and modern with tastefully arranged lighting that creates a feeling of intimacy.

This is a restaurant designed to fit a growing desire for light Asian Fusion dishes. Vegetarians, even vegans, will be able to find several appealing choices. All of us will be pleased that Jinja does not put a heavy bite on the wallet. Most entrees are priced below $10.00. There are options for small plates if you are interested in trying more than one item or just not that hungry.

I had the tempura plate ($9.50) lightly battered shrimp and vegetables with dipping sauce. I believe the batter that Jinja uses for their tempura is phenomenal. Really some of the best I have ever tried. I started with the crispy tofu (($3.75) and received a generous portion but would have been happier if the tofu cubes had actually been crispy. They were a bit soft and tepid.

The cucumber and carrot-daikon salad my co-worker sampled was quite good. Fresh ingredients contained in that delightful sweet and sour dressing that always makes you want a little more. She chose the Chicken Satay Salad ($7.50) which again was an ample portion with top quality ingredients. She quite enjoyed it but did comment that it would have benefited from more sauce.

For desert we shared a piece of Lemon-Lime Tart that came served with vanilla ice cream and lime sauce. ($3.95) This was even better than it sounds, we should have each had our own.

Jinja offers a variety of beer and wines as well as a broad selection of teas. The restaurant fills a niche by delivering a serviceable meal in a timely fashion and not charging an exorbitant amount of money for a bowl of noodles.